What is the ruling on designating the day off as Friday?

The questioner : Shaykh, regarding the designation of Friday as the day off, and your statement on this is well known, do you see substituting the day off with another day? Or is it otherwise?

The Shaykh : I do not see imposing a day off on the people, but if there is a temporal benefit and the scholars and the people of consultation in the Muslim state deem it necessary, then it should not be Friday; because that would be imitating the Jews' day off on Saturday, and the Christians' day off on Sunday. That is because these three days—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—are the festival days of three religions: the religion of Islam, the religion of the Jews, and the religion of the Christians. So if the Jews and Christians celebrate on their festival days, Saturday and Sunday, then it is not permissible for Muslims to imitate them by celebrating on their festival day, Friday. If the people of consultation, as I mentioned earlier, see that Muslims must have a day of rest in the week due to a pressing need, then there is no harm in that, provided that it is not Friday.

The questioner : If they make Thursday and Friday the same, Professor, regarding energy conservation, meaning?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Shaykh, as for me, as a commercial establishment, I want to prepare myself for the Friday prayer, and then take the children, meaning there is no intention, meaning the known intention of the Christians, or even of Muslims who work on Friday, is there any harm in this?

The Shaykh : There is harm, and the reason is: why do you not make the day off on a day other than Friday? Because the majority of people around you do what you do. If you close on Saturday or Sunday or any day of the week other than Friday, you will lose commercially, you will lose commercially.

The questioner : Shaykh, the markets open on Friday in Zarqa, it is normal.

The Shaykh : How do they open?

The questioner : Now, in Zarqa, the shops open normally, but some of us, like me, do not open on Friday so that I can pray on Friday and attend to some matters, and so on. And now in Zarqa, the commercial shops and cafes open, except for company offices, but the commercial shops in the market, Shaykh, 80% or 90% open.
Another student : Meaning they do not open for religious reasons, Professor, not religiously, they do not go to pray Friday, is that not so?
Abu Layla : No, there are people who go to pray Friday and close their shops.

The questioner : People who are off and buy things, and so on.
Abu Layla : Shaykh, some merchants tell me that they sell better on Friday than on some other days, meaning this is a story I know and it exists, and I feel it sometimes, Shaykh, except that I say I do not want to open and I want to rest, and see the children, and they go out here and go to the prayer, and attend some lessons on Friday, for example, the lesson specialized in, for example, Abu Malik's lesson, or Abu Malik's sermon, and a lesson for me afterwards, and from this door, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes, when the society in which you live does not designate Friday as a day off, as you are describing, but we see the capital here and all the capitals we know designate Friday as a day off... I care about the reality. So if the reality in Zarqa is that Muslims do not designate Friday as a day off, then I see in that case that Muslims do not designate Friday as a day off, so I see in that case that you should close before the prayer; because this closing before the prayer is a desirable matter. After the prayer, you have the choice, look at your benefit, whether you open or close, so do not make after the Friday prayer a day off for attending to your affairs, but sometimes and sometimes, clear?

The questioner : Yes, clear. May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And you as well.

The questioner : Shaykh, regarding the issue of hair...

The Shaykh : O Umm al-Fadl, come, attend to your state; because the weather is cold and it is going to be Maghrib, ... come ... .