Answered by Sidi Mostafa Azzam
How is a minimal Friday prayer performed?
The Friday prayer is a two-cycle group prayer performed Friday afternoon following two brief speeches, or sermons. It takes the place of the afternoon (zuhr) prayer when completed validly. Its performance is simple and is explained at f18 of the Reliance of the Traveller. The following is a sample description of its near-minimal performance.
After the time of the afternoon prayer has entered (f18.10(c)), one of the participants stands (f18.10(d)) facing the rest (f18.11(5)) and delivers the Friday sermon, saying for example:
(1) “Al-hamdu liLlah” (f18.9(a))
(2) “Allahumma salli `ala Muhammad” (f18.9(b))
(3) “Ittaqu Llah” (f18.9(c))
(4) “Qul huwa Llahu ahad” (f18.9(d))
Then he sits (f18.10(e)) for a couple of seconds and stands again, saying for example:
(5) “Al-hamdu liLlah” (f18.9(a))
(6) “Allahumma salli `ala Muhammad” (f18.9(b))
(7) “Ittaqu Llah” (f18.9(c))
(8) “Allahumma rhami l-mu’minin” (f18.9(e))
(underlined vowels represent long vowels; underlined consonants represent thick consonants)
He has then completed the requirements of the Friday sermon (f18.9-10), and the participants then pray the Friday prayer together (f18.7(c)).
There are additional sunnas, or recommended measures (f18.11), of the Friday prayer that may be taken: in them is great merit, but there is no sin in omitting them, and omitting them does not affect the validity of the Friday prayer.
And Allah knows best.
Mostafa Azzam,
Amman, Jordan.