Muslim Friday Prayers
The holy days of Semitic religions differ from each other, and these determinations are according to their respective beliefs. For Judaism, their holy day is the Sabbath.
According to Genesis in the Old Testament, on the Sabbath the Lord has finished creating the universe and everything in it, then `` complete rest '' (according to the meaning of the name Sabbath in Hebrew).
Adherents of the Jewish religion, with this belief, until now use the Sabbath for complete rest, even among the fundamentalists who are said to have refused to turn on the television on the Sabbath. But Sabbath according to the Islamic concept is taken from the word sab'ah, which means seven.
Christianity, after going through a long bloodshed, abandoned the concept of the Sabbath and replaced its holy day with the first day, Sunday or Dominggo, the former day of the Sun. According to them, Sunday or Sunday means the Lord's Day or the day that is most pleasing to God.
On Sundays there is a time when God will surely answer all the prayers of His servants. So the process of demetologization by the Jewish (monotheist) and Christian (Trinitarian) religions of the concept of the seventh day as a remnant of paganism is not yet complete.
Islam is a religion that completes demithologization in the naming of days. Islam names its holy day as Friday, which means gathering, an understanding that emphasizes humanity rather than divinity. The holy day of Muslims is no longer influenced by mythology which means that God needs rest like His creatures:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ مَاذَا أَنْزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
"And when it was said to them," What has your Lord sent down? " They replied: "Tales of the ancients." (Surah an-Nahl [16]: 24); God won't get tired and sleep, God doesn't need special days or holy days, God doesn't need anything.
Furthermore, the Greatness of God will remain the Most Glorious, Most High and Most of all The Most, even if His servants believe or not, praise or denounce Him, worship or commit immoral acts against Him.
One of the wisdoms of choosing the sixth day as a holy day is a reminder to us often to contemplate this world that Allah created six days (fi sittati ayyam). The six days here by the mufasirin, among them Muhammad Yusup Ali, are interpreted as six long periods (ages), not six days like the Jewish belief which later on the seventh day God rested. It continues to be named Friday, as a reminder of the importance of togetherness and humanity.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ مَاذَا أَنْزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
The Muslim holy day is Friday. From Abu Hurairah RA, he said, "Rasulullah SAW said: Sir, the days with Allah are Friday."
The way to use the holy day with Friday, which is different from the way the Sabbath and Domingo are named, indicates a more practical, functional and mythological orientation. Moreover, Islam does not teach that this holy day is a day of rest.
What exists is the teaching that when the call to prayer for Friday prayers is pronounced, Muslims are obliged to leave their respective jobs and rush to the prayer place to gather together to remember God (congregation). After completing prayer, they should `` spread out on the face of the earth and seek Allah's mercy, '' that is, go back to work for a living.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
"When prayers have been fulfilled, then you will be scattered on the face of the earth; and seek the gift of Allah and remember Allah a lot so that you may be lucky. O you who believe, when you are called to perform Friday prayers, then hurry to remember Allah and leave the buying and selling. That is better for you if you know. " (Surah al-Jumah [62]: 9-10).
The holy day of Muslims is a day of humanity, in which they can care for one another, stay in touch, gather after six days of being busy with their respective interests.
On Friday, Muslims can see their brothers and sisters if only someone is hit by trouble. The rich can and should pay attention to their poor siblings, at least in their appearance in Friday prayers.
A hadith Aisah RA explains that the Prophet's charity (alms) increases on Friday. Friday is a day of togetherness. Friday is not only a day of ritual, but more importantly it is a social day.
* This article is an excerpt from the manuscript entitled Secrets of the Friday by Fauz Noor, which was published by the Daily Republika 2001