Should I Avoid to Work on Friday?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Is it preferable to work after the Friday prayer is over or is it “makruh”? Is it a command from Allah (Most High) to work on that day after the prayer is finished? I am asking this because it has been a tradition among muslims in my country (Albania) to rest and not going to work on the day of Jumu‘a.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

There is no definite answer on whether it is best to work or not work on Friday.

Allah, Most High, says: “O believers! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, then proceed diligently to the remembrance of Allah and leave off your business. That is best for you if only you knew. Once the prayer is over, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah. And remember Allah often so you may be successful.” [Quran, 62:9-10]

Scholars mention that the order to “disperse throughout the land” is not a command but merely a permission. If one wants to stay in the mosque, one can. [Sawi, Hashya on Tafsir al-Jalalayn; Nassafi, Madarik al-Tanzil]

As for the order to “seek the bounty of Allah,” it can be fulfilled in many ways: one can do so by seeking one’s sustenance (through working or trading), seeking knowledge, visiting a sick person, visiting a friend, participating in a funeral prayer, and so on. [Ibid.]

Nonetheless, according to some scholars, it is best to leave aside worldly pursuits on Fridays and focus on religious matters. Mulla Ali al-Qari (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions that “seek the bounty of Allah” is not about seeking worldly benefits but is about visiting sick people or friends or attending a funeral prayer for example. [Mulla Ali al-Qari, al-Jamalayn ‘ala al-Jalalayn]

The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon him) has said about the verse “disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah”: 

“This is not about seeking the world (dunya), but it is about visiting a sick person, attending a funeral prayer or visiting a brother in Islam.” [Tabari, Tafsir al-Tabari]   

Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) also urges us to dedicate Friday to the Hereafter alone. One should strive to come as early as possible to the Mosque and spend the rest of the day there busying oneself with supplications and attendance of gathering of knowledge. [Ghazali, Bidayat al-Hidaya]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.