Rules Related to Friday Prayer

1. It is preferable that the person who delivers the khutbah also performs the prayer. However, it is permissible for someone else to perform the prayer.

2. It is sunnah to call out the iqaamah and commence with the prayer immediately after the completion of the khutbah. It is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) to engage in any worldly activity between the khutbah and the prayer. If there is a very lengthy gap between the khutbah and the prayer, it will be necessary to repeat the khutbah. However, if the delay is caused because of a Deeni reason, e.g. To show someone a issue, or the wudu of the imam broke and he went to make wudu, or after delivering the khutbah he realized that he had to have a bath, so he went to have a bath – in all these cases it will not be makruh nor will it be necessary to repeat the khutbah.

3. Friday prayer should be offered with the following intention: “I intend offering two rakaats fard of Friday prayer.”

4. It is preferable for all the people to get together and offer Friday prayer in one mosque. However, it is permissible for the people of one place to offer their Friday prayer in several mosques.

5. If a person joins the prayer in the last sitting at the time of reciting the at-tahiyyaat or after prostration-e-sahw, his joining the congregation will be correct and he will have to complete his Friday prayer. He will not have to offer Zuhr prayer.

6. Some people offer Zuhr prayer after the Friday prayer as a precaution. Since the belief of the masses has become corrupted in this regard, they should be strictly stopped from this. However, if a knowledgeable person wishes to offer the Zuhr prayer due to some doubt, he should do so without letting anyone come to know of it.