Remembrance of Allah on Friday

Allah commanded the believers to gather to worship Him on Friday,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْاْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ

(O you who believe! When the call is proclaimed for the Salah on Al-Jumu`ah (Friday), then hasten (Fas`aw) to the remembrance of Allah) meaning, go to it and head for it.


The meaning of Sa`y (hasten) here does not refer to walking quickly. It only refers to the importance of it.


`Umar bin Al-Khattab and Ibn Mas`ud - may Allah be pleased with them - recited it; (فَامْضُوا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللهِ) ("Then proceed to the remembrance of Allah.'')


As for walking in haste to the prayer, that was indeed prohibited, since it was recorded in the Two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الْإِقَامَةَ فَامْشُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّكِينَةَ وَالْوَقَارَ وَلَا تُسْرِعُوا، فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا

(When you hear the Iqamah, proceed to offer the prayer with calmness and solemnity and do not rush. And pray whatever you catch, and complete whatever you have missed.) This is the wording with Al-Bukhari.

Abu Qatadah said, "While we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah he heard commotion. At the end of the prayer, the Prophet said;

مَا شَأْنُكُمْ

(What is the matter with you) They said, `We hastened to the prayer.' The Prophet said,

فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا، إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَامْشُوا وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّكِينَةَ فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا

(Don't do that. When you come for prayer, there should be tranquility upon you. Pray what remains of the prayer and complete what you have missed.)'' The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith.

Al-Hasan commented, "By Allah! Hastening to the prayer is not accomplished by the feet. Indeed they were prohibited from coming to prayer without tranquility and dignity. Rather it is about the hearts, the intention, and the submission.''

Qatadah said,

فَاسْعَوْاْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ

"(then hasten to the remembrance of Allah) means that you have to hasten to the prayer with your heart and actions, and walk to it.''

'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak

He used to say, "The beginning of knowledge is the intention, then listening, then understanding, then action, then preservation, and then spreading it."

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Qadi Abu'l-Fadl said that as-Sadafi mentioned, "When Ibn al-Mubarak came of age, his father sent him 50,000 to use for commerce. He sought after knowledge until he had spent the money. When it was gone, his father met him and said, 'What have you bought?' He brought out his books for him and said, 'This is my trade.' His father went into the house and gave him 30,000 dirhams more and said, 'Take this and follow your trade with them,' and he spent them."

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Ibn al-Mubarak said, "I studied adab for thirty years and I studied knowledge for twenty years."

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Some Lessons from Ibn al-Mubarak :


1- No matter how bad you think you are, you can always become better.

2 – You should associate with honorable people.

3 – You should be a helpful guest.

4 – You should give money to the poor.

5 – You should always return borrowed items to their owners.

6 – You should be brave, and hide your good deeds.

7 – Have a tender heart.

8 – Be generous to your friends.

9 – Don’t give in to Satan’s whispers.

10 – Sincerely pray for people.

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He was asked, "Which person has the best state?" He said, "The one who devotes himself to his Lord."

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Ibn al-Mubarak died in Hit, returning from a naval expedition and was buried in Hit in Ramadan in 181.

Al-Bukhari said that he was born in 118.

When he was near death, he told Nasr, his client, "Put my head on the earth." Nasr wept. He said, "Why do you weep?" He said, "I remember what you had in it of blessing and now you are dying a stranger and a pauper."

He told him, "Be quiet. I asked Allah to let me live the life of the rich and to make me die the death of the poor." Then he said, "Put me down and do not address me again unless I speak again. Put me down so that it is my last words."

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(Sources : "Tartib al-Madarik" & "Sifat as-Safwah" )