Question
What do the blessed scholars say about the following matter: It is common among Muslims that they wish each other or text each other “Jumuah Mubarak”. Some people criticize this saying that this is not proven from the Sunnah or that this is a Bid’ah, therefore you should refrain from it. What is the command of Sharia regarding wishing others “Jumuah Mubarak”. Is it permissible?
بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملك الوھاب اللّٰھم ھدایة الحق والصواب
Answer
Greeting each other with “Jummah Mubarak” (Blessed Friday) is completely permissible according to Islamic Law. In fact, it is a good thing. The reasons are as follows:
1. Friday is unlike any other day of the week. It is the chief day of the week. In a Hadith, it has been declared as a day of Eid, i.e. a day of celebration. Just like we greet people for the day of Eid by saying ‘Eid Mubarak’ due to it being a joyous day, we also greet people for Friday by saying ‘Jumuah Mubarak’ due to it being a joyous day for Muslims. Hence, there is no problem with greeting people with ‘Jumuah Mubarak’ with the intention of expressing happiness.
2. Greeting fellow Muslims by saying ‘Mubarak’ is actually a supplication for blessings for them. The Qur’an itself commands this. So, just as one may supplicate for blessings for a fellow Muslim on a normal day, it is obvious that supplicating for this on a Friday would also be permissible.
3. Also, for Muslims to greet each other with ‘Jumuah Mubarak’ fosters love amongst them. This mutual love amongst Muslims is an objective of Islamic Law. From this perspective as well, this is a virtuous act.
4. A significant number of Muslims greet each other with Jumuah Mubarak and consider it to be a virtuous act. Any action that enjoys mass acceptance from the Ummah as a virtuous act is also considered a virtuous act in the court of Allah, as long as it does not contradict Islamic Law, which is the case with greeting others on Friday.
All in all, there is no evidence from Islamic Law that greeting someone with ‘Jumuah Mubarak’ is prohibited, rather it is clear from the general principles of Islamic Law that this is a permissible and even a commendable act.
Du’a (supplication), in general, is a Qur’anic Command. Allah says in the Quran:
اُجِیۡبُ دَعْوَۃَ الدَّاعِ اِذَا دَعَانِ
Translation (Kanz-ul-Iman): I answer the supplication of the supplicating one when he calls upon me.
(Surah Baqarah, Verse 186)
In another verse he says:
اُدْعُوۡنِیۡۤ اَسْتَجِبْ لَکُمْ
Translation (Kanz-ul-Iman): “Supplicate to me, I will accept (it)”
(Surah Mu’min, Verse 60)
Friday is the chief day of the week and a day of celebration. The Blessed Prophet ﷺ has said:
ان یوم الجمعۃ سید الایام و اعظمها عند اللہ
Translation: “Indeed, Friday is the king of all days and the greatest of them in the court of Allah.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Pg. 349, Hadith 1098, Beirut)
He has also said:
ان هذا یوم عید جعله الله للمسلمین
Translation: “Indeed this is a day of celebration that Allah has created for the Muslims.
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Pg. 349, Hadith 1098, Beirut)
Mutual love amongst Muslims is an objective of Islamic Law. The Prophet ﷺ has said:
لا تدخلون الجنة حتى تؤمنوا ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا ،أ و لا ادلکم على شئ اذا فعلتموہ تحاببتم؟ افشوا السلام بینکم
Translation: You all will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will never believe until you love each other. Should I not tell you of such an action that if you do it, you will love each other? Spread (the greeting of) Salam amongst yourselves.
(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Pg. 74, Hadith 54, Beirut)
To greet each other by saying ‘Mubarak’ for any joyous occasion is permissible and even commendable for a variety of reasons. It is even considered a good act.
It is written in Al-Mawsū’at-ul-Fiqhiyyah Al-Kuwaitiyyah that:
التھنئۃ مستحبة فی الجملة لانھا مشارکة بالتبریك و الدعاء من المسلم لاخیه المسلم فیما یسرہ و یرضیه و لما فی ذلك من التواد و التراحم و التعاطف بین المسلمین و قد جاء فی القرآن الکریم تھنئة المؤمنین علی ما ینالون من نعیم و ذلك فی قوله تعالیٰ : ﴿كُلُوْا وَ اشْرَبُوْا هَنِیْٓــٴًـۢا بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُوْنَ﴾ (پارہ29، سورۃ المرسلٰت ، آیت43) و التھنئة تکون بکل ما یسر و یسعد مما یوافق شرع اللہ تعالیٰ
(Al-Mawsū’at-ul-Fiqhiyyah Al-Kuwaitiyyah, Vol. 14, Pg. 97, Kuwait)
Furthermore, any action that enjoys mass acceptance from the Ummah as a virtuous act is also considered a virtuous act in the court of Allah. It has been stated in a Hadith:
ما رای المسلمون حسنا فهو عند اللہ حسن
Translation: That which the Muslims consider good is considered good in the court of Allah.
