Abu Huraira (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "There is a special time on Friday and if a Muslim spends it while [standing and] praying and asking for something from Allaah, then Allaah will definitely meet his request." And the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) pointed out the shortness of the length of its time with his hands. (Bukhari and Muslim) Arras ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Seek that special time on Friday after the Asr Prayer until the setting of the sun." (Tirmidhi) .
Another narration from Jabir in Abu Dawud and al-Nasaai states, "Friday has twelve hours. There is a time in which no Muslim servant asks except that Allaah grants him what he asks. Seek that time at the last hour after the Asr Prayer." Abdullah ibn Salaam (RA) said, while the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) was sitting, We find in the Book of Allaah that on Friday there is an hourof time during which if a believing slave is in prayer and asks Allaah for something, Allaah will fulfill his need." Abdullah said, "The Messenger of Allaah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) motioned to me, saying, Or part of an "hour"." I said, "That is right, or part of anhour." I said, What time is that?" He said, "It is the last hourof the day." I said, "That is not a time of prayer." He said, "Certainly it is. When the servant prays and then sits, only sitting in waiting for the [next] prayer, then he is in prayer." (ibn Maajah)
Abu Burda ibn Abu Musa al-Ashari stated, "Abdullah ibn Umar said to me, Did you hear anything from your father narrating something from the Messenger of Allaah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) about the special time on Friday? I said, Yes, I heard him say from the Messenger of Allaah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam), "It is between the time when the Imam sits down and the end of the prayer. " (Muslim) There are a number of opinions about when exactly this special time occurs. Ibn Hajar (RAH) has recorded forty-three different opinions on this question.
In fact, there are differences of opinion over the answers to the following questions:
1) Does that special time still exist or has it been removed?
2) Does that special time occur every Friday or just one Friday during the year?
3) Is it during a specific time on Friday or is its time not knowable?
4) Does that time remain fixed or does it move from one Friday to the next? Some say that the time cannot be determined and the wisdom behind that is that Muslims should spend the entire day in supplication and seeking that special time. The authentic hadith mention two possible times for this special "hour": the last of the day before sunset and from the time when the Imam sits on the minbar until he finishes the Friday Prayer. Allaah willing, one of these two is correct.
Therefore, the Muslim should do his best to supplicate earnestly to Allaah during these times. Allaah, in His Mercy, will then grant the slave what he asks. Al-Shaukaani stated that if one is forced to say that only one of those two times is the correct one, one will have to conclude that the special time is the last hour before sunset.
This opinion is stronger for four reasons:
(1) this opinion is narrated through more chains;
(2) these narrations are undoubtedly connected;
(3) there is no difference of opinion over whether they are statements of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) or of a Companion;
(4) it is the opinion of most of the Companions. (Nayl al-Awtar)
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited