The Virtue of Arriving Early for the Friday Prayer
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Question:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) has finished what he mentioned. Honorable Shaykh, would you like to conclude this chapter with a discussion on the virtue of arriving early for it and the warning against being late, which many people are currently doing?
Answer:
Yes, it is Friday, and it has great virtues, as I mentioned, that Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) listed more than forty of them. He also wrote books on the virtues of Friday, such as *Al-Lum'ah fi Fada'il al-Jumu'ah* by Imam al-Suyuti and others. So they are very important. And among the greatest of its virtues is arriving early, going early to it, going early to it after the sun rises or after the dawn breaks.
So the earlier a person goes, the better that is, by the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)Riyad as-Salihin 1155 Sunan an-Nasa'i 1388Sahih (Darussalam) So look at the difference between an egg and a camel.
So this is a great difference, and the earlier a person goes for the Friday prayer, the better it is. And unfortunately, nowadays, most people do not come except after the imam has finished the sermon and at the iqamah, or after the beginning of the prayer has passed. There is no power and no strength except by Allah. Yes.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) has finished what he mentioned. Honorable Shaykh, would you like to conclude this chapter with a discussion on the virtue of arriving early for it and the warning against being late, which many people are currently doing?
Answer:
Yes, it is Friday, and it has great virtues, as I mentioned, that Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) listed more than forty of them. He also wrote books on the virtues of Friday, such as *Al-Lum'ah fi Fada'il al-Jumu'ah* by Imam al-Suyuti and others. So they are very important. And among the greatest of its virtues is arriving early, going early to it, going early to it after the sun rises or after the dawn breaks.
So the earlier a person goes, the better that is, by the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
he is like one who offers a camel as a sacrifice to seek the Pleasure of Allah; and he who comes at the second hour is like one who offers a cow to win the Pleasure of Allah; and he who comes at the third hour is like one who offers a ram with horns (in sacrifice); and he who comes at the fourth hour is like one who offers a hen
من جاء في الساعة الأولى فكأنما قرب بدنة، ومن جاء في الساعة الثانية فكأنما قرب بقرة، ومن جاء في الساعة الثالثة فكأنما قرب كبشا، ومن جاء في الساعة الرابعة فكأنما قرب دجاجةThen the one who comes in the fifth hour, it is as if he sacrificed an egg.
ومن جاء في الساعة الخامسة فكأنما قرب بيضة،So this is a great difference, and the earlier a person goes for the Friday prayer, the better it is. And unfortunately, nowadays, most people do not come except after the imam has finished the sermon and at the iqamah, or after the beginning of the prayer has passed. There is no power and no strength except by Allah. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، شرح زاد المستقنع (حلقات إذاعية)|42 من 194|كتاب الصّلاة|باب صلاة أهل الأعذار|الفوزان|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (29:49)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.