and to recite Sūrat al-Kahf (18) during the day itself, to frequently invoke blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, to perform the ritual bath, apply fragrance, wear one’s finest garments, set out early, and remain engaged in remembrance and supplication until the preacher arrives.
Within this day there is an hour in which supplications are answered. Scholars have disagreed over its exact time, yet the strongest views hold that it extends from the moment the preacher sits on the pulpit until the prayer is concluded, or that it falls after ʿAṣr.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim devoted an extensive chapter to this matter in Zad al-Maʿad, and many other scholars have authored independent treatises on it.
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Saʿdi said: “Out of His wisdom and the beauty of His legislation, the Lawgiver has prescribed for the Muslims gatherings for various acts of worship: the five daily prayers, the Friday prayer, the ʿEid prayer ground, and the pilgrimage assembly in the sacred precincts. These gatherings contain benefits and secrets beyond enumeration, among them:
- Manifesting the religion of Allah and exalting His word;
- Displaying the symbols of Islam and revealing their beauty;
- Showcasing the merits of Islam and the elegance of its rulings;
- Enabling Muslims to know and love one another;
- Learning about each other’s lands, conditions, hopes, and pains;
- Consulting together and exchanging beneficial opinions;
- Assisting one another upon truth and supporting one another in religion;
- Uniting the ranks of the Muslims, consolidating their line, and directing their collective purpose toward what is good.
Other advantages are alluded to in the noble verse: “so that they may witness benefits for themselves” (al-Hajj 22:28). The gatherings of Muslims for acts of worship are therefore a source of good, blessing, rectification, and success. Allah the Exalted says: “Hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah and do not be divided” (Āl ʿImrān 3:103).
I ask Allah Most High to unite the word of the Muslims, gather their hearts upon the truth, and honor them through His religion. He is able to do that; He is the best Patron and the best Helper.