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How to Pray Jumu'ah
The order of the rak'ahs, the place of the khutbah and the conditions that make it obligatory, step by step. Based on the Hanafi school following the Diyanet Ilmihal; the differences of the other schools are stated separately.
On whom is the Friday prayer obligatory?
Jumu'ah is an independent obligation that takes the place of the Zuhr prayer. It becomes obligatory on someone who meets the conditions below; someone who does not meet them prays Zuhr and owes nothing. (According to the Hanafi school.)
- Condition 1Being maleNot obligatory on women; if they pray it, it counts as Jumu'ah
- Condition 2Being residentNot obligatory on a traveller
- Condition 3Being in healthIllness that prevents going to the mosque is an excuse
- Condition 4Being free and accountableBeing of sound mind and of age
Step by step
This is the sequence followed in the mosque. The two steps marked in gold are what Jumu'ah cannot exist without: the khutbah and the two rak'ahs in the middle. The khutbah is not sunnah — it is a condition for the prayer's validity. What comes before and after is sunnah.
Arriving early and performing ghusl
Performing ghusl on Friday, wearing clean clothes, applying fragrance and going to the mosque early are sunnah. It is recommended to arrive before the inner adhan.
The first sunnah of Jumu'ah
Before the inner adhan, four rak'ahs are prayed with a single salam, in the same way as the first sunnah of Zuhr.
The inner adhan and the khutbah
The preacher ascends the pulpit, the inner adhan is called and the khutbah is delivered. The khutbah comes before the prayer — the reverse of the Eid prayer. The khutbah is among the conditions of validity of Jumu'ah; without it the Friday prayer is not valid.
During the khutbahOne does not speak, does not pray and does not exchange greetings. Listening to the khutbah is wajib upon the congregation.
The fard of Jumu'ah
The iqamah is called and two rak'ahs are prayed in congregation. The imam recites the Fatihah and the surah aloud; the congregation listens.
The fard portionOnly these two rak'ahs, and they cannot be prayed without a congregation. There is no Friday prayer performed alone.
Most often confused: the fard is two rak'ahs, not four. It takes the place of Zuhr.
The last sunnah of Jumu'ah
After the fard, four rak'ahs are prayed with a single salam.
Zuhr-i âhir and the sunnah of the time
In some regions, four rak'ahs of zuhr-i âhir and two rak'ahs of the sunnah of the time are prayed after the last sunnah. This practice arose from an old discussion about whether the Friday prayer is valid when it is held in more than one mosque in the same locality, and it has been continued as a precaution. Because the High Board of Religious Affairs of the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs considers each of the Friday prayers held in different mosques to be valid, it has not deemed it necessary for someone who has prayed Jumu'ah to pray zuhr-i âhir as well; nor is anyone prevented from praying it as a precaution. When prayed, it has the status of a voluntary prayer.
The conditions for the prayer to be valid
The conditions above concern whether Jumu'ah becomes obligatory on a person. For the prayer itself to be valid, the following are also required: the time must have entered (the time of Zuhr), the prayer must be performed in congregation, the khutbah must be delivered before the prayer, and entry to the mosque must be open to everyone (izn-i âmm).
How many people the congregation must number differs by school; this is stated separately below. Someone in a place where Jumu'ah is not held prays Zuhr.
The sunnahs of the day itself
Beyond the prayer there are sunnahs belonging to the day: performing ghusl, wearing clean clothes, applying fragrance, trimming the nails, going to the mosque early, moving to the front rows, sending abundant blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) and reciting Surah al-Kahf.
On entering the mosque, two rak'ahs of tahiyyat al-masjid are prayed before sitting down. If the preacher has begun the khutbah, this is not prayed in the Hanafi and Maliki schools; one sits and listens. In the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools two rak'ahs are prayed, kept brief.
Differences between the schools
The sequence follows the Hanafi school. In the other schools the measure of the conditions changes: the structure of the prayer stays the same, the conditions change.
How many people must the congregation number?
- Hanafi
- At least three besides the imam. According to Abu Yusuf, two also suffice.
- Shafi'i · Hanbali
- Forty resident men are required.
- Maliki
- Rather than a fixed number, a congregation large enough to form a village is required; this has been set at a minimum of twelve people besides the imam.
Is there a town (misr) requirement?
- Hanafi
- A town, or a settlement having the status of a town, is required. Abu Yusuf defined a town as a settlement whose people do not fit into its largest mosque; most later Hanafi jurists adopted this definition. The fact that the Friday prayer is held in villages in Türkiye rests on this view.
- Shafi'i · Hanbali
- Being a settlement is enough; no town requirement is sought.
- Maliki
- A permanently inhabited settlement and a customary mosque are required.
Is the Friday prayer obligatory on women?
- All four schools
- It is not obligatory. If they pray it, the Friday prayer is valid and takes the place of Zuhr.
May a traveller pray Jumu'ah?
- All four schools
- It is not obligatory; the traveller prays a shortened Zuhr. If he joins the Friday prayer it is valid, and the Zuhr of that day is also lifted.
Has a latecomer caught the Friday prayer?
- Hanafi
- Someone who joins the prayer before the imam gives the salam is counted as having caught Jumu'ah; after the imam's salam he rises and completes the missing rak'ahs.
- Shafi'i · Maliki · Hanbali
- To be counted as having caught Jumu'ah one must have prayed one rak'ah together with the imam. Someone who does not reach the ruku' of the second rak'ah completes his prayer as a four-rak'ah Zuhr.
May someone entering during the khutbah pray?
- Hanafi · Maliki
- He does not; he sits and listens. No voluntary prayer is begun once the khutbah has started.
- Shafi'i · Hanbali
- Two rak'ahs of tahiyyat al-masjid are prayed; they are to be kept brief.
Frequently asked questions
How many rak'ahs is the Friday prayer?
Its fard is two rak'ahs, prayed in congregation. The full sequence followed in the mosque is four rak'ahs of the first sunnah, two rak'ahs of fard and four rak'ahs of the last sunnah.
Can the Friday prayer be performed alone?
It cannot; the congregation is among the conditions of validity of Jumu'ah. Someone who does not reach the Friday prayer prays Zuhr.
Is the khutbah before or after the prayer?
In Jumu'ah the khutbah comes before the prayer. In the Eid prayer the khutbah is delivered after the prayer.
What does someone who misses the Friday prayer do?
Someone who joins the prayer before the imam gives the salam is counted in the Hanafi school as having caught Jumu'ah, and rises after the imam's salam to complete the missing rak'ahs. In the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools one must pray one rak'ah together with the imam; whoever does not reach it prays Zuhr as four rak'ahs.
Is it necessary to pray zuhr-i âhir?
Because the High Board of Religious Affairs considers each of the Friday prayers held in different mosques in the same locality to be valid, it has not deemed it necessary for someone who has prayed Jumu'ah to pray zuhr-i âhir as well. Nobody is prevented from praying it as a precaution; when prayed, it has the status of a voluntary prayer.
May women pray the Friday prayer?
It is not obligatory on them, but if they pray it their prayer is valid and it takes the place of the Zuhr of that day.
Related pages
Don't miss the Friday prayer time
Minara tells you when the prayer time begins and shows the qibla direction from where you are. Ad-free, privacy-first, free.
Note
Source: Presidency of Religious Affairs of Türkiye (Diyanet), Ilmihal I — Faith and Worship, chapter “The Friday Prayer”.
This page is not a fatwa. It is a reminder of the order and the conditions of the prayer. For a question about your own situation, consult a mosque community or a qualified person.