Jumu'ah facts for kids

Worshipers listening to the obligatory sermon preceding the prayers

Jumu'ah (pronounced Joo-moo-ah) means "Friday prayer." It's a special group prayer that Muslims around the world do every Friday. It happens just after noon, taking the place of the usual midday prayer called the Zuhr prayer. Muslims pray five times a day, following the sun's path in the sky.

Jumu'ah is a very important part of Islam. It's a required prayer for Muslim men and some Muslim women. It's a time for the community to come together. The word "al-Jumu'ah" itself means "the gathering together of people."

What Makes Jumu'ah Valid?

For the Jumu'ah prayer to be correct, a few things need to happen:

• It must be prayed in a group, not alone. This is called salat al-jama'ah.
• There must be at least five people, including the Imam (the prayer leader). Some say seven people are better.
• According to some Islamic laws, only one Friday prayer can be held within a certain distance (about 3 miles and 720 yards). If two prayers happen too close, the one that starts later might not count.
• The Imam must give two talks, called sermons, before the prayer begins. At least four (or sometimes six) people must listen carefully to these sermons.

Images for kids

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  Jumu'ah at a university in Malaysia

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  Jum'ah prayer at the Imperial Mosque of Pristina

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  Friday prayer (Tehran, 2016), Ayatollah Jannati as the Imam of Friday Prayer

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  A Friday prayer at Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka.

See also

In Spanish: Yumu'ah (azalá del viernes) para niños