How to Pray Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer): Number of Rakahs and Full Guide

About the Friday Prayer

The Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) stands as the high point of the weekly congregational act of worship and is one of the most significant obligations in Muslim communal life. It is performed at the mosque, in congregation, at the time of Dhuhr on Fridays.

"O you who believe! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade. That is better for you, if only you knew."

— Surah Al-Jumu'ah, verse 9

The Conditions for the Friday Prayer

Conditions of Obligation (Who Is Required to Attend?)

The conditions that make the Friday prayer obligatory for a person are:

1. Being male (women are not obligated but may attend)
2. Being of sound mind and having reached puberty
3. Being free (historically, this excluded enslaved persons)
4. Being resident (not travelling)
5. Being in good health (not seriously ill)

Conditions of Validity (For the Prayer to Count)

1. The time (Dhuhr) having entered
2. The sermon being delivered before the prayer
3. A congregation being present (at least 3 people besides the imam, according to the Hanafi school)
4. Being held in a generally accessible place of worship (a mosque)

The Structure of Rakahs (Hanafi Practice)

| Order | Type | Rakahs | Notes | |-------|------|--------|-------| | 1 | First sunnah | 4 | Prayed on entering the mosque at the call to prayer | | 2 | Obligatory (fard) | 2 | With the imam after the sermon, recited aloud | | 3 | Closing sunnah | 4 | After the obligatory prayer | | 4 | Zuhr-i Akhir | 4 | Prayed with the intention "the final Dhuhr" | | 5 | Dhuhr closing sunnah | 2 | The closing sunnah of the general Dhuhr time | | Total | | 16 | |

Note: The Shafi'i and other schools do not include Zuhr-i Akhir. In those traditions, only 12 rakahs are prayed in total.

Step by Step

Step 1: Preparing for the Mosque (Sunnahs)

• ✅ Perform ghusl (ghusl guide)
• ✅ Wear clean, presentable clothing
• ✅ Clean the teeth (with a miswak or toothbrush)
• ✅ Apply a pleasant scent (alcohol-free)
• ✅ Trim the nails, tidy the hair and beard
• ✅ Go to the mosque early (carrying the greatest reward)

Step 2: Waiting at the Mosque

Being present at the mosque from the first call to prayer is a sunnah. While waiting:

• recite Surah Al-Kahf (the surah particularly associated with Friday)
• send frequent blessings on the Prophet
• pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid (two rakahs, on entering the mosque)

Step 3: The First Sunnah (4 Rakahs)

Intention:

"I intend to perform the four rakahs of the first sunnah of the Friday prayer for the sake of Allah."

How it is performed: the same way as the first sunnah of Dhuhr, in 4 rakahs:

Rakahs 1 and 2:

• Opening takbir → Subhanaka → Ta'awwudh and basmalah → Al-Fatihah → a surah → Ruku → 2 prostrations
• At the end of the 2nd rakah: At-Tahiyyat, Salli, Barik (sitting — rising without giving salam)

Rakahs 3 and 4:

• Stand → (no Subhanaka) → Basmalah → Al-Fatihah → a surah → Ruku → 2 prostrations
• At the end of the 4th rakah, the final sitting: At-Tahiyyat + Salli + Barik + Rabbana → Salam

Step 4: The Second Call and the Sermon

The imam ascends the pulpit:

1. The muezzin gives the second call to prayer
2. The imam begins the Friday sermon (khutbah)
3. The sermon consists of two parts (with a brief sitting between them)
4. The congregation remains completely silent — speaking is forbidden

The Prophet said: "Even one who tells another to be silent while the imam is delivering the sermon has himself spoken idly (and lost the reward of the sermon)." — Bukhari, Jumu'ah, 36

Step 5: The Friday Obligatory Prayer (2 Rakahs)

When the sermon ends:

1. The muezzin calls the iqamah

2. The congregation stands

3. Intention:

   "I intend to perform the two obligatory rakahs of the Friday prayer for the sake of Allah, following this imam."

