NEED AN EXTRA BONUS

 FAJR REMINDER: NEED AN EXTRA BONUS?

By: Umm ‘Affān

Rajab 26, 1447 (16-January-2026)

Different workplaces have set opening and closing times. Some individuals may not have a closing hour; they leave when their tasks are complete. For students, there are also scheduled lecture times.

Now, consider how you would feel arriving late to work only to find that the “time record book or device” has already been taken away. I’m sure that would cause a sense of panic. Many employees arrive early at their jobs to avoid being questioned, facing termination, or due to concerns about their supervisors. Why can't we apply this same principle to Ṣalāh (prayer)? Dear brethren, making it a priority to arrive early for Jumu’ah prayer should be essential, unless there are urgent matters to attend to.

Indeed, arriving early at the Masjid brings us additional rewards. Abū Hurayrah (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu) narrated that Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “When it is a Friday, the angels stand at the gate of the mosque and keep on writing the names of the persons coming to the mosque in succession according to their arrivals. The example of the one who enters the mosque in the earliest hour is that of one offering a camel (in sacrifice). The next one is like offering a cow, and then a ram, and then a chicken, and finally an egg. When the Imām comes out (for Jumu'ah prayer), they (i.e., angels) fold their papers and listen to the remembrance.” [Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhārī 929]

Sometimes, a barrier to attending Khutbah is the belief that it is unnecessary due to the Khatīb’s tendency to repeat himself. Although we may have heard many topics before, listening again can enhance our understanding and deepen our appreciation of the message.

I beseech Allāh to make us attentive. Aameen.