And this is derived from hijra (migration), which means leaving one’s homeland (1) and setting out for another; hence the name Muhājirūn (Emigrants). Al-Shāfiʿī said: “I favour going early to the Friday prayer, and one should go to it only on foot.”
All of the foregoing is Abū ʿUmar’s discussion.
I say: The objection to going early at the beginning of the day rests on three considerations. The first is the word rawāh, on the grounds that it refers only to setting out after the sun has passed its zenith. The second is the word tahjīr, which occurs only during the midday heat, when the heat is intense. The third is the practice of the people of Medina, who did not come at the beginning of the day.
As for the word rawāh, there is no doubt that it can refer to setting out after the sun has passed its zenith. This is generally the case when it is paired with ghudūw (setting out in the morning), as in the words of Allah Most High:
“Its morning journey was a month’s journey, and its evening journey was a month’s journey.” [Sabaʾ: 12]
And the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:
“Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning or evening, Allah prepares a lodging for him in Paradise each time he goes in the morning or evening.” (2)
And the poet’s words (3):
We go evening and morning to tend to our needs;
As long as one lives, one’s needs never cease.
Rawāh may also mean going or proceeding, and this usage occurs only when the word is