Are we not required to go to the mosque for Friday Prayers ‘Jumma’ as soon as the first Azan is said? According to my understanding, the salat being ‘announced on Friday’ refers to the first Azan, as per the following Quranic ayat:
O you who believe, when the Salat is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew. (62:9-10)
Is my interpretation correct?
Answer
There can most certainly be two interpretations of what Adhan is being referred to in the quoted verse. I, however, believe it is referring to the second Adhan of Jumu’ah. There used to be only one Adhan during the days of the prophet, alaihissalaam, Abu Bakr and Umer, Allah’s mercy be on them. However, in Uthman, radiallahu anhu’s, days it was felt that since the population of Madina had grown and people needed to be informed ahead of the prayer time to prepare for it, another Adhan was added. This addition was not considered unacceptable in Islam because the prophet had given an understanding about Adhan that it could be employed to call Muslims to the mosque for any important purpose.
In view of the above understanding, I am of the opinion that the real Adhan, towards which the verse is referring, is the second Adhan; the first one is only meant to ask Muslims to get prepared for the prayers. No worldly activity would be legitimate after the second Adhan. As for the Khutba in Urdu delivered by our Imams, it is not an essential part of Jumu’ah prayers. In fact, it is something you wouldn’t find in the Arab countries, where the only Khutba is the Arabic one, which starts after the second Adhan. That Khutba is a necessary part of the Jumu’ah prayers. Even in Pakistan, some mosques follow the same pattern.