Does Hajj being on a Friday (Hajj Akbar) mean there is reward of 70 Hajj?

No, Hajj being on a Friday does not mean there is the reward of 70 Hajj. The Hadith for this is baseless. However, it is a blessing since the Hajj of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was on a Friday.

عَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ اليَهُودِ لِعُمَرَ: يَا أَمِيرَ المُؤْمِنِينَ، لَوْ أَنَّ عَلَيْنَا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ: {اليَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا} [المائدة: 3]، لاَتَّخَذْنَا ذَلِكَ اليَوْمَ عِيدًا، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: إِنِّي لَأَعْلَمُ أَيَّ يَوْمٍ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ، نَزَلَتْ يَوْمَ عَرَفَةَ، فِي يَوْمِ جُمُعَةٍ

Tariq bin Shihab said, A Jewish man said to Umar (May Allah Most High be pleased with him), ‘O Leader of the Believers, if this verse: This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and am pleased with Islam as your religion.’ (Surah al-Maidah, 3), had been revealed upon us, we would have established that day as an Eid.’ Umar (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said, ‘Indeed I know the day on which this verse was revealed. It was revealed on the day of Arafah, on a Friday.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 7268).

This Hadith is also narrated elsewhere in Bukhari (45 and 4606) and Muslim (3017 – 4 and 3017 – 5). It confirms that during the Hajj of the Holy Prophet ﷺ the Day of Arafah did coincide with Friday. Therefore, there is a blessing for people who are on Hajj and the Day of Arafah coincides with Jummah. However, the narration stating that one has the reward of seventy Hajj in such a situation is not sound.

لِوَقْفَةِ الْجُمُعَةَ مَزِيَّةُ سَبْعِينَ حَجَّةٍ

(قَوْلُهُ لَوَقْفَةُ الْجُمُعَةِ إلَخْ) فِي الشُّرُنْبُلَالِيَّةِ عَنْ الزَّيْلَعِيِّ: «أَفْضَلُ الْأَيَّامِ يَوْمُ عَرَفَةَ إذَا وَافَقَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ؛ وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ حَجَّةٍ فِي غَيْرِ جُمُعَةٍ»؛ رَوَاهُ رَزِينُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ فِي تَجْرِيدِ الصِّحَاحِ اهـ لَكِنْ نَقَلَ الْمُنَاوِيُّ عَنْ بَعْضِ الْحُفَّاظِ أَنَّ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ بَاطِلٌ لَا أَصْلَ لَهُ. (رد المحتار على الدر المختار)

Imam al-Haskafi: Standing (of Arafah) on a Friday has the distinction of seventy pilgrimages.

Imam Ibn Abideen: His saying: Standing (of Arafah) on a Friday. It was narrated in al-Shurunbulaliyah form al-Zaylai: The best of days is the Day of Arafah if it coincides with the day of Jummah. It is superior to seventy pilgrimages on other than Jummah. It was narrated by Razeen bin Mua’wiyah in Tajreed al-Sihaah. However, al-Munawi narrated from one of the Hufaadh (of Hadith) that this narration is false, it has no basis. (Radd al-Muhtaar).

Although a number of Hanafi scholars narrated this Hadith in their books, Imam Ibn Abideen clarified that it is not authentic. Rather it is false and baseless. Therefore, one must refrain from attributing it to the Holy Prophet ﷺ. See the link below for details.

Is it correct to refer to a situation where the Day of Arafah coincides with the Day of Jummah as Hajj Akbar? It is best not to because Hanafi scholars generally used this terminology to differentiate between Hajj and Umrah.

وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: الْحَجُّ الْأَكْبَرُ الْقِرَانُ وَالْأَصْغَرُ الْإِفْرَادُ. وَقَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَالشَّعْبِيُّ وَعَطَاءٌ: الْأَكْبَرُ الْحَجُّ وَالْأَصْغَرُ الْعُمْرَةُ. (رد المحتار على الدر المختار)

(Imam) Mujahid said, Hajj Akbar is Hajj Qiraan. And Hajj Ashghar is Ifrad. (Imams) al-Zuhri and al-Shabi both said, Akbar is Hajj and Asghar is Umrah. (Imam Ibn Abideen, Radd al-Muhtaar).

وَوَصَفَ الْحَجَّ بِالْأَكْبَرِ لِأَنَّ الْعُمْرَةَ الْحَجُّ الْأَصْغَرُ. (مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح)

He described Hajj as al-Akbar because Umrah is al-Asghar. (Imam Ali al-Qari, Mirqaat al-Mafateeh).

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (07.07.2022)

See also:
What do the Hadith gradings mean
Fasting the Day of Arafah.

See also video: