Is saying “Jum’ah Mubarak” Permissible?

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the blessed scholars say about the following matter: It is common among Muslims that they wish each other or text each other “Jum’ah Mubarak”. Some people criticize this saying that this is not proven from the sunnah or that this is a Bid’ah, therefore you should refrain from it. What is the command of Shari’ah regarding wishing others “Jum’ah Mubarak”. Is it permissible?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   Wishing others “Jum’ah Mubarak” is completely permissible according to Shari’ah. In fact, it is a good thing. The reasons are as follows:

1.               The day of Jum’ah is not like any other day. It is the most  special out of all of the days of the week. In the Ahadith, it has been declared a day of eid and celebration for Muslims. Just like we congratulate people on the day of Eid due to it being a day of happiness, we congratulate people on the day of Jum’ah due to it being a day of joy for all muslims. There is no problem with congratulating people on the coming of the day of Jum’ah with the intention of expressing happiness.

2.               Saying “Jum’ah Mubarak '' is in fact a supplication for blessings for the other person. The command to supplicate is found in the Holy Quran. So just as we can pray for blessings etc for others on normal days, we can also do this on the day of Jum’ah.

3.               Wishing others “Jum’ah Mubarak” can also be a way to foster and spread love among muslims, which is a commandment of Shari’ah and therefore an honorable act.

4.               A big number of Muslims wish each other Jum’ah Mubarak and consider it a favorable act. Anything that is a favorable act according to the Muslim populace, it is also considered good in the court of Allah (As long as it does not contradict Shari’ah, as is the case with wishing others on the day of Jum’ah which does not contradict Shari’ah).

   All things considered, there is no Sharai proof for wishing ‘Jum’ah Mubarak’ being unlawful. It is clear from the general principles of Shari’ah that this is a permissible and even a commendable act. That is why wishing ‘Jum’ah Mubarak’ is completely allowe and preferred according to Shari’ah.

   Dua, in general, is a command of Shari’ah. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

﴿اُجِیۡبُ دَعْوَۃَ الدَّاعِ اِذَا دَعَانِ﴾

   Translation of Kanz ul Iman: I answer the supplication of the supplicating one when he calls upon me.(Para 2, Surah Baqara, Verse 186)

   In another verse he says:

﴿ اُدْعُوۡنِیۡۤ اَسْتَجِبْ لَکُمْ ﴾

   Translation (Kanz ul Iman): “Supplicate to me, I will accept(it)”(Para, 24, Surah Mu’min, Verse 60)

   The day of Jum’ah is the best of all days and a day of celebration. The Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ has stated:

ان یوم الجمعۃ سید الایام و اعظمها عند اللہ

   Translation: “Indeed the day of Jum’ah is the king of all days and the greatest of them according to Allah.”(Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol 1, Pg 349, Hadith 1098, Beirut)

   He has also stated:

ان هذا یوم عید جعله الله للمسلمین

   Translation: “Indeed this is a day of Eid that Allah has created for the Muslims.(Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol 1, Pg 349, Hadith 1098, Beirut)

Spreading love among Muslims is a command of Shari’ah. The Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ has stated...

لا تدخلون الجنة حتى تؤمنوا ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا ،أ و لا ادلکم على شئ اذا فعلتموہ تحاببتم افشوا السلام بینکم ؟

   Translation: You all will never enter Jannah until you believe, and you will never believe until you love each other. Should I not tell you of such an action that if you do it, you will love each other? Spread Salam amongst yourselves. (Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Pg 74, Hadith 54, Beirut)

   Giving congratulations for any happy event is permissible based on various aspects. It is even considered a good act. It is written in Al-Mausoo’a Al-Fiqhiyya Al-Kuwaitiyya that:

التھنئۃ مستحبة فی الجملة لانھا مشارکة بالتبریك و الدعاء من المسلم لاخیه المسلم فیما یسرہ و یرضیه و لما فی ذلك من التواد و التراحم و التعاطف بین المسلمین و قد جاء فی القرآن الکریم تھنئة المؤمنین  علی ما ینالون من نعیم و ذلك فی قوله تعالیٰ: ﴿كُلُوْا وَ اشْرَبُوْا ھَنِیْٓئًابِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُوْنَ)

(Para 29, Surah al-Mursalat, Verse, 43)

و التھنئة  تکون بکل ما یسر و یسعد مما یوافق شرع اللہ تعالیٰ

   Translation: Felicitation is generally preferable because it is the act of a Muslim including his Muslim brothers in prayers and blessings in something that will please him and make him happy, and because it a source of spreading love, kinship and compassion amongst the Muslims. Felicitation of the believers for the favors that they received has been mentioned in The Holy Quran: “Eat and drink with pleasure; reward for your good deeds”. Felicitation for all things that please and make one happy is something that agrees with the Shari’a h of Allah Almighty.(Al-Mausoo’a Al-Fiqhiyya Al-Kuwaitiyah, Vol 14, Pg 97, Kuwait)

   Furthermore, those actions which most Muslims consider good are also commendable in the court of Allah. It has been stated in a Hadith:

ما رای المسلمون حسنا فھو عند اللہ حسن

   Translation: That which the Muslims consider good is considered good in the court of Allah.(Al-Mustadrak ‘Ala Sahihain, Vol 3, Pg 83, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah, Beirut)

   There is an objection in the question that saying ‘Jum’ah Mubarak’ should be avoided because some people say that it is not proven from sunnah and is a Bid’ah. This can be easily answered by the fact that just because something is not proven from sunnah, doesn't mean that it is impermissible or disallowed. There are some things that are not found in the sunnah that are allowed and even preferable. For example, sayingرضی اللہ عنہ  or رحمۃ اللہ علیہ after the name of a Sahabi or other pious person is not sunnah, but it is also not impermissible. Rather the scholars have declared it laudable.

