Question and answer details
Name of Questioner: Hannah
Reply date: 2014/10/30
Question: Can you please explain to me why is Friday your “Sabbath” Day?
consultant: Amir Ali
Answer
Salam (Peace) Dear Hannah,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
In Islam there is no Sabbath. For every people, that is followers of a prophet, there were tests set to try them as to whether they obey God’s prohibitions.
For the Jews, among other things, these tests included the day of Sabbath, as we can see from the following verses of the Quran:
{Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea. Behold! they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their Sabbath their fish did come to them, openly holding up their heads, but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not: thus did We make a trial of them, for they were given to transgression.} (Al-A`raf 7:163)
{The Sabbath was only made (strict) for those who disagreed (as to its observance). But God will judge between them on the Day of Judgment, as to their differences.} (An-Nahl 16:124)
Allah has relieved the followers of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from such hardship.
Friday – in Arabic Yawm al-Jumuah – means the day of congregation. We find the commandments about the congregational prayers of Friday in the following verses of the Quran:
{O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of God, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew.
And when the Prayer is finished, then may you disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of God: and celebrate the Praises of God often (and without stint): that ye may prosper.
But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave thee standing. Say: “The (blessing) from the Presence of God is better than any amusement or bargain! and God is the Best to provide (for all needs).} (Al-Jumu`ah 62: 9-11)
You may call that period the Sabbath hour; from the call for Friday prayer until it ends, there should be no trade.
Then, why choose Friday? Different people and scholars have offered lots of reasons for it but in the end the real reason recognized is simply that Allah has decided and commanded that it should be Friday.
Mohsen Haredy, Ask About Islam consultant, would like to add the following:
There are a number of Hadiths which speak of the virtue of this day.
The Prophet is reported to have said:
“We (Muslims) are the last (of the nations) but (we will be) the foremost on the Day of Resurrection, although the former nations were given their scriptures before us and we were given ours after them. And this (Friday) is the day concerning which they disputed. So Allah guided us (to it), tomorrow (i.e., Saturday) is for the Jews and the day after (i.e., Sunday) is for the Christians.” (Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet said also:
“The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day Adam was created, on this day he entered Paradise and on this day he was expelled from it.” (Muslim)
It was narrated that Tariq ibn Shihab said:
“A Jewish man said to Umar, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, if this Quranic verse – (This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion,) (Al-Ma’idah 5:3) – had been revealed to us, we would have taken that day as an Eid (Festival).” Umar said, “I know on which day this Quranic verse was revealed; it was revealed on the Day of Arafah, which was a Friday.” (Al-Bukhari)
I hope this answers your question. Please keep in touch.
Salam
Categories: Asia