Is Jummah Eid? Should you say Jummah Mubarak

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

A few Hadith narrations support the notion that Friday is an Eid. So such a belief does have evidence. As for saying Jummah Mubarak, it will have a similar ruling to saying Eid Mubarak. Neither are established practices of our beloved Prophet ﷺ. So, one cannot consider them to be Sunnah. However, they are permitted with the intention of Dua (supplication). 

Explanation

عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ أَبِي الْأَخْضَرِ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ السَّبَّاقِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ هَذَا يَوْمُ عِيدٍ، جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَمَنْ جَاءَ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ فَلْيَغْتَسِلْ، وَإِنْ كَانَ طِيبٌ فَلْيَمَسَّ مِنْهُ، وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ

Salih bin Abi al-Akhdar narrated from al-Zuhri, who narrated from Ubayd bin al-Sabbaq from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: This is a day of Eid, which Allah has made for the Muslims. So, whoever comes to the Friday prayer, let him take a bath. If he has scent, let him apply some of it. And you should use the Siwak. (Sunan Ibn Maja, 1098). 

The Hadith narration above supports the notion that Jummah is an Eid. So, it supports the assertion that saying Jummah Mubarak should be encouraged like Eid Mubarak. This is a reasonable argument. However, it is important to note that saying Eid Mubarak is not Sunnah. Thus, it would be more convincing to claim that Eid Mubarak and Jummah Mubarak are both permitted rather than encouraged. 

Authenticity

هَذَا إِسْنَاد فِيهِ صَالح ابْن أبي الْأَخْضَر لينه الْجُمْهُور وَبَاقِي رجال الْإِسْنَاد ثِقَات رَوَاهُ عبد الْعَظِيم الْمُنْذِرِيّ الْحَافِظ فِي كتاب التَّرْغِيب وَقَالَ حسن. (مصباح الزجاجة في زوائد ابن ماجه)

This chain of transmission includes Salih Ibn Abi Al-Akhdar, who was deemed weak by the majority. The rest of the men in the chain of transmission are trustworthy. It was narrated by Abd al-Azim al-Mundhiri al-Hafiz in the book al-Targhib, and he said: It is Hasan. (Imam Shihab al-Deen al-Busayri 840H, Misbah al-Zujajah). 

رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه بِإِسْنَاد حسن. (الترغيب والترهيب)

Ibn Maja narrated it with a Hasan chain of narrators.  (Imam al-Mundhiri 656H, al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib). 

As we see from the Nusoos above, there is some discussion and dispute amongst scholars of Hadith regarding the authenticity of the narration. That is due to Salih Ibn Abi al-Akhdar being in the Sanad (chain of narration). Many considered him a weak narrator. Which would render the Hadith weak. 

However, Imam al-Mundhiri considered the Hadith Hasan (sound) despite this issue. In any case, it can still be used to support the claim that Jummah is an Eid and saying Jummah Mubarak is permitted. Since, weak Hadith can be used to justify matters like this. 

Other narrations

Even if one were to argue against the weak narration permitting the assertion that Jummah is an Eid. We can direct such a person to other narrations that make the same point. The following narration from Ibn Hibban has sound narrators. However, there is a discussion and difference over Abu al-Awbar. Some considered him sound and others disputed this and affirmed his weakness. 

أَبُو الْأَوْبَرِ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ قَاعِدًا عِنْدَ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ إِذْ جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ: إِنَّكَ نَهَيْتَ النَّاسَ عَنْ صِيَامِ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ، قَالَ: مَا نَهَيْتُ النَّاسَ أَنْ يَصُومُوا يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَلَكِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَقُولُ: لَا تَصُومُوا يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَإِنَّهُ يَوْمُ عِيدٍ إِلَّا أَنْ تَصِلُوهُ بِأَيَّامٍ

Abu al-Awbar said: I was sitting with Abu Hurairah when a man came to him and said: You forbade people from fasting on Friday. He said: I did not forbid people from fasting on Friday. But I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Do not fast on Friday, for it is a day of Eid, unless you connect it to other days. (Ibn Hibban, 3610)

Sahabah 

There are numerous Prophetic narrations affirming that Jummah is Eid, the above is not an exhaustive presentation. (See for example: Abu Dawood 1073). That is why the Sahabah continued to refer to Jummah as Eid. This is soundly narrated from Sayidina Uthman (Ibn Hibban, 3600). We also have a narration from Sayidina Ali (Musanaf Abd al-Razzaq, 7813). It is due to the abundance of evidence that classical scholars referred to Jummah being Eid in passing. 

Thus, we can affirm that Jummah is an Eid. The question remains as to the permissibility of saying Jummah Mubarak. And the answer should be the same as Eid Mubarak. Those who oppose Jummah Mubarak should oppose Eid Mubarak on the same grounds. And those who permit Eid Mubarak should permit Jumah Mubarak.   

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (15.11.25)