I would like clarification on how many rakaats are to be performed in the jummah salaah and how many azans should there be, also could you please confirm some adhabs or etiquettes of this blessed day Wasalaam
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Answer
It is sunnah to cleanse oneself (hair & nails etc), make ghusl (bath), put on fragrance and wear clean clothes on Friday.
Salman Al Farsi (RA) narrates that The Prophet said, “Anyone who takes a bath on Friday and cleans himself as much as he can and puts oil (on his hair) or scents himself; and then proceeds for the prayer and does not force his way between two persons (assembled in the mosque for the Friday prayer), and prays as much as is written for him and remains quiet when the Imam delivers the khutbah, all his sins in between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, VOL2.33)
It is stated in Raddul Muhtar that two Azans should be called out for Friday prayer (Vol1, P607).
Az Zuhri narrates that I heard As-Saib bin Yazid, saying, “In the lifetime of The Prophet , and Abu Bakr and Umar (Allah be pleased with them), the Azan for the Jumuah prayer used to be pronounced after the Imam had taken his seat on the pulpit. But when the people increased in number during the caliphate of ‘Uthman (RA), he introduced a third Azan1 (on Friday for the Jumuah prayer) and it was pronounced at Az-Zaura2 and that new state of affairs remained so in the succeeding years. (Sahih Al-Bukhari VOL2.39)
The above hadith indicates that the (first) Azan was introduced by Uthman (RA) in order to make the people aware of the time of Jumuah and therefore enable them to make necessary preparations for the Friday prayer. This was done in the presence of the Shahabahs who all practiced it. Therefore the ruling of the first Azan is classified as Ijma e Sahabah (Consensus). It is mentioned in Noorul Anwar that the ruling through Ijma is similar to a ruling proven from a verse of the Quran or Hadith e Mutawatir. (P225)
In regards to the amount of rakats to be preformed for Friday prayer, the total number is twelve. Four sunnath e muakkadah before the fardh Friday prayer and six sunnahs (of which four is sunnath e muakkadah) after it (Raddal Muhtar, Vol1, P497 & Vol2, P144)
In short, twelve rakats should be performed for the Friday prayer with two Azans. The first azan given so that people can prepare for Jumuah and the second azan given before the khutbah in front of the Imam.
Allah knows best
Sayeedur Rahman
Darul Ifta, Birmingham
- The iqamah for the Friday prayer is counted as one Azan, hence the Azan introduced by Uthman (Allah be pleased with him) is referred to as the third Azan in the hadith.
- A place in the market of Al-Madina.
