Recommended Rites of Friday

Text and Translation

Hibiscus: It is recommended to dye with hibiscus, for it saves from leprosy and insanity.

Mustache and nails: It is also recommended to cut the mustache neatly and trim the nails so as not to miss the great merits of doing these acts. As has been mentioned in narrations, these acts bring about expansion in sustenance, cancellation of sins up to the next Friday, and security from insanity and leprosy.

Alms: It is recommended to give alms, for the rewards are doubled up on Fridays and at Friday nights, as is confirmed by narrations, as one thousand folds as giving alms on other days.

Pomegranate: Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.) is reported to have said, “The heart of him who eats a pomegranate before breakfast on Fridays will be enlightened for forty days. To eat two pomegranates increases the period of enlightenment to eighty days, and so on. It also dismisses the evil suggestions. Of course, to get rid of Satan’s suggestions is to stop acting disobediently to Almighty Allah; and to stop acting disobediently to Him allows entrance to Paradise.” In al-Misbah, the author has said that to eat pomegranates on Fridays and at Friday nights achieves great merits.

Learning the religion: Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.) is reported as saying, “Woe to a Muslim who does not dedicate Fridays to learning the affairs of his religion.” The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is also reported to have said, “If you, on Fridays, see old men telling the tales of infidelity and of the pre-Islamic era, you should then make their heads the targets of stones.” Disadvantages arisen from such matters are too many to be mentioned.

Salawat: Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) is reported to have said, “For me, no act of worship is more favorable than invoking blessings upon the Prophet and his immaculate Household - may Allah bless them all - on Fridays.” If there is not enough time to repeat this invocation one thousand times, it must be repeated one hundred times at least so that faces will be brightened on the Judgement Day. It has been also narrated that all sins will be totally forgiven for those who repeat invocations of blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household one hundred times, repeat this supplicatory prayer one hundred times, and recite [Surah al-Tawheed](A116) (No. 112) one hundred times on Fridays. It has been also narrated that to invoke blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his household is equal (in reward) to seventy times of going on Hajj.

Visiting graves: Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) is reported as saying, “Visit the graves of your relatives on Fridays, for they know about those who visit their graves and will be happy for that.”

Dua Nudba: It is one of the rites to be done on the Four Feast Days (i.e. Eid al-Fitr - the first of Shawwal, Eid al-Azha - the tenth of Zilhajj, Eid al-Ghadeer - the eighteenth of Zilhajj, and Fridays).

Fajr Prayer until Sunrise

In the Fajr prayer, recite [Surah al-Jumu'ah](A66) in the first unit and [Surah al-Tawhid](A116) in the second.

After the Fajr prayer, before speaking to anyone, recite (at least once a month):

اَللّٰهُمَّ مَا قُلْتُ فِيْ جُمُعَتِيْ هٰذِهٖ مِنْ قَوْلٍ

ALLAAHUMMA MAA QULTO FEE JOMO-A’TEE HAAZEHI MIN QAWLIN

O Allah, whatever word I speak in this Friday of mine,

اَوْ حَلَفْتُ فِيْهَا مِنْ حَلْفٍ

AW HALAFTO FEEHAA MIN HALFIN

or whatever oath I take,

اَوْ نَذَرْتُ فِيْهَا مِنْ نَذْرٍ

AW NAZARTO FEEHAA MIN NAZRIN

or whatever vow I make,

فَمَشِيَّتُكَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ ذٰلِكَ كُلِّهٖ

FA-MASHIYYATOKA BAYNA YADAY ZAALEKA KULLEHI

Your will precedes all of that;

فَمَا شِئْتَ مِنْهُ اَنْ يَّكُوْنَ كَانَ

FAMAA SHEA-TA MINHO ANY YAKOONA KAANA

whatever You will to be shall be,

وَمَا لَمْ تَشَأْ مِنْهُ لَمْ يَكُنِ

WA MAA LAM TASHAA MINHO LAM YAKONIL

and whatever You do not will shall not be.

اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَتَجَاوَزْ عَنِّيْ

LAAHUMMAGH FIR LEE WA TAJAAWAZ A’NNEE

O Allah, forgive me and overlook my faults.

اَللّٰهُمَّ مَنْ صَلَّيْتَ عَلَيْهِ فَصَلَوَاتِىْ عَلَيْهِ

ALLAAHUMMA MAN SALLAYTA A’LAYHE FA-SALAWAATEE A’LAYHE

O Allah, whomever You bless, may my blessings be upon him,

وَمَنْ لَعَنْتَ فَلَعْنَتِيْ عَلَيْهِ.

WA MAN LA-A’NTA FA-LA’NATEE A’LAYHE.

and whomever You curse, may my curse be upon him.

Shaykh al-Tusi highly recommends this dua after the Fajr prayer:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّي تَعَمَّدْتُ اِلَيْكَ بِحَاجَتِىْ

ALLAAHUMMA INNEE TA-A’MMADTO ELAYKA BE-HAAJATEE

O Allah, I have directed myself toward You with my need,

وَاَنْزَلْتُ اِلَيْكَ الْيَوْمَ فَقْرِيْ

WA ANZALTO ELAYKAL YAWMA FAQREE

and today I have brought before You my poverty,

وَفَاقَتِيْ وَمَسْكَنَتِيْ

WA FAAQATEE WA MASKANATEE

my want, and my destitution.

فَاَنَا لِمَغْفِرَتِكَ اَرْجٰى مِنِّىْ لِعَمَلِيْ

FA-ANAA LE-MAGHFERATEKA ARJAA MINNEE LE-A’MALEE

I have more hope in Your forgiveness than I have in my own deeds,

وَلِمَغْفِرَتُكَ وَرَحْمَتُكَ اَوْسَعُ مِنْ ذُنُوْبِيْ

WA LE-MAGHFERATOKA WA RAHMATOKA AWSA-O’ MIN ZONOOBEE

for Your forgiveness and Your mercy are more vast than my sins.

فَتَوَلَّ قَضَاۤءَ كُلِّ حَاجَةٍ لِيْ بِقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَيْهَا

FATAWALLA QAZAAA-A KULLE HAAJATIN LEE BE-QUDRATEKA A’LAYHAA

So, take charge of fulfilling every need of mine through Your power over it,

وَتَيْسِيْرِ ذٰلِكَ عَلَيْكَ وَلِفَقْرِيْ اِلَيْكَ

WA TAYSEERE ZAALEKA A’LAYKA WA LE-FAQREE ELAYKA

for that is easy for You and because of my poverty toward You.

فَاِنِّي لَمْ اُصِبْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ اِلَّا مِنْكَ

FA-INNEE LAM OSIB KHAYRAN QATTO ILLAA MINKA

Indeed, I have never attained any good except from You,

وَلَمْ يَصْرِفْ عَنِّيْ سُوۤءًا قَطُّ اَحَدٌ سِوَاكَ

WA LAM YASRIF A’NNEE SOOO-AN QATTO AHADUN SEWAAKA

and no one has ever averted any evil from me except You.

وَلَسْتُ اَرْجُوۤ لِاٰخِرَتِي وَدُنْيَايَ

WA LASTU ARJOO LE-AAKHERATEE WA DUNYAAYA

I do not place my hope for my hereafter, my worldly life,

وَلَا لِيَوْمِ فَقْرِيْ يَوْمَ يُفْرِدُنِيْ النَّاسُ فِيْ حُفْرَتِيْ

WA LAA LE-YAWME FAQREE YAWMA YUFERODONIN NAASO FEE HUFRATEE

or for the day of my poverty—the day when people leave me alone in my grave

وَاُفْضِيْ اِلَيْكَ بِذَنْبِيْ سِوَاكَ.

