of this kind concerning the hour on Friday. Moreover, none of the hadiths concerning the Night of Decree explicitly states that it falls on a particular night, unlike the hadiths concerning the hour on Friday. The distinction between the two is thus clear.

As for the claim that it has been withdrawn (1), this is akin to saying that the Night of Decree has been withdrawn. If someone making this claim means that it was known, but knowledge of it was taken away from the Muslim community, the answer is that this knowledge was not taken away from the entire community, even if it was taken away from some of its members. If, however, he means that the hour itself and its status as a time when supplications are answered have been withdrawn, this is a false claim that contradicts the authentic, explicit hadiths and cannot be relied upon. And Allah knows best.

Twenty-first: This day includes (2) the Friday prayer, which is distinguished from all other obligatory prayers by features found in no other: assembling together, a specified number of worshippers, the requirement of residence (3) and permanent settlement, and reciting aloud. Warnings concerning neglect of this prayer are matched only by those concerning the ‘Asr prayer. In the four Sunan collections (4), a hadith narrated by Abū al-Ja‘d al-Damrī—who was a Companion—reports that the Messenger of