When and Who. It is offered during the noon prayer's time, for the latter prayer is not performed on Friday. Every free, adult, sane, and resident Muslim who can attend must attend, unless he has a valid reason not to do so. It is not obligatory upon women, children, those with valid excuses (e.g., illness, lack of security, extreme cold), and travelers.

Preparations. Increase prayers, supplications, and calling God's blessings and peace upon the Messenger and his Family on Friday, especially before the Friday prayer. Perform the major ablution (ghusl) and wear the best clothes and the best allowable perfume. It is recommended to follow the Messenger's example of reciting 10 verses from the beginning and end of Surat al-Kahf. Also, go to the mosque early.

Conditions for Its Validity. The Friday congregational prayer has aspects.

• It is offered in a city (misr) that contains a government or a village having 30, 40, or more houses – which looks like a city in its outward form.
  
• It is preferably offered in a central, large mosque and led by the district or city governor or imam (prayer leader) who is able to lead it and has been appointed by the governor to do so. In the capital city, it is preferably offered by the president or a capable imam appointed by him.
• There must be at least three people to form a congregation after the imam.

The Adhan. The call to prayer (adhan) is made before the Friday sermon.

The Sermon. A sermon must be made before the Friday prayer. The imam gives it on a pulpit while standing. He begins it by praising God and calling God's blessings and peace upon His Messenger and his Family. Next, he gives a sermon in which he exhorts Muslims to good deeds, discourages them from evil, advises them, and seeks to enlighten them mentally and spiritually and to guide them. He should not lengthen the sermon. After this part of the sermon, he sits for a short while and then, standing up, praises God, calls God's blessings and peace upon God's Messenger and his Family, and prays for all Muslims. The congregation must listen carefully and silently.

Prayers before and after the Friday Prayer. The Friday prayer consists of two rak'ats. It is sunna to offer four rak'ats before it, just like the four rak'ats offered before the noon prayer. After the prayer, another supererogatory prayer of four rak'ats is recommended.

Scholars have had some doubts about the Friday prayer's validity for many centuries, due the Muslim community's condition. Therefore, to be sure about performance of the prescribed noon prayer, they have ruled that another prayer of four rak'ats, just like the noon prescribed prayer and with the intention of offering a later noon prayer, should be offered after the four-rak'at supererogatory prayer. They also advise to follow this with another supererogatory prayer of two rak'ats with the intention of offering the sunna prayer for that time.