4. The 2 obligatory rakahs are prayed together with the imam

5. The imam recites the verses and surahs aloud (as in the first two rakahs of Fajr, Maghrib and Isha)

6. When the imam gives the salam, the congregation gives the salam too

Step 6: The Closing Sunnah (4 Rakahs)

Intention:

"I intend to perform the four rakahs of the closing sunnah of the Friday prayer for the sake of Allah."

Performed the same way as the first sunnah (4 rakahs).

Step 7: Zuhr-i Akhir (4 Rakahs)

Intention:

"I intend to perform, for the sake of Allah, the obligatory prayer of the final Dhuhr whose time I have reached and have not yet prayed."

4 rakahs are prayed as in the obligatory Dhuhr prayer:

• Al-Fatihah + a surah in the 1st and 2nd rakahs
• Only Al-Fatihah in the 3rd and 4th rakahs
• The complete supplications in the final sitting + salam

Step 8: The Dhuhr Closing Sunnah (2 Rakahs)

Intention:

"I intend to perform today's closing sunnah of the Dhuhr prayer for the sake of Allah."

2 rakahs are prayed:

• Subhanaka + Al-Fatihah + a surah
• Ruku + 2 prostrations
• Stand → Basmalah + Al-Fatihah + a surah
• Ruku + 2 prostrations
• Final sitting → salam

The General Sunnahs of Friday

Practices the Prophet (peace be upon him) recommended for Fridays:

1. Ghusl — the Prophet said: "Ghusl on Friday is obligatory upon every adult." (Bukhari)
2. Trimming the nails, tidying the hair
3. Applying a pleasant scent (alcohol-free)
4. Going early — for each hour someone arrives early, they are recorded as if they had offered a sacrifice (Bukhari)
5. Reciting Surah Al-Kahf — whoever recites it on Friday is illuminated between the two Fridays
6. Sending frequent blessings on the Prophet
7. Making supplication — there is a moment on Friday when a supplication is answered (Muslim)

The Special Hour on Friday

The Prophet said: "There is an hour on Friday during which, if a Muslim happens to be praying and asks Allah for something, He will surely grant it to him." — Bukhari, Jumu'ah, 37

There are different views on exactly when this hour falls:

• from when the imam ascends the pulpit until the prayer ends
• from Asr until sunset (the more widely held view)
• the entirety of Friday

Recommended: make supplication throughout the day on Friday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it sinful to miss the Friday prayer?

It is narrated that a person who misses the Friday prayer three consecutive weeks without a valid excuse risks their heart being sealed by Allah (Abu Dawud). If there is a valid excuse (serious illness, travel, a genuine work obligation), it is not sinful — in that case, the Dhuhr prayer is performed instead.

I cannot leave work for the Friday prayer — what should I do?

• If there is a mosque near your workplace, take a break to attend
• If this is not possible, pray Dhuhr at your workplace
• Talk with your employer — practices vary, but many employers allow for it
• Legally, there is no blanket requirement to grant time off for the Friday prayer, but it is culturally accommodated in many places

I arrived late and the sermon has already started — what should I do?

If the imam has not yet begun the obligatory prayer, sit without praying the sunnah, listen to the sermon, and join the obligatory prayer. If the imam is already in ruku, catching the final ruku of that rakah still counts as having caught the Friday prayer. If you only catch the final salam, you have missed the Friday prayer and should pray Dhuhr instead.

Can women attend the Friday prayer?

Yes, but it is not obligatory for them. If a woman attends, it counts as her Friday prayer (she does not additionally pray Dhuhr). If she does not attend, she prays Dhuhr instead. Women attended the Friday prayer in the time of the Prophet.

Is it forbidden to talk during the sermon?

Yes, absolutely. Even telling the person next to you to be quiet is considered impermissible during the sermon. Silence your phone, avoid texting, and keep your attention on the imam.

The Friday Module in the Nurlu App

The Nurlu app's Friday module includes:

• a Friday time reminder (to help you plan ahead)
• a ghusl checklist
• an audio recitation of Surah Al-Kahf
• a blessings (salawat) counter
• a collection of Friday supplications

all free of charge.