--- title: "What Is Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Jumu'ah is the weekly Friday congregational prayer, held at midday in the mosque with a short sermon. It is the most important gathering of the Muslim week." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/jumuah/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Glossary](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/) 3. What Is Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)? # What Is Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Jumu'ah is the Friday congregational prayer. Every Friday at midday, Muslims gather at the mosque to hear a short sermon (khutbah) and pray together in place of the usual noon prayer. It is obligatory for adult Muslim men, and women are welcome to attend. ## On this page 1. Meaning 2. How Muslims use it 3. Example **Jumu’ah** (Arabic: الجمعة) is pronounced *JU-mu-ah*. It is also the Arabic name for Friday. ## Meaning The word comes from a root meaning *to gather*. Friday is the day of gathering: once a week, the Muslim community comes together for a special midday prayer. The Qur’an commands it directly, in a chapter named after the day: > يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٩﴾ > O you who have believed, when \[the adhan\] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah \[Friday\], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. [Qur'an, Al-Jumu'a 62:9](https://quran.com/62?startingVerse=9&translations=20)Saheeh International The prayer has two parts. First, the imam gives a *khutbah* (sermon), usually in two short sections, reminding people of faith, good character and current concerns. Then everyone prays two units of prayer together, which take the place of the usual four-unit noon prayer. ## How Muslims use it Jumu’ah is obligatory for adult Muslim men who are not travelling or ill; women are welcome and many attend, but it is not required of them. Muslims often take a bath, wear clean clothes and perfume, and come early. In Muslim-minority countries, many arrange their lunch break so they can attend. Unlike the Jewish Sabbath or the Christian Sunday in many traditions, Friday is not a day of rest in Islam. The very next verse tells believers that when the prayer is over they may go out and seek God’s bounty, while remembering God often (Qur’an 62:10). ## Example *“Jumu’ah mubarak! See you at the mosque at one o’clock.”* Learn more in [How Do Muslims Pray?](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/how-to-pray/) and [Finding a Mosque](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/finding-a-mosque/). ## Key takeaways - Jumu'ah is the weekly Friday congregational prayer with a sermon. - It replaces the usual midday prayer on Fridays. - Friday is not a day of rest in Islam — Muslims may work before and after the prayer. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Is%20Jumu%27ah%20(Friday%20Prayer)%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fjumuah%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fjumuah%2F&text=What%20Is%20Jumu%27ah%20(Friday%20Prayer)%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Is%20Jumu%27ah%20(Friday%20Prayer)%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fjumuah%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fjumuah%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, Al-Jumu'a 62:9](https://quran.com/62?startingVerse=9&translations=20) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Becoming Muslim ### How to Pray: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners A simple, step-by-step guide to the Muslim prayer (salah) for beginners — from ablution to the final greeting — sticking to what Muslims agree on. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/how-to-pray/)[Glossary ### Salah — The Muslim Prayer Salah is the ritual prayer Muslims perform five times a day, facing Makkah. It is the second of the Five Pillars of Islam. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/salah/)[Becoming Muslim ### How to Find a Mosque and What to Expect on Your First Visit How to find a welcoming mosque, what to expect inside, simple etiquette for your first visit, and why community matters so much for new Muslims. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/finding-a-mosque/)