WA UFZEE ELAYKA BE-ZANBEE SEWAAKA.

and I come before You with my sins—in anyone other than You.

After the Fajr and Zuhr prayers, recite once, or 100 times:

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَاٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُمْ

ALLAAHUMMA SALLE A’LAA MOHAMMADIN WA AALE MOHAMMADIN WA A’JJIL FARA-JAHUM.

O Allah, bless Mohammad and the family of Mohammad and hasten their relief.

Recite [Surah al-Rahman](A59), and wherever the verse “Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?” comes, say “None of Your favors do I deny.”

Recite [Surah al-Tawhid](A116), salawat and istighfar 100 times each.

If you can, also recite [Surah al-Nisa](A8), [Surah Hud](A15), [Surah al-Kahf](A22) and [Surah al-Saffat](A41).

Before sunrise, recite [Surah al-Kafirun](A113) 10 times, then pray to Allah for your needs.

Until sunrise, keep to worship, duas and the remembrance of Allah.

Ghusl & Grooming

Perform the Friday ghusl between sunrise and midday (Zuhr) - the nearer to midday, the better. While washing, recite:

اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ

ASH-HADO AN LAA ELAAHA ELLAL LAAHO WAHDAHU LAA SHAREEKA LAHU

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without partner,

وَاَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُوْلُهٗ

WA ASH-HADO ANNA MOHAMMADAN A’BDOHU WA RASOOLOHU

and I bear witness that Mohammad is His servant and His Messenger.

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّاٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

ALLAAHUMMA SALLE A’LAA MOHAMMADIN WA AALE MOHAMMADIN

O Allah, bless Mohammad and the family of Mohammad,

وَاجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ التَّوَّابِيْنَ

WAJ A’LNEE MENAT TAWWAABEENA

and make me among those who constantly repent,

وَاجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِيْنَ

WAJ A’LNEE MENAL MOTATAH-HEREENA.

and make me among those who purify themselves.

Dye with hibiscus.

Trim your mustache and nails, and while doing so, recite:

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَبِاللّٰهِ وَعَلٰى سُنَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَاٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

BISMIL LAAHE WA BILLAAHE WA A’LAA SUNNATE MOHAMMADIN WA AALE MOHAMMADIN

In the name of Allah and by Allah, and upon the way (Sunnah) of Mohammad and the family of Mohammad.

It is also recommended, on cutting the nails, to start with the little finger of the left hand and end with that of the right hand. The same thing is applicable to the nails of the feet. Then, the cut nails should be buried.

Apply perfume and put on your best clothes.

Quran, Salawat & Dua Nudba

From early morning until midday (Zuhr), recite [Ayat al-Kursi](A4) repeatedly, and after the obligatory prayers recite [Surah al-Qadr](A101) often.

Recite [Surah al-Ahqaf](A50) and [Surah al-Mu'minun](A27).

Recite salawat 1,000 times - or, if there is not enough time, at least 100 times.

Recite salawat 100 times, [Surah al-Tawhid](A116) 100 times, and this istighfar 100 times:

اَستَغفِرُاللهَ رَبِّی وَاَتُوْبُ اِلَیْهِ

ASTAGHFERUL LAAHA RABBEE WA ATOOBO ELAYHE

I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord, and I turn to Him in repentance.

Recite [Dua Nudba](E34).

Alms, Family, Learning & Visits

Give alms.

Bring fruits and good meals for your family, so that Friday is a day of pleasure for them.

Eat a pomegranate before breakfast and seven leaves of endive before midday (Zuhr).

Dedicate the day to learning the religious laws and instructions. Avoid wandering in others' gardens, keeping company with the vicious and the licentious, speaking about others' defects, laughing and guffawing, reciting poetry, and discussing useless subjects.

Recite the ziyarat of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and the Imams (a.s.).

Visit the graves of your relatives, especially your parents.