What Are the Virtues of Jumu’ah Prayer?

Many hadiths have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which explain the virtues of Jumu`ah prayer. For example: 

• Muslim (233) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers, and from one Jumu`ah to the next, are an expiation for whatever sins come in between, so long as one does not commit any major sin.” 

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does ghusl then comes to Jumu`ah, and prays as much as Allah decrees for him, then listens attentively until the khutbah (Friday Sermon ) is over, then prays with him (the imam), will be forgiven for (his sins) between that and the next Jumu`ah and three more days.” Narrated by Muslim, 857 

Al-Nawawi said: 

“The scholars said that what is meant by his being forgiven between the two Jumu`ahs and three more days is that a good deed is worth ten like it, so he will be rewarded with ten hasanahs for each of the good deeds that he did on Friday . Some of our companions said: what is meant by what is between the two Jumu`ahs is from the Jumu`ah prayer and the khutbah until the same time on the following Friday , so that it will be seven days, no more and no less, then three days are added making ten in all.” 

• Coming early to Jumu`ah brings a great reward. 

Al-Bukhari (814) and Muslim (850) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does ghusl on Friday like ghusl for major ritual impurity, then goes to the prayer (in the first hour, i.e., early), it is as if he sacrificed a camel. Whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he sacrificed a cow; whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram; whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour it is as if he offered an egg. When the imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the khutbah.” 

• If a person walks to Jumu`ah prayer, for every step he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyam for one year. 

Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does ghusl on Friday and causes (his wife) to do ghusl, and sets out early, and comes close to the imam and listens and keeps quiet, for every step he takes he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyam for one year.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 496; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 410) 

Ibn al-Qayyim said in Zad al-Ma’ad, 1/285: 

(“Causes (his wife) to do ghusl” means has intercourse with his wife. This is how it was interpreted by Waki’.)

Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after quoting the hadiths which speak of the virtues of Jumu`ah prayer: 

“What we have quoted, when taken all together, indicates that the expiation of sins from one Friday to the next is subject to all the conditions mentioned above being met, namely doing ghusl, cleaning oneself, putting on perfume, wearing one's best clothes, walking in a calm and dignified manner, not stepping over people, not pushing between two people, not offending others, praying nafl prayers, listening attentively and avoiding idle speech.”

And Allah knows best.