🌿The “Hour of Acceptance”, Saa’at al-Istijaabah, (a time when Duaa is answered) on Fridays🌿

by Asma bint Shameem

There’s a time on Fridays when duaa is accepted.

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

“On Friday there is a “saa’ah”, when, if a Muslim happens to pray at that time and ask Allaah for something good, He will give it to him.”

(al-Bukhaari 5295, Muslim 852)

🔺WHAT is a “Saa’ah”?

The term “saa’ah” is not necessarily “an hour” of our time.

Rather it could be more or less than that.

🍃 Shaykh Moosaa Richardson said:

“A saa’ah (ساعة) in these narrations refers to “a period of time”, not necessarily 60 minutes, but the day of Jumu’ah has 12 time periods, or saa’ahs.

Do not assume that a saa’ah (commonly translated as “hour”) in the texts means sixty minutes. Rather it means “a period of the day”.

🔺WHEN is that hour?

There’s a difference of opinion among the scholars about “when” the hour of response is on Fridays and there are many views of which two are most correct.

Some scholars say that it’s the time between the Adhaan of Jumu’ah and the end of Jumu’ah prayer, while other scholars said that the time of istijaabah is the last hour of Asr just before maghrib.

The scholars said that BOTH these times are good to make Duaa as Duaa is more likely to be accepted in BOTH of these times.

1. The first opinion:

The time of the Jumu’ah prayer:

🍃Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“I heard the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say regarding the hour on Friday:

“It is the time between the moment when the Imaam sits down [on the minbar] until the [Jumu’ah] prayer ends.” (Muslim 853)

🍃 Shaykh ibn Al-Uthaymeen said:

“The hour on Friday in which there is the greatest hope of a response to supplication is the time of the prayer, for several reasons:

a) Because that is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim, in the Hadeeth of Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari radhi Allaahu anhu.

b) Because this gathering of the Muslims to perform one act of worship behind one leader, namely one Imaam, is the gathering in which a response to supplication is most likely.

Hence on the day of ‘Arafah when the Muslims gather in the plain of ‘Arafah, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala descends to the lowest heaven;

He boasts of them to the angels and answers their supplications. Hence you should be keen to offer supplication at this time, which is the time of the Jumu’ah prayer.

But when does this hour begin and when does it end?

It begins when the Imaam enters the masjid and lasts until prayer ends.”

(Durus wa Fatawa Al-Haram Al-Madani).

🔺When to make duaa?

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“So now let us look at when we should offer supplication.

The Imaam enters the masjid and greets the people with Salaam, after which comes the Adhaan.

There is no supplication during the Adhaan, because one should respond to the Mu’adhdhin [by repeating what he says].

After the Adhaan there is supplication, and between the Adhaan and the khutbah there is supplication.

You should say after the Adhaan: “Allahumma Rabba hadhihi’d-da`wat it-tammah wa’s-salat il-qa’imah, ati Muhammadan il-wasilata wa’l-fadilah, wab`athhu Allahumma maqaman mahmudan illadhi wa`adtah”

“O Allaah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer to be offered, grant Muhammad the privilege (of intercession) and also the eminence, and resurrect him, O Allaah, to the praised position that You have promised.”

Then you may offer whatever supplication you wish, so long as the Imaam has not started the Khutbah; you have an opportunity, so call upon Allaah and ask for whatever you wish.

Similarly, between the two Khutbahs, you may offer whatever supplication you wish, asking Allaah for the best of this world and the hereafter.

And you may do the same during the prayer, when prostrating, because “The closest a person is to his Lord is when he is prostrating,” as it was authentically narrated from the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ that the closest you can be to the Lord is when you are prostrating.

But there is a another time for offering supplication during the prayer, which is after the Tashahhud, as is mentioned in the Hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ud radhi Allaahu anhu in which the Prophet ﷺ mentioned the Tashahhud, then said:

“Then let him choose whatever supplication he wishes.”

According to the scholars of Usul [the science of the principles of Fiqh], the phrase “whatever he wishes” is general in meaning.

Now we have a time when supplications are answered, which is the time of Jumu’ah prayer, so make the most of this opportunity by offering supplication during Jumu’ah prayer, in the hope that it will coincide with the “hour of response.”

There is also another time, on the same day, when there is the hope that supplications will be answered. It is from after ‘Asr until the sun sets, but some of the scholars had some reservations about this view, noting that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“and he stands and prays,”;

But after ‘Asr there is no prayer.

