Basic HTML Version
units he has missed until he completes his prayer. When a person joins the
congregation in the bowing position, before rising, he is considered as having joined
from the start of this particular unit. But if he joins the congregation in any position
after bowing, he has missed the unit and must make up for it individually right after
the Imam has concluded the prayer
8. Whenever there is an opportunity for praying in congregation, a Muslim should not
miss it. Prayer in congregation is a handsome demonstration of unity in purpose and
action, of plural piety and humility before God, of effective solidarity among
Muslims, of public order and mutual response
Also, if a person forgets or oversleeps which has caused him to miss the prayer, he
should perform it immediately when he remembers
The Islamic congregation is a positive answer to the acutest problems of humanity
rising from racial discrimination, social castes and human prejudices. In the
congregational service of Islam, there is no king or subject, rich or poor, white or
colored, first or second class, back or front benches, reserved or public pews. All
worshippers stand and act shoulder to shoulder in the most disciplinary manner
regardless of any worldly considerations.
The Friday Prayer (Salatu-l-Jumu’ah)
So far we have been dealing with the daily prayers. Now we come to the weekly
convention of Friday Congregation. This service is compulsory upon every Muslim
who is required to observe the other prayers and has no reasonable excuses to abstain.
It falls on Friday of every week and is especially important because:-
1. It is the occasion earmarked by God for the Muslims to express their collective
devotion
2. It is an appointment to review our spiritual accounts of the week gone by and get
ready for the following week just as people do in any other business
3. It is a convention for the Muslims to reassure themselves and confirm their
religious bonds and social solidarity on moral and spiritual foundations
4. It shows how the Muslims give preference to the call of God over and above any
other concern
Muslim of the Daylight Saving time zones seem to run into some difficulties and
confusion over the proper time for the Friday Congregational Prayer (Jum’ ah). The
problem can be solved easily by setting the prayer time between 1:15 to 2.30 p.m.
throughout year. In this way there will be no need to change the time from winter to
summer. We strongly recommend this to our brethren so that they may work it into
their weekly schedules as a permanent arrangement
The Highlights of the Friday Prayer
This prayer of Friday is marked by these features:-
1. Its time falls in the same time as that of the noon prayer (Salatu-z-Zuhr), and it
replaces the very same prayer
54
www.islamicbulletin.com