Is there any significance of the LAST FRIDAY of Ramadhaan, also called Jumu’atul Widaa’ or ‘Farewell Friday’?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

There are many MISCONCEPTIONS regarding the last Friday of Ramadhaan. 

NONE of these beliefs are true. 

Let’s look at them one by one. 

❌ MISCONCEPTION # 1 ❌

Thinking that the last Friday of Ramadhaan has some SPECIAL VIRTUE and SIGNIFICANCE.

And deeds done this day have SPECIAL REWARDS.

Some people think that this is a VERY special Friday that’s even better than the rest of Fridays of the year.

And they spend this entire day praying special prayers and making special duaas.

And that’s why they even have a special name for it called “Jumu’atul Widaa’”

They wait for it, and prepare for it the entire year. 

FACT !!

There’s NO BASIS in the Sharee’ah for thinking that the last Friday of Ramadhaan is any EXTRA ‘SPECIAL’ or BETTER than any other Jumu’ah. 

Yes of course Fridays are very special in our Deen. 

But that goes for EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY of the year.

And NOT just the last Friday of Ramadhaan. 

And the first, second and third Fridays are no less than the last Friday of Ramadhaan. 

The Prophet ﷺ or the Sahaabah did NOT attach any special virtue to the last Friday of Ramadhaan or having any extraordinary value and they did NOT gather together on the last Friday of Ramadhaan for any SPECIAL worship or prayer. 

If anyone does any such special ibaadaat on this Friday, then this falls under Bid’ah and Bid’ah is a VERY SERIOUS SIN.

🍃The scholars said:

“There is nothing special in the Sharee’ah that distinguishes the last Friday of the month of Ramadhaan from the other Fridays of the same month, and there is nothing called as the 'Farewell Friday' (“Jumu’atul Widaa’”).

Some people even call it the ‘Orphan Friday’ and they believe in it and do on it things which have no foundation in the Sharee’ah.

Indeed, there is no difference between the first, second and third Friday of the month of Ramadhaan.

Knowing that there is nothing that distinguishes the last Friday of Ramadhaan from the other Fridays of the same month, then doing some special acts of worship or gathering while considering that as an act that gets one closer to Allaah is an innovation.”

(Islamweb fatwa 167169)

❌ MISCONCEPTION # 2 ❌

Thinking there’s a special prayer to be read on the last Friday of Jumu’ah that will ‘COMPENSATE’ of all previous obligatory prayers they missed in their lives.

They even call it “Qadaa al-‘Umri” or “Qazaa al-‘Umri”.

(Salaah that makes up the missed Salaah of one’s entire lifetime)

FACT !!

That is NOT true.

This misconception is based on a fabricated Hadeeth.

The “so-called hadeeth” states:

“Whoever prays the five obligatory prayers in the last Friday of the month of Ramadhaan, this will make up for any deficiencies for his prayer throughout the whole year.”

And it tells you to read certain aayaat in each rak’ah.

But this 👆🏼👆🏼is NOT even a hadeeth. 

These are NOT the words of the Prophet ﷺ.

It is MADE UP!

FAKE!

A LIE upon the Prophet ﷺ!

Astaghfirullaah!

🍃Ash-Shawkaani said about this so-called ‘hadeeth’:

“This is a fabricated Hadeeth without any difference of opinion about that.”

And then he said:

“Allaah’s CURSE be on the liars”!

(“Al-Fawaa’id Al-Majmoo’ah fee al-ahadeeth al-Mawdoo’at” page 54)

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

““The ruling concerning this prayer is that it is an innovation (bid‘ah) and it has NO BASIS in Islaamic teachings; it will only take a person further away from his Lord, because the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said:

“Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance will be in the Fire.”

No matter how much the followers of an innovation like it and regard it as good in their own minds, it is something BAD before Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala

because His Prophet ﷺ said: “Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance will be in the Fire.”

These five daily prayers that a person makes up on the last Friday of Ramadhaan have no basis in Islamic teaching.”

If a person missed prayers when he was younger, then the time for that prayer is gone. 

That time will never come back. 

📌PROOF:

🍃Allaah said that the time for each prayer is FIXED. 

“Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”

(Surah al-Nisaa :103)

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever forgets a prayer, let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that.” (al-Bukhaari 597, Muslim 684)

So basically there's no "qaza umri" as they call it where years later, you count all the prayers you missed and then make them up all up one at a time. 

❌ MISCONCEPTION # 3 ❌

“Thinking that theres is no ‘hisaab’ or ‘accountability’ if we buy/wear new clothes in Ramadhaan especially on the last Friday.”

Some people buy new clothes and wear them especially on the Fridays in Ramadhaan thinking there will be no accountability for buying/wearing those clothes just because they wore them in Ramadhaan and especially on the last Friday. 

Some even buy their entire wardrobe for the whole year in Ramadhaan based on this misconception. 

FACT !!

Again, there’s NO PROOF for believing something like this in our Deen. 

We’re answerable for EVERY  blessing that we have from Allaah. And that includes our wealth. 

We’re answerable for the wealth we possess; how we earned it and how we spent it. 

And it doesn’t matter if we used the wealth in Ramadhaan or not. 

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

“A person’s feet will not move on, on the Day of Resurrection, until he is questioned about his life and how he spent it, about his knowledge and what he did with it, about his wealth, from where he acquired it and on what he spent it, and about his body and for what he wore it out.”

(at-Tirmidhi 2422; saheeh by Al-Albani in Saheeh At-Tirmidhi 1969) 

🍃Ibn al-Qayyim said: 

“Qataadah said: Allaah will ask each person about what He bestowed upon him of His blessings and whether he fulfilled His rights over him.

The blessings that will be asked about are of two types: those that he acquired by permissible means and disposed of in lawful ways: he will be asked about whether he gave thanks for them; and those that he acquired by prohibited means and disposed of in unlawful ways: he will be asked about how he acquired them and how he disposed of them.” 

(Ighaathat al-Lahfaan 1/84)

So there’s NOTHING in the Sharee’ah that says that the clothes bought or worn in Ramadhaan will not be asked about. 

And that goes for ALL the blessings of Allaah. 

🔺Conclusion:

There's NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY about the LAST Friday of Ramadhaan.

There's NO NEED to "celebrate" it, or WISH each other "Jumu’atul Widaa' Mubarak"

OR read any special prayers, or dhikr, or make special clothes.

Let's GET OUT of CULTURAL INNOVATIONS and EDUCATE ourselves to practice the TRUE Deen.

May Allaah forgive us, enable us to gain authentic knowledge of His Deen and keep us clear of all misconceptions. 

And Allaah knows best.