✨Friday Reminders

An aspect of human nature is forgetfulness, as well as an inclination towards diversions and desires and a tendency towards laziness and comfort. And it is from the balanced innate disposition to remember upon being reminded and to take heed upon being advised. For remembrance inspires the mind so that it does not become lethargic, and softens the heart so that it does not harden, and alerts the conscience so that it is not neglectful, and energizes the soul so one hastens towards deeds, and revives the noble character and motivates striving towards address shortcomings and self-accountability, and extending hands in spending, and refraining from the prohibited, And if reminding is left, people forget about the religion and hearts will be veiled due to the effects of sin. Then no exhortation will be of use to this heart as it has darkened, hardened and deviated. And this is because reminding and admonishing the heart was abandoned. Allāh Almighty said:
Al Anam (6) 44: So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.

Reminding and admonishing are the sustenance of the hearts. And if the hearts are deprived of it their lifelines perish. And believers realize their need for reminding as they are the benefactor. For whoever hates reminders or does not benefit from them should check their īmān (faith) because Allāh Almighty said:
Ad Dhariyat (51) 55: And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.

So there is no reminder but a believer benefits from it. And their benefiting is according to their adherence to religion and the righteousness of their hearts and their readiness to accept what they receive of exhortation and reminders.
Whoever looks at the day of Friday and what it contains of rites, knows that Allāh Almighty has made it a day of reminding for Muslims. For seven days do not pass in which people are absorbed in work and diversions and inattention and being occupied with family and increasing from this worldly life except that the day of Friday arrives. A day of reminding to wake up the hearts and purify the souls and to remove the stains of heedlessness and to remove the worldly troubles. So that the hearts turn to Allāh Almighty once more and the bodies are active in performing righteous deeds.

Friday is a day of reminder because of what it contains of virtues, and what was designated within it of rites. And if we knew the details of that we would be amazed from this day of remembrance. And we would know Allāh Almighty’s favor upon us through it and what He ordained within it. And let us consider some of them. For due to its virtue, Friday was singled out for reciting certain Surahs in some of its prayers. And whoever carefully looks at these surahs, finds that they urge their reciter and listener towards remembrance and warns from turning away from them. For in the Friday Fajr prayer it is recommended to recite Surah Sajdah and Surah Insan. And they are two Surahs that summarize the beginning and the return. By reminding about the creation of mankind and their deeds in the worldly life and their fate in the hereafter. For it is necessary that a person always remembers these facts so as not to be stricken with the disease of inattentiveness and forgetfulness, and being absorbed in this world and forgetting the hereafter.

And more amazing than that is that reminding is specified in both surahs. For in the beginning of Surah As-Sajdah:
As-Sajdah (32) 4: It is Allāh who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded?

And in the middle of the surah a reminder of those who take heed and those who do not take heed so that one can choose in which group to be. Allāh Almighty said:
As-Sajdah (32) 14-15: (14) So taste [punishment] because you forgot the meeting of this, your Day; indeed, We have [accordingly] forgotten you. And taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do.” (15) Only those believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [Allāh] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant.

And at the conclusion of the surah, there is a severe warning to those turning away from the admonishments and reminders:
As-Sajdah (32) 22: And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.

This reminder is repeated multiple times in the first raka’ (unit of prayer) of the Fajr prayer of Friday.

As for the second raka’ (unit of prayer), the first verse one hears after the recitation of Al Fatihah is:
Al Insan (76) 1: Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?

This human who was not mentioned before they were created, and became mentioned after their creation and has a name by which they are known, must remember their Lord Almighty and never ever forget Him. And must remember what is due to Him the Most Exalted.

And Surah Insan is concluded with a reminder when Allāh Almighty clarified the fate of mankind and some of their deeds. For there are people for Paradise and people for the Fire. And He the Almighty concludes His words with:
Al Insan (76) 29: Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.

Yes, it is a reminder. And its reminder is recited to the people every Friday.

And reciting Surah Al Kahf was prescribed on the day of Friday. And it has four narratives that remind about the obligation of īmān (faith) and warning against shirk (associating others with Allāh), and the importance of knowledge and cautioning against ignorance, and to not be deluded by prestige and wealth. For the corrupters of humans are shirk (associating others with Allāh) and superstition, and being deluded by prestige and wealth. Ignorance is the gate to shirk (associating others with Allāh) and superstition and being overcome by lusts is the gateway to being deluded by prestige and wealth.

And in Surah Al Kahf is warning against heedlessness because it is the opposite of remembrance which is the aim of reminding.
Al Kahf (18) 28: And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.

And what is amazing is what was mentioned in Surah As-Sajdah of warning against heedlessness was repeated in Surah Al Kahf in another manner. And warning those turning away from the reminder, in this manner, is only found in these two surahs that were singled out for Friday. Allāh Almighty said:
Al Kahf (18) 57: And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance – they will never be guided, then – ever.

And from the sunnahs of Friday prayer is reciting Surah Al Juma’ and Surah Al Munafiqoon in it or Surah Al A’la and Surah Al Ghashiyah. And reminding is what these four surahs have in common. For in the last part of Surah Al Jumu’ah:
Al Jumu’ah (62) 9: O you who have believed, when [the adhān] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuʿah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.

And remembrance of Allāh, which we were commanded to proceed to is the Friday Khutbah which is a reminder and its prayer. And for this reason Allāh Almighty said “then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh”. And Allāh did not say to proceed to the Friday Prayer such that the Khutbah is included in the remembrance of Allāh Almighty. Because it is reminding of Him Almighty and His rights.

And Surah Al Munafiqoon was concluded with a verse prohibiting being heedless of remembrance and reminding. Allāh Almighty said:
Al Munafiqoon (63) 9: O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allāh. And whoever does that – then those are the losers.
As for the other two surahs, Al A’la and Al Ghashiyah, they contain the command to remind and explanation of the deeds and condition of those who are reminded. In Surah Al A’la:
Al A’la (87) 9-13: (9) So remind, if the reminder should benefit; (10) He who fears [Allāh] will be reminded. (11) But the wretched one will avoid it (12) [He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire, (13) Neither dying therein nor living.

And in Surah Al Ghashiyah:
Al Ghashiyah (88) 21-24: (21) So remind, [O Muḥammad]; you are only a reminder. (22) You are not over them a controller. (23) However, he who turns away and disbelieves (24) Then Allāh will punish him with the greatest punishment.