   It says in Tanweer al-Absaar:

يستحب الترضى للصحابة والترحم للتابعين و من بعدهم من العلماء و العباد و سائر الاخيار

   Translation: To use رضی اللہ عنہfor the Sahaba andرحمۃ اللہ علیہ  for Tabi’een and the scholars and pious people who came after them is preferred.(Tanweer Al-Absaar, Vol 9, Pg 520, Peshawar)

   Keep in mind that just because something is a Bid’ah doesn't mean that it is impermissible. That Bid’ah is forbidden which conflicts with the principles of Islam or abolishes a Sunnah. Saying ‘Jum’ah Mubarak’ does not do either. The Prophetصلی اللہ علیہ وسلم  has stated:

من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فعمل بها بعده کتب له مثل اجر من عمل بها و لا ینقص من اجورھم شئی و من سن فی الاسلام سنة سیئة فعمل بها بعده کتب علیه مثل وزر من عمل بها و لا ینقص من اوزارھم شئی

   Translation:  Whoever introduces a good practice to Islam and that thing is acted upon after him, he will be rewarded equivalent to the reward of the people who followed this practice, without any reduction in their rewards. And whoever introduces an evil practice to Islam and that thing is acted upon after him, sin will be written for him, equivalent to the sin of all the people who followed this practice, without any reduction in the sin written for them.(Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Pg 341, Karachi)

   It says in another Hadith:

شر الأمور محدثاتھا و کل بدعة ضلالة

   Translation: The worst matters are the newly invented ones and every Bid’ah (invention) is misguidance.(Mishkat Al-Masabih, Vol 1, Pg 27, Lahore)

   Explaining this hadith, it is written in al-Mirqat:

ای کل بدعۃ سیئۃ ضلالۃ لقوله علیه السلام : من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة ۔۔۔الخ

   Translation: i.e. every evil invention (Bid’ah) is misguidance because The Holy Prophetصلی اللہ علیہ وسلم  has said: “Whoever introduces a good practice to Islam…(the entire Hadith has been mentioned above)”(Mirqat Al-Mafatih, Vol 1, Pg 337, Quetta)

    ‘Allama Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani has narrated from Imam Shafa’i that:

قال الشافعي البدعة بدعتان محمودۃ و مذمومة فما وافق السنۃ فھو محمودۃ و ما خالفھا فھو مذموم

   Translation: Imam Shafa’i has stated: “Bid’ah has 2 types: Commendable Bid’ah and objectionable Bid’ah. That which is according to Sunnah is commendable and that which opposes the Sunnah is objectionable.

   Moreover, many things are permissible, commendable or at times even Wajib despite being Bid’ah. ‘Allama Ibn Hajar Haitami has stated: 

تنقسم الی خمسۃ احکام یعنی الوجوب و الندب الخ و طریق معرفة ذالك ان تعرض البدعة علی قواعد الشرع فاي حکم دخلت فیه فھی منه فمن البدع الواجبة تعلم النحو الذی یفھم به القرآن و السنة و من البدع المحرمة مذھب نحو القدریة و من البدع المندوبة احداث نحو المدارس و الاجتماع لصلاۃ التراویح و من البدع المباحة المصافحة بعد الصلاۃ۔۔۔۔ الخ

   Translation: There are 5 types of Bid’ah: Wajib Mustahab etc. and the way to recognise them is that when the Bid’ah is examined under the laws of Shari’ah then whatever ruling it comes under is how it will be treated. So an example of a Wajib Bid’ah would be teaching the science of Nahw (Arabic grammar) with which The Quran and Ahadith can be understood. A Haram Bid’ah would be the misguided beliefs of the Qadriya(قدریہ ) sect. A preferred Bid’ah would be opening schools and congregating for the Taraweeh Prayer. A permissible Bid’ah would be shaking hands after praying.

(Fatawa Hadithiyya, Pg 150, Karachi)

   If someone, despite all of these proofs, insists that saying ‘Jum’ah Mubarak’ is impermissible and considers it forbidden, that person must bring clear citations of Sharai texts because it is necessary to have proof before calling something disliked, impermissible or forbidden.

   The scholars have said that it is necessary to have clear proof before labeling something Makruh. ‘Allama Ibn ‘Abideen Shami has stated:

ثبوت الکراھة اذ لا بد لها من دلیل خاص

   Translation: To label something Makruh, there must be proof that specifically proves it to be Makruh.(Radul Muhtar, Vol 1, Pg 267, Peshawar)

   Note: For more detail regarding the felicitations that have been common amongst Muslims, please refer to the book of Imam Jalal al-Din Suyuti titled: وصول الامانی باصول التهانی

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)

Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari

Ref No: PIN-7367

Date: 7th Jumad al-Ukhra 1445 AH/ 21st December 2023