Other scholars responded by saying that the one who is waiting for the prayer is like one who is praying, because the Prophet ﷺ said:

“[A person] is in a state of prayer so long as he is waiting for the prayer.”" (Durus wa Fatawa Al-Haram Al-Madani).

2. The Second opinion:

The last hour after Asr (before Maghrib)

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Friday is twelve hours, in which there is no Muslim who asks Allaah for something but He will grant him it, so seek it in the last hour after Asr.” (Abu Dawud 1048 and An-Nasa’i 1389; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abu Dawud)

🍃 Imaam Ahmad said:

“Most of the Hadeeths about the hour [on Friday] during which there is the hope that supplications will be answered say that it is after Asr prayer, and it is to be sought starting from after the sun has passed the meridian.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, 2/360)

🍃 Ibn Al-Qayyim said:

“In my view, the hour of the [Jumu’ah] prayer is also an hour in which there is the hope that supplications will be answered.

Both of them are times when there is the hope of response, even though the specific hour in that regard is the last hour after Asr, because it is a specific hour of the day and cannot be brought forward or put back.

As for the hour of the prayer, it is connected to the prayer, whether the prayer is brought forward or delayed, because the gathering of the Muslims, their prayer, and their beseeching and supplicating Allaah, may He be Exalted, all have an impact in bringing a response, so the hour of their gathering is an hour in which there is the hope that their supplications will be answered.

All the Ahaadeeth are agreed on that, and the Prophet ﷺ urged his Ummah to offer supplication and beseech Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala at these two times."

(Zad Al-Ma`ad 1/394)

🔺 When to make Duaa after Asr:

🍃 Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“I said, when the Messenger of Allaah was sitting, We find in the Book of Allaah that on Friday there is an hour when no believing slave happens to pray and ask Allaah for anything at that time, but Allaah will meet his need.

‘Abd-Allaah said:

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ pointed to me, saying, “Or some part of an hour.”

I said, You are right, or some part of an hour.

I said, What time is that?

He said, “It is the last hours of the day.”

I said, It is not the time of the prayer?

He said, “Indeed, when a believing slave prays and then sits with nothing but the prayer keeping him, he is still in a state of prayer.” (Ibn Majah 1139; saheeh by al-Albaani)

🍃 And the Prophet ﷺ said:

“The best day on which the sun rises is Friday.

On it Adam was created, on it he was sent down (to earth), on it his repentance was accepted, on it he died and on it the Hour will begin.

There is no living being but it is in a state of apprehension on Friday from dawn until sunrise fearing the onset of the Hour, except jinn and mankind.

On it there is an hour when no Muslim happens to pray and ask Allaah for what he needs, but He will give it to him.

Ka’b said: Is that one day in every year?

I said: No, it is every week. He said: Ka’b read the Tawrat and said:

“The Prophet ﷺ spoke the truth.”

Abu Hurayrah radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“Then I met ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam and told him of my meeting with Ka’b, and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam said:

“I know which time it is.”

Abu Hurayrah said:

“I said to him: Tell me about it. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salam said:

“It is the last hour of Friday.”

I said:

“How can it be the last hour of Friday when the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said:

“No Muslim happens to pray at that time,” but there is no prayer at that time.

Abd-Allaah ibn Salaam

said:

“Didn’t the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say: “Whoever sits waiting for the prayer is in a state of prayer until he prays”? I said:

“Then this is it.”

(Sunan Abi Dawood 1046, al-Tirmidhi 491 and al-Nasai 1430; saheeh by al-Albaani)”

(Zad al-Ma'ad 1/376).

🔺Does that mean I should delay my Asr prayer on Friday?

No. The Hadeeth tells us that the way to supplicate in the hour of istijaabah is to make DUAA at that time and it does not mean that we offer salaah at that time.

🍃 Shaykh Moosaa Richardson said:

“Do not assume that a saa’ah (commonly translated as “hour”) in the texts means sixty minutes.

Rather it means a period of the day.

So the question is based on a misunderstanding, and thus, no, you would not delay your ‘Asr Prayer.

And the scholars who say this is the time for the duaa to be answered on Friday advise that we STAND in supplication, or SIT, and Allaah praises those who stand when remembering Him:

الذين يذكرون الله قياما وقعودا وعلى جنوبهم


“Those who remember Allaah standing, sitting, and on their sides…” [3:191]”

And Allaah knows best.