Can you explain the importance of salat-ul-jumijah pryers for Muslims

CONGREGATIONAL SERVICE OF FRIDAY%0D%0AShaykh Abul-Hasan Ali Nadwi%0D%0A%0D%0AThe congregation service of Friday is distinguished by certain incentives%0D%0Aand other features that have enhanced its solemnity and splendour and are%0D%0Aconducive to the generation of enthusiasm for prayer and the promotion of%0D%0Athe spirit of unity and co-operation among Muslims for piety and%0D%0Arighteousness.%0D%0A%0D%0A"O ye who believe! When the call is heard for the prayer of the day of%0D%0Acongregation (Friday), hasten unto remembrance of Allah and leave your%0D%0Atrading. That is better for you if ye did but know." (-lxii:9)%0D%0A%0D%0ASome of the Traditions of the holy Prophet regarding the congregation of%0D%0AFriday are as follows:%0D%0A%0D%0A"He who misses three Friday services (in succession) owing to heedlessness%0D%0Aor indolence, God sets the seal on his heart." (Abu Dawud, Nasaai, Ibn%0D%0AMajah)%0D%0A%0D%0A"Let people give up neglect of the Friday prayer otherwise God will set the%0D%0Aseal on their hearts, and then they will become of those that are%0D%0Anegligent." (Muslim and Nasaai)%0D%0A%0D%0A"Sometimes I feel like telling someone else to lead the prayers so that I%0D%0Acould go and set fire to the dwellings of those who stay away from the%0D%0Acongregation." (Ibid)%0D%0A%0D%0AFor the Friday service a Muslim is required to take a bath, brush his teeth%0D%0Aand use perfume and take the greatest care for cleanliness. A sermon is also%0D%0Adelivered before the commencement of the service. The sermon the holy%0D%0AProphet used to deliver was not of a routine nature but he dwelt on the%0D%0Acurrent problems and realities of life and made it an effective medium of%0D%0Aguidance and instruction. We learn from Hazrat Jabir that "when the holy%0D%0AProphet delivered the sermon his voice got raised and his eyes became red.%0D%0AIt appeared that he was warning against the enemy, an attack from whom was%0D%0Aimminent (and could take place at any time of the morning or evening)."%0D%0A%0D%0AWrites Allama Ibn-i-Qaiyim in Zad-ul-Ma'ad,'%0D%0A%0D%0A"In his sermon the holy Prophet used to instruct and inform the Companions%0D%0Aabout the laws, principles and practices of Islam and if there was a matter%0D%0Aof sanctioning or prohibiting he would sanction or prohibit (as the case%0D%0Amight be)."%0D%0A%0D%0ACommenting on the conduct of the Imams and preachers of his day, the Allama%0D%0Aremarks:%0D%0A%0D%0A"Then a long time elapsed, the light of Apostleship faded from the eyes and%0D%0Arituals took the place of commands and practices became common which were%0D%0Acarried out mechanically and without regard to their purpose and%0D%0Asignificance. People became obsessed with outward forms and ceremonials and%0D%0Athought only of observing them in an impressive manner. The rituals were%0D%0Aelevated to the status of the Sunnah and lofty ideals and objectives, in%0D%0Arespect of which the least amount of negligence or variation was forbidden,%0D%0Afell into neglect. They embellished their sermons with glittering phrases%0D%0Aand far-fetched ideas, but the thought-content declined till the very object%0D%0Aof the sermons was lost." (Zad al-Ma'ad vol.1 pg.115)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe sermons of the venerated Prophet were neither lengthy nor tiresome as%0D%0Athe practice is today. The sermons, nowadays, are generally used for making%0D%0Aa display of one's learning or stealing a march over others. In them the%0D%0Aemphasis is laid largely on local and superficial issues (over which there%0D%0Ais an unlimited scope for raising a controversy) and open attacks are made%0D%0Aon those who hold a different view. Consequently, the listeners, instead of%0D%0Aderiving solace and satisfaction are filled with disgust and weariness, and%0D%0Athe solemnity and dignity of the Friday sermon, which is its chief%0D%0Acharacteristic, is destroyed. The sermons of the Prophet used to be%0D%0Arealistic and to the point and full of radiance and vitality. Like his%0D%0Aconversation they were precise and appealing, neither too long nor too%0D%0Ashort. Jabir bin Samura tells that "the Salat of the Prophet was moderate,%0D%0Aand so was his sermon. He recited a few verses of the Qur'aan and then he%0D%0Agave good counsel to the people." (Muslim) Another Tradition has it that%0D%0A"the holy Prophet did not deliver a long sermon on Fridays but said only a%0D%0Afew words." (Muslim)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe sermon should be heard quietly for full benefit can be acquired from it%0D%0Aonly in a peaceful and spiritual atmosphere. The sermon is an occasion for%0D%0Aprayer not eloquence. It is strictly forbidden to talk to one another during%0D%0Aa sermon. Even stopping those sitting close to one from