This view is correct for the following reasons:

1. The statement of Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him—the most eloquent and sincere of mankind: “Friday ghusl is obligatory upon every adult” (1). The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, explicitly stated that it is obligatory. It is well known that, were we to read this wording in a work such as the one before us, we would understand nothing from it except that it is an obligation whose omission incurs sin. How then when this wording comes from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, who was the most knowledgeable of mankind concerning Allah’s law, the most eloquent of mankind, the most sincere toward them, and the most knowledgeable of what he said?

Moreover, he linked the obligation to a description that entails legal responsibility: having reached puberty. When we reflect on this, it becomes plainly clear that Friday ghusl is obligatory and that whoever omits it is sinful. Nevertheless, the prayer is valid without it, since it is not ghusl required due to janābah (major ritual impurity).

2. Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, entered while Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was delivering the Friday sermon to the people from the pulpit. Umar reproached him for arriving late, and Uthman said, “By Allah, O Commander of the Believers, I was occupied, and I did no more than perform wudu, then I came.” Umar said to him reproachfully, “And wudu as well?”—that is, “You merely performed wudu as well?”—“even though you knew that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, used to command ghusl” (2). Thus, Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, objected to his limiting himself to wudu.

As for what is narrated from Samurah ibn Jundub—that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever performs wudu on Friday has done well, but whoever performs ghusl, then ghusl is better” (3),