(Al-Mustadrak ‘ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, Pg. 83, DKI Beirut)
The question above mentions that an objection is made that saying ‘Jumuah Mubarak’ should be avoided because some people say that it is not proven from the Sunnah and is a Bid’ah.
The simple answer to this is that just because something is not proven from the Sunnah does not mean that it is prohibited. There are many things that are not found in the Sunnah, but are allowed and even recommended. For example, after the name of a Companion or pious person, saying رضى الله عنه (may Allah be pleased with him) or رحمة الله عليه (may Allah have Mercy upon him) is not from the Sunnah, but neither is it prohibited. Rather the scholars have declared it as a recommended action.
It is stated in Tanwir-ul-Absaar:
یستحب الترضی للصحابۃ و الترحم للتابعین و من بعدھم من العلماء و العباد و سائر الاخیار
(Tanweer Al-Absaar, Vol. 9, Pg. 520, Peshawar)
Keep in mind that just because something is a Bid’ah doesn’t mean that it is impermissible. A Bid’ah is any forbidden act that clashes with Islamic principles or abolishes a Sunnah.
Saying ‘Jumuah Mubarak’ does not do either.
The Prophet ﷺ has said:
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فعمل بها بعده کتب له مثل اجر من عمل بها و لا ینقص من اجورھم شئی و من سن فی الاسلام سنة سیئة فعمل بها بعده کتب علیه مثل وزر من عمل بها و لا ینقص من اوزارھم شئی
Translation: Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam and it is acted upon after him, he will be rewarded equivalent to the reward of the people who followed this practice, without any reduction in their rewards. And, whoever introduces an evil practice in Islam and it is acted upon after him, a sin will be written for him, equivalent to the sin of all the people who followed this practice, without any reduction in the sin written for them.
(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Pg. 341, Karachi)
It says in another Hadith:
شر الأمور محدثاتھا و کل بدعة ضلالة
Translation: The worst matters are the newly invented ones and every Bid’ah (innovation) is misguidance.
(Mishkat Al-Masabih, Vol. 1, Pg. 27, Lahore)
Explaining this hadith, it is written in Mirqat:
ای کل بدعۃ سیئۃ ضلالۃ لقوله علیه السلام : من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة ۔۔۔الخ
Translation: i.e every bad Bid’ah is misguidance, because the Prophet ﷺ has said: “Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam…”(i.e)
This saying that “Every Bidah is misguidance” is only referring to bad Bid’ah.
(Mirqat Al-Mafatih, Vol. 1, Pg. 337, Quetta)
Allamah Ibn Hajar Asqalaniyy reports:
قال الشافعي البدعة بدعتان محمودۃ و مذمومة فما وافق السنۃ فھو محمودۃ و ما خالفھا فھو مذموم
Translation: Imam Shafi’iyy has stated: “Bid’ah has 2 types: Commendable Bid’ah and objectionable Bid’ah. That which is according to the Sunnah is commendable and that which opposes the Sunnah is objectionable.
(Fath-ul-Bari, Vol. 13, Pg. 315, Karachi)
Moreover, many things are permissible, commendable or at times even Wajib despite being Bid’ah.
Allamah Ibn Hajar Haytami has stated:
تنقسم الی خمسۃ احکام یعنی الوجوب و الندب الخ و طریق معرفة ذالك ان تعرض البدعة علی قواعد الشرع فاي حکم دخلت فیه فھی منه فمن البدع الواجبة تعلم النحو الذی یفھم به القرآن و السنة و من البدع المحرمة مذھب نحو القدریة و من البدع المندوبة احداث نحو المدارس و الاجتماع لصلاۃ التراویح و من البدع المباحة المصافحة بعد الصلاۃ۔۔۔۔ الخ
(Fatawa Hadithiyya, Pg. 150, Karachi)
If someone, despite all of these proofs, insists that saying ‘Jumuah Mubarak’ is impermissible and considers it forbidden, that person must bring clear citations of Islamic texts, because it is necessary to have proof before calling something disliked, impermissible or forbidden.
The scholars have said that it is necessary to have clear proof before labeling something Makruh. Allamah Ibn Abidin Shami has stated:
ثبوت الکراھة اذ لا بد لها من دلیل خاص
Translation: In order to label something Makruh, there must be a proof that specifically proves it to be Makruh.
(Radd-ul-Muhtar, Vol. 1, Pg. 267, Peshawar)
Note: For more details regarding the greetings that have been common amongst muslims, please refer to the book of Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti titled: وصول الامانی باصول التهانی
Answered by: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Translated by: Muhammad Sabih Attari