FRIDAY

Arabic Jumʿah ( جمعة‎ ). “The Day of A embly.” The Muḥammadan Sabbath, on which they a emble in the Jāmiʿ Masjid , or chief mosque, and recite two rakʿahs of prayers and listen to the oration, or k͟hut̤bah at the time of mid-day prayer. Muḥammad claims in the Traditions to have established Friday as a day of worship by divine command. He says, “Friday was ordered as a divine day of worship both for the Jew and Christian, but they have acted contrary to the command . The Jew fixed Saturday and the Christian fixed Sunday.” According to the same traditions, Friday is “the best day on which the sun rises, the day on which Adam was taken into Paradise and turned out of it, the day on which he repented and on which he died. It will also be the Day of Resurrection.” There is also a certain hour on Friday (known only to God) on which a Muslim obtains all the good he asks of the Almighty. Muḥammad prayed that God may put a seal on the heart of every Muslim who through negligence omits prayer for three succe ive Fridays. Muḥammad said:— “Whoever bathes on Friday and comes to prayers in the beginning and comes on foot and sets near the Imām and listens to the k͟hut̤bah, and says nothing playful, but sits silent, every step he took will get the rewards of a whole year’s worshipping and rewards of one year’s fast and one year’s prayings at night.” “There are three descriptions of people present on Friday, one of them who comes to the masjid talking triflingly, and this is what he gets instead of rewards; and there is a man who is present for making supplications, and he asks God, and if He wills He gives him, if not, refuses; the third a man who attends to hear the k͟hut̤bah and is silent, and does not incommode anyone, and this Friday covers his sins till the next, and three days longer; for God says, Whoever doth one good act will receive ten in return.” ( Mishkāt , book iv. c. xliii.) [ KHUTBAH .] FRIENDSHIP with Jews and Christians is condemned in the Qurʾān, Sūrah v. 56 : “O ye who believe! take not the Jews and Christians for your friends (or patrons); they are the friends of each other; but whoso amongst you takes them for friends, verily he is of them, and, verily, God guides not an unjust people.” FRUITS OF THE EARTH are described in the Qurʾān as evidences of God’s love and care for his creatures. Sūrah vi. 142 :— “He it is who produceth gardens of the vine trellised and untrellised, and the palm trees, and the corn of various food, and olives, and pomegranates, like and unlike. Eat of their fruit when they bear fruit, and pay the due thereof on the day of its ingathering: and be not prodigal, for God loveth not the prodigal.” Sūrah xiii. 3 :— “And He it is who hath outstretched the earth, and placed on it the firm mountains, and rivers: and of every fruit He hath placed on it two kinds: He causeth the night to enshroud the day. Verily in this are signs for those who reflect. “And on the earth hard by each other are its various portions: gardens of grapes and corn, and palm trees single or clustered. Though watered by the same water, yet some make we more excellent as food than other: Verily in all this are signs for those who understand.”