by Saim Bakar
Firstly Surah 62:9 does not refer to any Friday prayers.
62:9 O you who believe, when you are called to the salat from the day when you gather (min yawmil jumu'ati) thus hasten towards the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. This is better for you, if you only knew.
There is no specific mention of Friday in Sura 62:9. Instead ‘yawmil jumu’ati’ means ‘day when you gather’. It could be any gathering on any day of the week.
Most Muslims especially the Sunnis, do not know that for over 25 years and until his death, Imam Malik bin Anas, the founder of the Maliki sect or mazhab did not attend congregational prayers at the masjid, including not attending the Friday prayers. Here are some references:
1. Abu Mus`ab said: “Malik did not pray in congregation [in the Prophet’s mosque] for twenty-five years. He was asked: ‘What is preventing you?’ He said: ‘Lest I see something reprehensible and be obligated to change it.’” Another narration from Abu Mus`ab states: “After Malik left the [Prophet’s] mosque he used to pray in his house with a congregation that followed him, and he prayed the Jum`a prayer alone in his house.” Ibn Sa`d narrates from Muhammad ibn `Umar: “Malik used to come to the Mosque and pray the prayers and the Jum`a, as well as the funeral prayers. He used to visit the sick and sit in the Mosque where his companions would came and saw him. Then he quit sitting there, instead he would pray and leave, and he quit attending the funeral prayers. Then he quit everything, neither attending the prayers nor the Jum`a in the mosque. Nor would he visit anyone who was sick or other than that. The people bore with it, for they were extremely fond of him and respected him too much. This lasted until he died. If asked about it, he said: ‘Not everyone can mention his excuse.’” (https://www.islamawareness.net/Caliph/malik.html).
2. He (Malik) never even used to attend the Jamaa’ at Friday prayer and used to say that not everyone can openly explain themselves (https://hadithcollection.com/about-hadith-books/about-maliks-muwatta/death-of-imam-malik).
And there are no records of the Rasul’s Friday sermons either. There is hadith which talk about the Rasul’s very first Friday sermon but there are TWO different versions of that very brief sermon. You can read both the versions here : https://www.muslimink.com/islam/friday/first-friday-khutbah-of-prophet
Another interesting point to note from this reference is that : “When the Blessed Prophet migrated to Madinah, he stayed in Quba‘ [in the outskirts of Madinah] for approximately fourteen days. When he continued his journey from Quba to Madinah, he led Friday prayers in the tribe of Banu Salama ibn Auf. This was his first Jummah”.
Indeed the mullahs say that when the Rasul arrived in Quba he built a masjid there. Hence the first masjid built in Islam was the Masjid al Quba. But the question that pops up is why didnt the Rasul pray Friday prayers at the Masjid al Quba during the first 14 days when he stayed in Quba?
The mullahs also record that the Banu Salama mentioned above, also known as Banu Salim ibn Awf, had already built a masjid on their land BEFORE the Rasul arrived there. This masjid later came to be known as Masjid Jumuah and stands there until today, albeit rebuilt on a much grander scale. The other question that pops up is why were there no previous Friday prayers at this Masjid Jumuah prior to the arrival of the Rasul while on his way to Madinah (during the hijra)?
And if the Masjid Jumuah had already been built by the Banu Salim ibn Awf before the arrival of the Rasul does the Masjid Jumuah precede the Masjid al Quba as the first masjid in Islam? I must advise the reader that the mullahs have no answers to these questions.
According to the mullahs, the command to pray was given to the Rasul during the isra’ mikraj which took place sometime in 621 AD. Then about one year later the famous hijra or the Rasul’s migration to Madinah took place on Monday, June 21, 622 AD. So the other question that pops up is why were there no Friday prayers between the isra’ mikraj in 621 AD (when the Rasul lived in Mecca) and the first Friday prayer at the Masjid Jumuah during the hijra to Madinah in June 622 AD?
There is also mention of the Rasul’s last sermon but it is not clear if the last sermon was delivered during Friday prayers.
“The Last Sermon Of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) This sermon was delivered on the Ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, 10 A.H. ( 623AD) in the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat in Mecca. It was the occasion of annual rites of Haj. It is also known as the Farewell Pilgrimage.”
(https://www.iium.edu.my/deed/articles/thelastsermon.html)
Anyway, from the first Friday sermon delivered (after Monday June 21, 622 AD) at the Masjid Jumuah, built by the Banu Salim ibn Awf until the Rasul’s death on June 8, 632 AD there are 514 Fridays. Meaning 514 Friday sermons. Where are all those 514 Friday sermons of the Rasul over those 11 years between 622 AD and 632 AD ? Tens of thousands of sahaba must have heard and narrated those 514 Friday sermons of the Rasul. They should all be MUTAWATTIR meaning heard and narrated by multiple witnesses. But there are NO RECORDS of those 514 Friday sermons. NONE OF THE RASUL’S FRIDAY SERMONS OVER THOSE 11 YEARS ARE RECORDED IN THE SAHIH BUKHARI OR ANY OTHER SAHIH HADITH COLLECTION.
Why? The simple answer to this intrigue is because there was no such thing as Friday prayers.
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