“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered a sermon to us and said: ‘O people! Repent to Allah before you die. Hasten to do good deeds before you become preoccupied (because of sickness and old age). Uphold the relationship that exists between you and your Lord by remembering Him a great deal and by giving a great deal of charity in secret and openly. (Then) you will be granted provision and Divine support, and your condition will improve. Know that Allah has enjoined Friday upon you in this place of mine, on this day, in this month, in this year, until the Day of Resurrection. Whoever abandons it, whether during my lifetime or after I am gone, whether he has a just or an unjust ruler, whether he takes it lightly or denies (that it is obligatory), may Allah cause him to lose all sense of tranquility and contentment, and may He not bless him in his affairs. Indeed, his prayer will not be valid, his Zakat will not be valid, his Hajj will not be valid, his fasting will not be valid, and his righteous deeds will not be accepted, until he repents. Whoever repents, Allah will accept his repentance. No woman should be appointed as Imam over a man, no Bedouin should be appointed as Imam over a Muhajir, no immoral person should be appointed as Imam over a (true) believer, unless that is forced upon him and he fears his sword or whip.’”  

خَطَبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَمُوتُوا وَبَادِرُوا بِالأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُشْغَلُوا وَصِلُوا الَّذِي بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ رَبِّكُمْ بِكَثْرَةِ ذِكْرِكُمْ لَهُ وَكَثْرَةِ الصَّدَقَةِ فِي السِّرِّ وَالْعَلاَنِيَةِ تُرْزَقُوا وَتُنْصَرُوا وَتُجْبَرُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدِ افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْجُمُعَةَ فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا فِي يَوْمِي هَذَا فِي شَهْرِي هَذَا مِنْ عَامِي هَذَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فِي حَيَاتِي أَوْ بَعْدِي وَلَهُ إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ أَوْ جَائِرٌ اسْتِخْفَافًا بِهَا أَوْ جُحُودًا بِهَا فَلاَ جَمَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ شَمْلَهُ وَلاَ بَارَكَ لَهُ فِي أَمْرِهِ أَلاَ وَلاَ صَلاَةَ لَهُ وَلاَ زَكَاةَ لَهُ وَلاَ حَجَّ لَهُ وَلاَ صَوْمَ لَهُ وَلاَ بِرَّ لَهُ حَتَّى يَتُوبَ فَمَنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ أَلاَ لاَ تَؤُمَّنَّ امْرَأَةٌ رَجُلاً وَلاَ يَؤُمَّنَّ أَعْرَابِيٌّ مُهَاجِرًا وَلاَ يَؤُمَّ فَاجِرٌ مُؤْمِنًا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَقْهَرَهُ بِسُلْطَانٍ يَخَافُ سَيْفَهُ وَسَوْطَهُ  

“I used to guide my father after he lost his sight, and when I took him out for the Friday (prayer), when he heard the Adhan he would pray for forgiveness for Abu Umamah As’ad bin Zurarah, and supplicate for him. I heard that from him for a while, then I said to myself: ‘By Allah! What is this weakness? Every time he heard the Adhan for Friday (prayer) I hear him praying for forgiveness for Abu Umamah and supplicate for him, and I do not ask him about why he does that.’ Then I took him out for Friday (prayer), as I used to take him out, and when he heard the Adhan he prayed for forgiveness as he used to do. I said to him: ‘O my father! I see you supplicating for As’ad bin Zurarah every time you hear the call for Friday; why is that?’ He said: ‘O my son, he was the first one who led us for the Friday prayer before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came from Makkah, in Naqi’ Al- Khadamat (a place near Al-Madinah), in the plain of Harrah Banu Bayadah.’ I asked: ‘How many of you were there at that time?’ He said: ‘Forty men.’”  

كُنْتُ قَائِدَ أَبِي حِينَ ذَهَبَ بَصَرُهُ وَكُنْتُ إِذَا خَرَجْتُ بِهِ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ فَسَمِعَ الأَذَانَ اسْتَغْفَرَ لأَبِي أُمَامَةَ أَسْعَدَ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ وَدَعَا لَهُ فَمَكَثْتُ حِينًا أَسْمَعُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ ذَا لَعَجْزٌ إِنِّي أَسْمَعُهُ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ أَذَانَ الْجُمُعَةِ يَسْتَغْفِرُ لأَبِي أُمَامَةَ وَيُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ لِمَ هُوَ؟ فَخَرَجْتُ بِهِ كَمَا كُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ بِهِ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الأَذَانَ اسْتَغْفَرَ كَمَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَتَاهُ أَرَأَيْتَكَ صَلاَتَكَ عَلَى أَسْعَدَ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ كُلَّمَا سَمِعْتَ النِّدَاءَ بِالْجُمُعَةِ لِمَ هُوَ؟ قَالَ أَىْ بُنَىَّ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ صَلَّى بِنَا صَلاَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ قَبْلَ مَقْدَمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ مَكَّةَ فِي نَقِيعِ الْخَضِمَاتِ فِي هَزْمٍ مِنْ حَرَّةِ بَنِي بَيَاضَةَ قُلْتُ كَمْ كُنْتُمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ؟ قَالَ أَرْبَعِينَ رَجُلاً  

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Allah led those who came before us astray from Friday. Saturday was for the Jews and Sunday was for the Christians. And they will lag behind us until the Day of Resurrection. We are the last of the people of this world but we will be the first to be judged among all of creation.’”  

رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَضَلَّ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْجُمُعَةِ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَنَا كَانَ لِلْيَهُودِ يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ وَالأَحَدُ لِلنَّصَارَى فَهُمْ لَنَا تَبَعٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ نَحْنُ الآخِرُونَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا وَالأَوَّلُونَ الْمَقْضِيُّ لَهُمْ قَبْلَ الْخَلاَئِقِ