According to the Qur’an at Surah 62:9 the call to Salah is made on a day of congregation but since the Muslims have taken the sixth day of the week as a day of congregation then it is valid only if it meets the criteria based on the Qur’an. It is stated in the Qur’an that particular day must be a working or business day and should not be treated as a holy day or holiday. To God there is no “Holyday” as any day is a good day to Him so He does not need total dedication the whole day only to worship Him. He wants those who believe in Him also work to earn a living and to seek their bounty during the same day. This means that a day of rest in the week is for the benefit of humans and not for God as Allah does not need to rest.
The difference between the Day of Congregation to the Muslim compared to that of the Jew, they make a day in total dedication to God as the Sabbath Day where none of them were allowed to do work except dedication to worship God. The categories of work that cannot be performed include cooking, washing clothes, constructing, repairing, and writings, making a fire, cutting, fishing and so on and because of this overzealous towards dedication to Him, God test them with the fish as narrated in the following verse of the Qur’an
S7:163 Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea. They transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their Sabbath their fish did come to them, openly holding up their heads, but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not; thus We make a trial of them, for they were given to transgression.
In the Qur’an we are told not to be like the Jews who would only be cheating themselves by imposing unnecessary prohibition and we on the other hand are to do our normal work and be employed or do our business as per any normal day, only at the appointed time when the call was made, we are to hasten earnestly to the remembrance of God and after the Salah is completed we are to disperse through the land and seek the bounty of God as stated in Surah 62:9-10. During the Prophet’s time when the call was made on the Day of Congregation the people will hasten to the remembrance of God by establishing the Salat in congregation and after the Salat the Prophet will give the summon by reciting the message of the Qur’an. It is stated that giving sermon about the Qur’an and doing the Salat is the best form of remembrance of God and this is what the Prophet did by obeying the command according to the following verse of the Qur’an:
S29:45 Recite to what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish the Salat surely the Salat wards off abomination and evil. Certainly, the remembrance of God is greater and God knows whatever you do.”
The above verse is the evidence that the Prophet gave sermon by reciting on the Qur’an and this is the opportune time to spread the message of the Qur’an and unlike the present situation the sermon has turn more political and very minimum is said over the message of the Qur’an. Furthermore, teaching from other books had crept into the sermon of the day of congregation and many are seen as to be contradictory to the teaching of the Qur’an. Even the simple procedure whether to do the Salah or the recitation of the sermon is done first have been manipulated.
According to the Qur’an the Salah is to be established first and then only the sermon on the Qur’an as stated in the S62:9 when the call is made to Salat we are to hastens or hurry to remember God by performing the Salah and after the Salah only the sermon is to be delivered. The evidence is shown in the Qur’an when the Prophet have finished his Salah and as he was to deliver the sermon many of the attendants attempt to withdraw from the congregation and the Prophet request that they come back with the following expression for them to stay a bit longer to listen to the remembrance of God:
S62:11 But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave thee standing. Say: “The blessing from the Presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain! And Allah is the Best to provide for all needs.”
The time of salah on the Day of Congregation
The Salah on the Day of Congregation during the Prophet’s time was performed at the time of Wusta or the Middle time which is in the center between the mid noon and the sunset prayer or normally known as time of Asar. It was not done at mid noon or “dzohor” because of the Arab custom of staying at home at these times at noon, dawn and early night. The following verse stamped any idea of congregation Salah being held at those times of the day as it is privacy times:
S24:58 O you who believe! Let those whom your right hands possess and those who have not attained puberty ask your permission three times before they come to your bedroom before the dawn prayer (Salatil Fajri), and when you put off your garments at noon (zohor), and after the evening prayer (Salatil Ishaa’). These are three times of privacy for you. Outside these times there is no blame on you or them, if you move about attending to each other. Thus, God makes clear to you the Signs and God is All Knowing, All Wise.
From the above verse it is a certainty the Prophet would not disrupt the custom of his people where he acknowledged their privacy times. And the time of sunset or maghrib is also not describing the suitability for the Prophet to do the congregation because if the congregation is done at Maghrib time after the Salat it will be night time and night time is rest time according to the Qur’an where good Muslims is supposed to adhere and be with their families instead of busy doing more business and trading. The following verses give exposition of the night time.
S10:67 It is He that has made you the night that you may rest therein and the day to make things visible to you. In this are signs for those who listen. And in another verse S17:12 We have made the night and the day as two of Our signs: the sign of the night have We obscured, while the sign of the day We have made to enlighten; that you may seek bounty from your Lord and that you may know the number and count of the years: all things have We explained in detail.
So, the time of Salah on the Day of Congregation can never be other than at the time of Wusta or the Middle Salat time which is commonly known as Asar time as depicted in the Surah 62:9 in the Qur’an. As such since the day Friday is declared as the day of congregation in the Muslims majority countries by the evidence from the Qur’an it is therefore should be a business or working day. A day of rest for the general public or Holiday should fall on other than the declared Day of congregation.
Pondering with Saifuddin's index 