Question

Is there a Hadith to the effect which states you will be close to Allah in Jannah in accordance to how close you would sit to the khatib on the day of Jumu’ah?

 

Answer

1) Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that he heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say:

“On the Day of Qiyamah people will sit near Allah according to how early they came to Jumu’ah…”

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 1094 and Al Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 10013)

‘Allamah Busiri has declared the chain of narrators as sound (hasan).

(Zawaid Ibn Majah, Hadith: 358, pg. 169. Also see Musnad Bazzar, Hadith: 1525 and Shu’abul Iman, Hadith: 2735)

2) Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu ‘anhu) says:

“Hasten towards Jumu’ah for Allah will appear before the inhabitants of Jannah every Friday on heaps of camphor. The people will be close to Allah in accordance to how they hastened towards Jumu’ah…”

(Al Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 9169 with a weak chain. Refer: Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 2, pg. 178)

This Hadith although reported as the statements of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, will be understood that he heard it from Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as the nature of this Hadith is not such that Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud could have made up applying his logic.

(Refer: Majmu’ul Fatawa of Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 6, pg. 405. Also see pgs. 402- 404 for further supporting narartions)

Note

The aforementioned narrations state that a person will be close to Allah in accordance to how early he had arrived for Jumu’ah. I have not come across the words “in accordance to how close he sits to the Imam”. However we have been encouraged in many Hadiths to perform Salah in the first row. Therefore we should strive to attain the first row as well which naturally would mean being close to the Imam/Khatib, especially when one arrives early.

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar