Recommended Rites of Friday

Text and Translation

Too many are the recommended rites on Fridays; yet, we will briefly mention the following:

First: In the first unit of the dawn (fajr) Prayer, it is recommended to recite Surah al-Jumu’ah (No. 62) and, in the second unit, Surah al-Tawheed (No. 112).

Second: Before opening the mouth with any word, it is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer after the dawn (fajr) Prayer so that all sins committed throughout the week will be forgiven:

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,

وَ مَا لَمْ تَشَأْ مِنْهُ لَمْ يَكُنِ

WA MAA LAM TASHAA MINHO LAM YAKONIL

and whatever You do not will shall not be.

اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَ تَجَاوَزْ 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,

وَ مَنْ لَعَنْتَ فَلَعْنَتِيْ عَلَيْهِ.

WA MAN LA-A’NTA FA-LA’NATEE A’LAYHE.

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

This act should be done once a month at least.

It has been also narrated that one who, after the accomplishment of the dawn (fajr) Prayer on Fridays, does devotional acts and says supplications and invocations until sunrise will be raised seventy ranks to the Supreme Paradise.

Shaykh al-Tusi has recorded that it is highly recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer after the dawn (fajr) Prayer on Fridays:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّي تَعَمَّدْتُ اِلَيْكَ بِحَاجَتِىْ

ALLAAHUMMA INNEE TA-A’MMADTO ELAYKA BE-HAAJATEE

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

وَ اَنْزَلْتُ اِلَيْكَ الْيَوْمَ فَقْرِيْ

WA ANZALTO ELAYKAL YAWMA FAQREE

and today I have brought before You my poverty,

وَ فَاقَتِيْ وَ مَسْكَنَتِيْ

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,

وَ لِمَغْفِرَتُكَ وَ رَحْمَتُكَ 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,

وَ تَيْسِيْرِ ذٰلِكَ عَلَيْكَ وَ لِفَقْرِيْ 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,

وَ لَمْ 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.

وَ لَسْتُ اَرْجُوۤ لِاٰخِرَتِي وَ دُنْيَايَ

WA LASTU ARJOO LE-AAKHERATEE WA DUNYAAYA

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

وَ لَا 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

وَ اُفْضِيْ اِلَيْكَ بِذَنْبِيْ سِوَاكَ.

WA UFZEE ELAYKA BE-ZANBEE SEWAAKA.

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

Third: It has been narrated that one who says the following invocation after the Zohr and Fajr Prayers on Fridays, as well as other days, will catch Imam al-Mahdi(a.s.) before he dies:

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ 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.

In addition, it has been narrated that one who repeats the aforesaid invocation one hundred times will have sixty of his requests granted for him - thirty in this worldly life and thirty on the Resurrection Day.

Fourth: It is recommended to recite Surah al-Rahman (No. 55) after the Fajr Prayer on Fridays and to say, “None of Your favors do I deny,” wherever the verses, “Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?” are recited.

Fifth: Shaykh al-Tusi has recorded that it is highly recommended to recite Surah al-Tawheed, to invoke Almighty Allah’s blessings upon Mohammad and his Household, and to pray Him for forgiveness each one hundred times after the Fajr Prayer on Fridays. It is also highly recommended to recite Surahs al-Nisa’ (No. 4), Hud (No. 11), al-Kahf (No. 18), al-Saaffaat (No. 37), and al-Rahman (No. 55) during that time.

Sixth: It is recommended to recite Surah al-Ahqaaf (No. 46) and Surah al-Momenoon (No. 23).

Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) is reported as saying that anyone who recites Surah al-Ahqaf at Friday nights or on Fridays will not be inflicted by dismays in his worldly life and will be saved from the horrors on the Resurrection Day. The Imam (a.s.) is also reported as saying that anyone who recites Surah al-Momenun regularly each Friday will come upon a happy end and will be granted an abode in the Supreme Paradise with the Prophets and Messengers of Almighty Allah.

Seventh: It is recommended to repeat Surah al-Kaferun (No. 109) ten times before sunrise and then pray Almighty Allah so that all prayers will be answered.

It has been narrated that Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Aabedeen (a.s.) used to repeat reciting Ayah al-Kursi (verse No. 255 of Surah al-Baqarah No. 2) from early morning up to midday (zohr) on Fridays. When he accomplished the obligatory prayers, he would recite Surah al-Qadr (No. 97) frequently.