How To Attend a Muslim Friday Prayer Service Jumah

How to attend Muslim Friday prayer service or Juma? For Muslims, Friday is the day when believers gather to hear sermon and participate in ritual prayer. Attendance is mandatory for healthy adult Muslim males, encouraged for Muslim women, and usually open to interested non-Muslims. You will need free hour around noon on Friday, the time and location of prayer service, cleanliness, and modest dress. Optional cash for charitable donation. Step one, find service. Find Friday prayer service. Mosques aren't the only places where services are held. University students often arrange Friday prayers in hall or auditorium, and mosques sometimes hold prayers in satellite locations such as office buildings or even churches. Services are usually held around lunchtime. Children are welcome at the prayer service, but if they become disruptive, you may have to escort them out. Step two, dress modestly. If possible, bathe on Friday morning and then put on clean, modest clothes. With men, that means long pants. Women should wear loose clothing that cover their arms and legs, and they should bring along headscarf. Step three, purify your intention. Take moment to purify your intention, affirming that you're planned to attend Friday prayers for God's sake alone. Step four, remove your shoes. Upon entering the mosque of prayer area, remove your shoes and proceed with the right foot first. If the mosque is segregated, enter the area reserved for your gender. Step five, take seat. Sit next to other congregants on the floor, choosing the first available space closest to the front of the room. Back rows should be left open for late comers. Offer two cycles of voluntary prayer known as salah, which means the prayer to greet the mosque. If you are not Muslim, sit quietly and offer your own prayers. Step six, hear the call to prayer. Listen as fellow congregate gives the aven or call to prayer. This means the Friday prayer service has begun. Refrain from talking at this point. Step seven, listen to the sermon. Sit quietly and listen while the imam and prayer leader offers sermon or autbah. The first half of the is the longest followed by brief period where the imam will sit down and offer silent prayers. Then he will stand again to deliver the shorter final section of the sermon. Step eight, stand and pray. After the sermon, man will stand to give the akama, shortened version of the call to prayer, which indicates the prayer itself is about to commence. Stand up and move so you are standing shoulderto-shoulder with the attendees on your left and right, forming straight line that faces the kibla or direction pointing to Mecca. Your shoulders, arms, or feet can be lightly touching others. Perform two cycles of the ritual prayer or salah following along with the im. If you are not Muslim, ask someone where you can sit and observe the prayer. Generally, non-Muslims should not join in the prayer. Step nine, shake hands. When the prayer is over, greet the people praying to either side of you, either by shaking their hands or saying, "May Allah accept your prayers or simply by smiling." Step 10, make donation. Consider making charitable donation contribution as you leave. Boxes for contributions are generally available near the exit. Did you know Allah is the Arabic word for God? The use of the word Allah is not restricted to Muslims. Arabic-sp speakaking Christians and Jews use Allah in prayer or when speaking about God.