Is saying "Jumu'ah Mubarak" a Bid'ah?

Allah – beginning with the name of – the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise is to Him who guided the believers to the truth. And may His blessings and salutations be upon our master Muhammad, the seal of the Prophets and the coolness of our eyes.

A message is being widely circulated these days that it is impermissible to greet Jumu'ah Mubarak and that it is a bid'ah (May Allah Forbid). First and foremost, one should understand that the salaf of this ummah have explained bid'ah (innovation) as being of two fundamental types:

In the Sahih of al-Imam al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) stated concerning the 20 rak'ats of tarawih prayer, in congregation, behind one imam:

"What a good bid'ah it is!"

Al-Hafidh al-Imam al-Bayhaqi (Alayhir Rahmah) narrates through a sahih isnad (authentic chain of transmission) in Manaqib al-Imam al-Shafi'i, that Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Fadl narrated to us that Abu al-'Abbas al-Assam narrated to him that Rabi' ibn Sulayman narrated to him that al-Imam ash-Shafi'i informed him:

"The newly-invented matters from the affairs are of two kinds: One of them is whatever is innovated contravening the Book, or the Sunnah, or a narration, or a consensus, then this is an innovation of misguidance (al-bid'atu al-dalalatu). The second is whatever is innovated of the good which does not contravene any of these, then this is an innovation which is not blameworthy (Ghayru Mazmumatin)."

Regarding congratulating one another on the day of 'Eid, al-Sayyid ibn 'Aabideen al-Shami (Alayhir Rahma) relates from al-Muhaqqiq ibn 'Aamir Haaj (Alayhir Rahmah) that he considered it: 'Ja'iz' (permissible) and 'Mustahabb' (commendable) in general. He also considered the wording popular in his time: 'Eidun Mubarakun Alayka' (a blessed Eid upon you) to take the same rule. He has mentioned:

"Supplication for barakah (blessing) in many affairs has reached us, thus the commendability of supplication for it here (on the day of 'Eid) can be taken from that." [Radd al-Muhtar, Vol. 2, Page 169]

The barakah of Jumu'ah and its being a day of eid is clear in the Prophetic Ahadith such as in the hadith of the Sahih of Ibn Hibban where it is mentioned that the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said regarding the day of Jumu'ah:

"Verily it is a day of Eid." [Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith 3610]

In a further hadith of the Sunan of Ibn Majah it is mentioned that the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

"Verily the day of Jumu'ah is the master of days." [Sunan ibn Majah, Hadith 1084]

The barakah of Jumu'ah is such that al-Hafidh Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (Alayhir Rahmah) has gathered 100 special qualities related to it with supporting evidences in his work al-Lumu'ah fi Khasa'is al-Jumu'ah.

If one greets his brother with salam and then supplicates for him on the day of Jumu'ah saying "Jumu'ah Mubarak", then there is nothing in that which goes against the principles of the shari'ah which would make it a reprehensible bid'ah. In fact it is established that from the blessings of Jumu'ah is a hidden time in which the du'a of a slave is answered as in the hadith of the Sahih of al-Imam Muslim:

"Verily there is a time in the day of Jumu'ah, that no Muslim coincides with it supplicating to Allah for good except that Allah bestows it upon him." [Sahih Muslim, Hadith 852]

The opinion of those who are not upon the Aqidah of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah is of no value in matters of Deen.

And Allah knows the best and His beloved Messenger knows the best.

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Answered by
Mawlana Ibrar Shafi