Working after Jummah prayer

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

It is permitted to work after Jummah prayer. This is clear from the Holy Quran. The narration some attribute to the Prophet ﷺ, in which he ﷺ says the verse in Surah Jummah is referring to other activities and not work, is a fabrication.

Explanation

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (9) فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (10)

O you who believe. When the call to prayer is made on Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is best for you if only you knew. And when the prayer is complete, then disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah. And remember Allah often so you may be successful. (Surah al-Jummah, 9-10).

The verse above seems to encourage seeking the bounty of Allah (Most High) after Jummah prayer. Leading Hanafi Imams explained that this refers to work after Jummah. Meaning it is permitted or possibly encouraged to work after Jummah prayer. As for the narration that discourages working, it is a fabrication.

The fabrication

حدثني العباس بن أَبي طالب، قال: ثنا عليّ بن المعافى بن يعقوب الموصليّ، قال: ثنا أبو عامر الصائغ من الموصل، عن أَبي خلف، عن أنس، قال: قال رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم في قوله: فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلاةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الأرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ. قال: ” لَيْسَ لِطَلَبِ دُنْيَا، وَلَكِنْ عِيَادَةُ مَرِيضٍ، وَحُضُورُ جَنَازَةٍ، وَزِيَارَةُ أخٍ فِي اللهِ”. (جامع البيان عن تأويل آي القرآن)

Al-Abbas bin Abi Talib narrated to me (saying), Ali bin al-Ma’afi bin Yaqoub al-Mawsili narrated to us (saying), Abu Amir al-Saigh from Mosul narrated to us, from Abu Khalaf, from Anas who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said about the verse, And when the prayer is complete, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah. This is not about seeking the Dunya. Rather visiting a sick person, attending a funeral prayer or visiting a brother for the sake of Allah. (Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari 310H, Tafsir al-Tabari).   

The narration above seems to discourage working after Jummah. Rather it encourages other acts of piety. Some people use this to say it is best not to work after Jummah.  However, it seems such people have not checked the authenticity of the narration. Since it is a fabrication and not attributable to the Prophet ﷺ.

Authenticity

One of the serious and widespread issues with many people who teach the Deen (religion) is they do not pay any attention to Hadith authenticity. This behaviour contradicts the Holy Quran, the Mubarak Hadith and the practice of the Sahabah.

If we cannot trust that people who teach Islam are cautious regarding the words of the Prophet ﷺ, then how can we trust them regarding other aspects of the Deen. There are few things more important than the words of the beloved Prophet ﷺ.

أبو عامر الصائغ عن أبي خلف عن أنس. قال الأزدي كان يضع الحديث. (ميزان الاعتدال في نقد الرجال)

Abu Amir al-Saigh narrated from Abu Khalaf from Anas. Al-Azdi said he used to  fabricate Hadith. (Imam al-Dhahabi 748H, Mizan al-I’tidal).

أبو عامر الصائغ عن ابي خلف عن أنس قال الأزدي كان يضع الحديث. (لسان الميزان)

Abu Amir al-Saigh narrated from Abu Khalaf from Anas. Al-Azdi said he used to  fabricate Hadith. (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani 852H, Lisan al-Mizan).

أَبُو عَامر الصَّائِغ يروي عَن أبي خلف الْأَعْمَى عَن انس قَالَ الْأَزْدِيّ يضع الحَدِيث من معادن الْكَذِب. (الضعفاء والمتروكون)

Abu Amir al-Saigh narrated from Abu Khalaf al-A’maa from Anas. Al-Azdi said he fabricates Hadith. He is a repository of lies. (Imam Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Jowzi 597H, al-Du’afaa wa al-Matrukeen).

In the Nusoos above we see some of the great Imams of Hadith warned that Abu Amir al-Saigh is a fabricator of Hadith. He is in the chain of Imam al-Tabari’s narration where the blessed Prophet ﷺ seems to discourage work after Jummah.

Therefore, that narration is a fabrication. It is prohibited to promote fabrications against the Mubarak Prophet ﷺ. Such narrations can never be used as evidence. Thus, there is no proof in this narration to say the Prophet ﷺ did not like work after Jummah.

Love for the Prophet ﷺ

Many of the Muslims who speak about loving the Prophet ﷺ the most, take the least care with Hadith authenticity. Do they not realise that a fundamental aspect of loving the Prophet ﷺ is to be protective regarding anything attributed to him. It is a significant and troubling contradiction.

Stranger still is that sometimes these people are very cautious and diligent when it comes to conveying from their own teachers. They become very passionate if their Shaykh is misquoted. Shockingly they do not have the same concern when it comes to statements of the Prophet ﷺ.

Hanafi Imams

فَإِذَا قُضِيَتْ الصَّلَاةَ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ. (الجمعة: 10). وَالْمُرَادُ التِّجَارَةُ. (المبسوط)

Once the prayer is over, disperse throughout the land. (Surah al-Jummah, 10). And the meaning is trade. (Imam al-Sarakhsi 483H, al-Mabsoot).

وإذا قضيت الصلاة فانتشروا في الأرض وابتغوا من فضل الله. (الجمعة:10). والمراد منه التجارة. (المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني)

Once the prayer is over, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah. (Surah al-Jummah, 10). And its meaning is trade. (Imam Burhan al-Deen al-Bukhari 616H, al-Muheet al-Burhani).

In the Nusoos (texts) above, Hanafi Imams have said that the verse in Surah al-Jummah is speaking about trade. Therefore, the verse is a proof that it is fine to work after Jummah. So not only is the narration in Tabarani a fabrication in itself, but it also seems to contradict the Holy Quran. Which would be yet another reason not to present it as a statement of our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

Conclusion

It is fine to work after Jummah. The narration used to discourage it, is a fabrication against the blessed Prophet ﷺ. The narration being in the Tafsir of Imam al-Tabari and not in Hadith collections, should have impressed upon those who promote it to check the authenticity.

Imam al-Tabari, himself, addressed the concern regarding authenticity of narrations in his works. He took no responsibility for authenticity and alluded to the fact that the reader should check the chain of narrators himself.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (06.10.24)