talking is not%0D%0Apermitted for it, too, is a source of disturbance. A Tradition says that "he%0D%0Awho told his companion in a Friday congregation to keep quiet also indulged%0D%0Ain unnecessary talk." (Abu Dawud)%0D%0A%0D%0ABy its very nature, the Friday congregation should be held only in one%0D%0Amosque, or in a limited number of mosques in a town (provided that the town%0D%0Ais not so big and extensive that it may be difficult for its people to%0D%0Aassemble in one mosque) so that the Muslims can collect, once a week, at one%0D%0Aplace. This will go a long way in strengthening the bonds of solidarity and%0D%0Abrotherhood among Muslims and, at the sametime, serve as a safeguard against%0D%0Athe pollution and distortion of their religious beliefs and practices. But%0D%0Athe Muslims, unfortunately, have been prone to be lethargic and neglectful%0D%0Awith the result that the effectiveness and grandeur of the Friday%0D%0Acongregation has suffered a decline.%0D%0A%0D%0ACriterion of the Week%0D%0AFor the tired and restless man, preoccupied with the needs and%0D%0Aresponsibilities of life, it was advisable that a day should be set apart on%0D%0Awhich he could re-equip himself inwardly and cleanse his heart of the%0D%0Aimpurities that might have collected therein during the week and acquire a%0D%0Afresh inspiration for prayer and devotion to the Almighty. He ought to make%0D%0Ause of this day in such a way that its radiance and auspiciousness permeated%0D%0Athrough the rest of the days of the week and they all became a projection of%0D%0Ait. Such a day (or time, if we may say so) is Friday in the week,%0D%0AShab-i-dadr in the month of Ramadan and the month of Ramadan in the year.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs Allama Ibn-i-Qaiyim writes, "Friday is the day on which special and%0D%0Asingle-minded application to worship is called for. It enjoys a superiority%0D%0Aover the rest of the week in other respects also. God has allocated a day%0D%0Afor each community on which people can stay away from worldly activities and%0D%0Adevote themselves to worship. Friday is a day of worship in the same way.%0D%0AIts place and importance in the week is the same as that of Ramadan in the%0D%0Ayear. The particular time of the acceptance of petitions and supplications%0D%0Athat is in it is identical in nature to Shab-i-Qadr in the month of Ramadan.%0D%0AThus, a person who spends the Friday in a befitting manner for him the other%0D%0Adays of the week will also fall in line with it, a person who observes the%0D%0Amonth of Ramadan in the right spirit and keeps away from sinfulness and%0D%0Awrong-doing the rest of the year will turn out to be the same for him and a%0D%0Aperson who performs the Hajj properly his whole life will be spent likewise.%0D%0A%0D%0AThey learn about the doctrines and practices of Islam, the consciousness of%0D%0Abeing a Muslim grows in them and they take pride in it and remain secure%0D%0Aagainst the inroads of polytheism and idolatory by virtue of it. But for the%0D%0Acongregational service of Friday a large majority of Muslims would have been%0D%0Aswept away by the rising tide of Apostasy and got absorbed into the%0D%0Aun-Islamic societies in which they live. For this very reason even some of%0D%0Athe latter-day jurists of the Hanafi school have preferred not to adopt an%0D%0Aattitude of narrowness and rigidity over it but be liberal and%0D%0Aaccommodating.%0D%0A%0D%0AFriday is the criterion of the week, Ramadan the criterion of the year and%0D%0Athe Hajj the criterion of life. The good fortune to act virtuously and well%0D%0Adepends, of course, on the will of God." (Zad-ul-Ma'ad)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Salat of the Two Eids%0D%0AThe annual festivals and other celebrations, in all nations and religious%0D%0Acommunities, have degenerated into occasions for revelry and%0D%0Aself-gratification. Intemperate entertainment, merry%ADmaking and dissipation%0D%0Ahave become their main attributes and this has led to the destruction of%0D%0Atheir religious significance and sanctity. They have turned into the exact%0D%0Aopposite of what they were intended to be.%0D%0A%0D%0AWith the two Eids, 'Idul Fitr and Eidul Adha, however, it is different.%0D%0AThese festivals which have been sanctioned for the Muslims by the Divine%0D%0ALaw-Giver for their emotional satisfaction and in recognition of a%0D%0Afundamental human need are cast altogether in a religious and spiritual%0D%0Amould. For instance, extra Takbirs are prescribed for the prayer-services of%0D%0Athe 'Ids and in the end a sermon is delivered. It is also preferable, though%0D%0Anot necessary, to raise Takbir repeatedly while going to celebrate the Eid%0D%0Aservices. Alms-giving (known as Sadqa-i-Fitr) before the prayers of 'Idul%0D%0AFitr and sacrifice of animals after the prayers of Eidul Adha are an%0D%0Aadditional feature.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe underlying purpose of the Eid prayers was that just as the Muslims met,%0D%0Aonce in a week, for the Friday congregational service they should also get%0D%0Atogether twice in a year in a wide, open maidan but as with the Friday%0D%0Aservice, about these, too, they fell a prey to indifference and lassitude%0D%0Aand the Eid prayers began to be celebrated in all the mosques, big as well%0D%0Aas small. Consequently, the Eid services also were deprived of their%0D%0Aefficacy and many of the objects the Shariat had in view were lost. Writes%0D%0AAllama Ibn-i-Qaiyim:%0D%0A%0D%0A"The Prophet used to offer the prayers of Eid in the Musallah which is%0D%0Asituated at the eastern gate of Medina. This is the place where the pilgrims%0D%0Aused to dismount from their camels. He offered the Salaat of Eid in his own%0D%0Amosque only once when it was raining (if the authenticity of the Tradition%0D%0Amentioned in Abu Dawud and Ibn-i-Majah is not questioned). The normal%0D%0Apractice, in any case, was that the Prophet offered up the 'Id prayers in%0D%0Athe Musalla." (Zad-ul-Ma'ad vol.1 pg.119)%0D%0A%0D%0AHazrat Shah Waliullah has the following remarks to offer on the special%0D%0Asignificance of the two 'Ids:%0D%0A%0D%0A"For every community a congregation is needed in which all its members can%0D%0Atake part for the display of their strength and solidarity. Hence, for the%0D%0A'Ids it has been made commendable for all Muslims, even women and children,%0D%0Ato come and join the congregation. The women and children are advised to%0D%0Aparticipate in it from a place set apart for them outside the Musalla.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe holy Prophet, further, used to adopt one route for going to the Musalla%0D%0Aand another for returning from there so that the spectacle of the glory of%0D%0AIslam could be seen by people living along both the routes." (Hujjat vol.ii%0D%0Apg.23)%0D%0A%0D%0ASafeguard against Confusion, Innovation and Misrepresentation%0D%0AFriday and the congregational prayer service have played a notable part in%0D%0Athe security and preservation of faith, in the maintenance of the stability%0D%0Aof the foundations of the Shariat and in the survival of the religious%0D%0Aenvironment bequeathed by the sacred Prophet to his illustrious Companions.%0D%0AThanks to them, Islam has remained protected against pollution, distortion%0D%0Aand misrepresentation and succeeded in avoiding the fate of being reduced to%0D%0Aa child's play. Had the Muslims given up these two things - Friday and the%0D%0Acongregational service - and started offering up their prayers at home, it%0D%0Awould have become impossible to recognize their Salaat today; or at least,%0D%0Ait would have lost much of its original form and character and all sorts of%0D%0Avariations would have been introduced in it. Various types of Salaat would%0D%0Ahave now been in vogue among the Muslims and just as their social and%0D%0Acultural life presents a different picture from place to place their%0D%0Aprayers, too, would have accepted innumerable local influences and like the%0D%0Afollowers of Judaism and Christianity and of the polytheistic faiths of%0D%0AIndia they too would have been celebrating their Salaat in a different%0D%0Amanner in different towns and countries. Congregational service, therefore,%0D%0Ais a most important means to the promotion and safeguarding of uniformity%0D%0Aand strict observance of rules in worship.%0D%0A%0D%0AOn account of these and many other considerations, which are known only to%0D%0AGod, a prayer offered in congregation is held to be much superior to the one%0D%0Aoffered individually. Hadhrat Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Anhu) related from%0D%0Athe prophet that, "The Salaat celebrated congregationally is twenty five%0D%0Atimes more valuable than the one celebrated at home or in the shop for when%0D%0Aa Muslim performs the ablution for it, and performs it well, and goes to the%0D%0Amosque solely with the object of saying his prayer, his status is raised by%0D%0Aone degree and a sin is forgiven at each step. When he begins the prayer,%0D%0Athe angels send salutations and blessings of the Lord upon him as long as he%0D%0Aremains on the prayer-mat and say, 'O Lord! Bestow Thy Peace and Blessings%0D%0Aupon him and treat him with Mercy.' Moreover, the time a devotee spends in%0D%0Awaiting for the service to begin is deemed to have been spent in the service%0D%0Aitself." (Sihah Sittah with exception of Nasaai). It is related by Hadhrat%0D%0Aibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi%0D%0AWasallam) once said, 'A Salaat offered up in congregation is twenty seven%0D%0Atimes superior to that offered individually.' (Muatta, Bukhari, Tirmidhi,%0D%0ANasaai)