80 Durood on Friday: Islamic Ruling

Walekumussalam warahmatullahi wabaraktuh,

In the present case, it should be understood that sending abundant Durood (salutations) upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on Fridays is recommended and a means of reward. A Hadith states:

إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ أَيَّامِكُمْ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَأَكْثِرُوا عَلَيَّ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ فِيهِ۔

Translation: Indeed, Friday is among the best of your days, so send abundant blessings upon me on this day.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 1047)

However, there is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding the authenticity of the narration concerning the recitation of a specific Durood 80 times after the Asr prayer on Friday, with the promise of the reward equivalent to 80 years of worship and the forgiveness of 80 years of sins.

According to one scholarly view, the aforementioned narration is weak; nevertheless, acting upon it is permissible under the principles governing weak narrations in matters of virtues and good deeds (Fada'il al-A'mal). On the other hand, some scholars have examined its various chains of transmission and classified its weakness as severe.

Furthermore, the following narration is reported from Sahl ibn Abdullah (رحمه الله):

مَنْ قَالَ فِي يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ: «اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلِّمْ» ثَمَانِينَ مَرَّةً، غُفِرَتْ لَهُ ذُنُوبُ ثَمَانِينَ سَنَةً۔

Translation: Whoever recites the aforementioned Durood 80 times on Friday after the Asr prayer, his sins of 80 years will be forgiven.

This narration does not mention a reward equivalent to 80 years of worship. Furthermore, it does not mention the conditions of remaining seated in one's place or refraining from speaking to anyone.

Therefore, it is important to distinguish between the different narrations reported in this regard and their respective levels of authenticity.

The answers to the questions are as follows:

1. Is this virtue established in Hadith or any reliable Islamic source?

The virtue of sending abundant Durood upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on Fridays is established through authentic Hadith. However, the specific virtue of reciting Durood 80 times and receiving the reward equivalent to 80 years of worship and the forgiveness of 80 years of sins is not established through an authentic chain of transmission.

Although the narration is weak, acting upon weak narrations in matters of virtues and good deeds is permissible according to certain scholarly principles. However, according to the research of some scholars, this particular narration is severely weak. Therefore, it would not be correct to present this specific virtue as something definitively established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

2. Is it necessary to have performed the Jumu'ah prayer for this practice?

The narration does not mention performing the Jumu'ah prayer as a condition. Rather, it mentions reciting the Durood after the Asr prayer on Friday.

Therefore, even if a person was unable to perform the Jumu'ah prayer due to a valid Islamic excuse, they may still recite the Durood after the Asr prayer on Friday.

3. Is it necessary to perform the Asr prayer in the same mosque where the Jumu'ah prayer was performed?

No. There is no evidence establishing that both the Jumu'ah and Asr prayers must be performed in the same mosque for this practice.

Therefore, if someone performs the Jumu'ah prayer in one mosque and the Asr prayer at another location, there is no harm in reciting the Durood afterward.

4. Can this Durood also be recited after performing the Asr prayer at home?

Yes. A person may recite the aforementioned Durood after performing the Asr prayer at home. Being in a mosque is not a necessary condition for its recitation.

5. Is it necessary to remain seated in the same place after Asr and refrain from speaking to anyone?

In some narrations reported in this regard, the following words appear:

قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنْ مَكَانِهِ

Meaning: Before getting up from his place.

However, the condition of refraining from speaking to anyone is not established by the wording of the aforementioned narration. Furthermore, considering the difference of opinion regarding its authenticity, these matters cannot be declared religiously obligatory conditions.

6. Is there any specific time limit within which the 80 recitations must be completed?

According to the reported narration, the Durood is to be recited after the Asr prayer on Friday. Some narrations also mention reciting it before getting up from one's place. However, no specific duration of a few minutes or any other fixed time limit has been established for completing the 80 recitations.

7. Is this practice recommended, and are all its mentioned conditions necessary?

Reciting abundant Durood on Friday is undoubtedly recommended and a means of reward. The wording of the aforementioned Durood is also correct, and therefore, reciting it is permissible.

However, it would not be correct to regard the specific virtue of receiving the reward of 80 years of worship and the forgiveness of 80 years of sins for reciting it 80 times as an established Sunnah with certainty.

Similarly, it cannot be declared a religious requirement that the Jumu'ah and Asr prayers must be performed in the same mosque, that a person must refrain from speaking to anyone, or that the Durood must be completed within a particular time.

It should also be understood that permission to act upon weak narrations in matters of virtues and good deeds is not unrestricted. Rather, scholars of Hadith have stipulated certain conditions, including that the narration must not be severely weak and that the underlying act should have a basis in Islamic teachings.

Conclusion:

Sending abundant Durood upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on Fridays is a Sunnah and a means of reward. The aforementioned Durood may also be recited, whether a person performs the Asr prayer in a mosque or at home.

However, the specific virtue of receiving the reward of 80 years of worship and the forgiveness of 80 years of sins for reciting it 80 times should not be regarded as a definitively established Hadith. Similarly, the additional conditions that have not been established through reliable evidence should not be treated as obligatory requirements.

And Allah knows best.