وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” إِنَّ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ لَسَاعَةً لَا يُوَافِقُهَا عَبْدٌ مُسْلِمٌ يَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ فِيهَا خَيْرًا إِلَّا أعطَاهُ إِيَّاه. وَزَاد مُسلم: «وَهِيَ سَاعَةٌ خَفِيفَةٌ» . وَفِي رِوَايَةِ لَهُمَا قَالَ: «إِنَّ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ لَسَاعَةً لَا يُوَافِقُهَا مُسْلِمٌ قَائِم يُصَلِّي يسْأَل لاله يخرا إِلَّا أعطَاهُ إِيَّاه»
Sayiduna Abu Huraira rd. reported Alla’s’s Messenger ﷺ as saying, “There is a time on Friday at which no Muslim will ask God for what is good without His giving it to him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) Imam Muslim’s narration added that he said it is a short period. (Bukhari #935; Muslim #852 b/e)
In a version by both of them he said, “There is a time on Friday at which no Muslim will stand and pray asking God for what is good without His giving him it.”
وَعَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ بْنِ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- يَقُولُ فِي شَأْنِ سَاعَةِ الْجُمُعَةِ: “هِيَ مَا بَيْنَ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ الْإِمَامُ إِلَى أَنْ تُقْضَى الصَّلَاةُ”. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
Sayyiduna Burdah ibn Abu Musa rh. narrated that he heard his father Sayyiduna Abu Musa rd. say that he heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ say about the (opportune) moment on Friday. “It is between the time the imam sits down (on the pulpit to deliver the sermon) and the end of the salah.” (Mishkat al Masabeeh Hadeeth #1358.)
COMMENTARY: While there is no doubt whatsoever that there is a time on Friday at which prayer is accepted the time itself is not known. Some ulama (Scholars) say that it is unknown like the laylat ul-qadr and the great name of Allah (or ism a’zam). Some others say that the unknown time on Friday is not always the same. It changes from early in the day to mid-day to the end of the day.
However, most of the ulama (Scholars) maintain that this time is fixed and is known, but they differ in pointing it out. There are as many as thirty-five opinions about it. They are:
- On Friday, at the time when the muadhdhin calls the adhan of fajr.
- Between rise of dawn and sunrise.
- Between asr and sunset.
- After the sermon between the imams descending from the pulpit and calling the takbir tahrimah.
- Immediately after sunrise.
- At the time of sunrise.
- The last moments of the remaining eight-hour period of the day.
- From the beginning of zawal till shades are half of the subject.
- From the beginning of zawal till shadows are one cubit long.
- When the sun has set one span till it has set one cubit.
- Exactly at zawal.
- At the time the muadhdin calls the adhan for the commencement of zawal and one’s joining the salah of Friday.
- Between the commencement of zawal and one’s joining the salah of Friday.
- Between the commencement of zawal and the imams completing the salah of Friday.
- Till the zawal of the sun.
- Between the time out which the imam ascends the pulpit and the salah of Friday begins.
- Till the imam completes (or ends) the salah of Friday.
- Between the time at which the imam ascends the pulpit and the completion of the salah.
- Between the adhan and the end of the salah.
- From the time the imam sits on the pulpit till the salah is over.
- Between the time buying and selling is prohibited till it is allowed, meaning, form the time of adhan till the salah of Friday is over.
- The time just before the adhan.
- From the time the imam begins the sermon till he ends it.
- Between the time the imam ascends the pulpit to deliver the sermon and he begins it.
- The time when the imam sits between the two sermons.
- After the sermon is over, when the imam descends from the pulpit.
- From the time the iqamah is called for the salah till the imam stands on the prayer mat.
- From the time the iqamah is called till the end of the salah.
- Immediately the salah of Friday is over.
- The time between the salah of asr till sunset.
- Between the salah of asr.
- From the time of the salah of asr till the final time for it is mustahab (before sunset).
- Exactly after the salah of asr.
- The last moments after the salah of asr.
- The time when the sun is setting.
It is said about Sayyiduna Ali rd. , Sayyidah Fatimah Zahra rd. and all the members of the Prophet’s ﷺ household, that they had instructed their servants to be mindful of the last moments of Friday. They were deputed to remind everyone so that they should engage in worship of Allah, contemplating and making supplication at this hour.
Sayiduna Balqiri rh. was asked how may one make supplication when the sermon is being delivered because of the command that the worshippers should observe complete silence when the imam delivers the sermon.
He said that is not necessary to coin words to make supplication. Rather, one may contemplate one’s desires and needs in one’s heart. This means that a supplication need not be spoken with the tongue, but it is enough to make it in the heart. In way, the objective is achieved and the command to remain quiet is also obeyed.
Imam Shafi’i rh. said, “I have learnt that the supplication made on the night of Friday is also accepted.”
Manifestations of Truth ; Sharh Mishkat al Masabih 1/810