The Best Day the Sun Has Risen Upon
«The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was admitted to Paradise, and on it he was expelled from it.»
Sahih Muslim 854
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Friday prayer in Riyadh commences at Dhuhr Adhan at exactly 11:37 AM, when the Imam ascends the Minbar, the second Adhan is called, and the Khutbah (sermon) begins. The congregational prayer (Iqamah) is held immediately following the Khutbah, approximately 20 to 25 minutes after the Adhan (around 11:57 AM). The first warning Adhan is sounded roughly 30 minutes earlier at 11:07 AM. Arriving at least 30 minutes early is strongly advised due to heavy traffic and parking around major Jami' mosques.
This is the preparatory alert Adhan introduced by Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (RA) — it is not the time the congregational prayer itself is performed.
This Adhan coincides with the Imam sitting on the minbar and the khutbah beginning — the practice observed during the Prophet ﷺ's own lifetime.
The congregational Friday prayer itself is performed right after both khutbahs and the Iqamah, typically about 20 to 30 minutes after the second Adhan, depending on how long the khutbah runs at each mosque.
Window today in Riyadh: from 4:15 PM until Maghrib Adhan at 5:15 PM
The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is an hour on Friday in which no Muslim servant stands praying, asking Allah for something, except that He grants it to him” (Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim). Scholars overwhelmingly agree this refers to the final hour after Asr before sunset.
Friday prayer (Jumu’ah) in Riyadh takes place at Dhuhr time. Most major mosques sound the first call to prayer approximately 20 to 30 minutes before Dhuhr to allow attendees to gather, followed by the second Adhan as the Imam ascends the minbar. To view the complete daily schedule for all five obligatory prayers, consult today’s prayer times in Riyadh.
During the era of the Prophet ﷺ and Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, Jumu’ah had one Adhan. When the Muslim population in Medina expanded during the Caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, he introduced a prior call at Az-Zawra to alert the community, a practice unanimously endorsed by the Companions.
One of the things worshippers look for most is where to perform Friday prayer in congregation. The table below lists several well-known Riyadh mosques with an approximate Jummah time for each.
| Mosque Name | Approximate Jummah Time | Notes | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque | 12:00 PM | Ad-Dirah district, central Riyadh, next to Qasr Al-Hukm. One of Riyadh's oldest and most famous mosques, also known as the "Grand Mosque of Riyadh." | Google Maps |
| King Khalid Grand Mosque | 11:45 AM | Umm Al-Hamam Al-Gharbi district. Opened in 1988, one of Riyadh's most prominent architectural landmarks. | Google Maps |
| Al-Rajhi Grand Mosque (Sheikh Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Mosque) | 12:00 PM | Al-Jazirah district, on the Eastern Ring Road. One of the largest mosques in the Kingdom, opened in 2004. | Google Maps |
| King Fahd Grand Mosque | 11:45 AM | Google Maps | |
| Sultan bin Abdulaziz Grand Mosque | 11:45 AM | Google Maps | |
| King Abdullah Grand Mosque | 12:00 PM | Google Maps | |
| King Abdulaziz Mosque | 12:00 PM | Google Maps | |
| Grand Mosque – King Khalid International Airport | 12:00 PM | Google Maps | |
| Al-Murabba Mosque | 11:45 AM | Google Maps | |
| Norah bint Abdullah Grand Mosque | 11:45 AM | Google Maps |
These times often shift with the seasons (summer and winter) since they're tied to astronomical Dhuhr time, and can also vary by each mosque's own administration. Always verify the actual time at your nearest mosque directly before heading there — most mosques in Riyadh do not publish separate, precise official times for the first Adhan or Iqamah.
Many worshippers hear two Adhans on Friday, and each one has a different history and purpose.
During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, and through the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar (RA), there was only a single Adhan for Friday prayer, called when the Imam sat on the minbar — that is, right as the khutbah began.
When the number of Muslims in Medina grew during the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan (RA), he ordered an additional first Adhan to be called at a place known as az-Zawra' in the marketplace of Medina, to alert people early so they could prepare and head to the mosque before the khutbah began.
This additional Adhan has remained the practice in most mosques to this day, and became known as the "first Adhan," while the Adhan that coincides with the Imam sitting on the minbar became known as the "second Adhan."
A preparatory alert Adhan introduced by Uthman ibn Affan (RA); it did not exist during the Prophet ﷺ's lifetime. It is usually called before Dhuhr enters, giving people enough time to prepare and reach the mosque. This interval varies slightly from mosque to mosque, and no religious text fixes its exact length.
The original Adhan practiced during the Prophet ﷺ's lifetime, coinciding with the Imam sitting on the minbar and the khutbah beginning right as Dhuhr enters. According to the majority of scholars, buying, selling, and other activities that distract from proceeding to Friday prayer become prohibited starting from this Adhan.
Numerous authentic hadiths highlight the virtue of Friday and its prayer; among the most notable are the following.
«The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was admitted to Paradise, and on it he was expelled from it.»
Sahih Muslim 854
«On Friday there is an hour during which, if a Muslim happens to be praying and asking Allah for something, He will surely grant it to him.»
Agreed upon: Sahih al-Bukhari 935 and Sahih Muslim
«On Friday, the angels stand at the door of the mosque writing down the names of those who come, one after another in order of arrival. The one who arrives earliest is like one who has sacrificed a camel, then the next like one who has sacrificed a cow, then a ram, then a chicken, then an egg. When the Imam comes out, the angels fold up their scrolls and listen to the sermon.»
Agreed upon: Sahih al-Bukhari 929 and Sahih Muslim
«The five daily prayers, Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer, and Ramadan to the next Ramadan, are an expiation for what comes between them, so long as major sins are avoided.»
Sahih Muslim
It is recommended for a Muslim to follow a number of established sunnahs on Friday; below are the most notable ones with their evidence.
It is recommended to perform ghusl before heading to Friday prayer. It is established in the two Sahihs that whoever performs ghusl on Friday, then goes and prays whatever is decreed for him, then listens attentively once the Imam comes out until he finishes his prayer, will have his sins between that Friday and the next forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari 883).
It is recommended to wear the best clean clothes one owns and to use the finest perfume available in preparation for Friday, as mentioned in the same hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari 883).
It is recommended to arrive early to Friday prayer, as the earlier a worshipper arrives, the greater his reward, as mentioned in the hadith comparing early arrival to sacrificing a camel, then a cow, then a ram (agreed upon, Sahih al-Bukhari 929).
Several narrations mention the virtue of reciting Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, including one reported by an-Nasa'i and al-Bayhaqi from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA), that whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays; al-Hakim graded it authentic.
It is recommended to send abundant blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ on Friday, as he ﷺ said: "Among the most excellent of your days is Friday... so send abundant blessings upon me on it" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1047, graded authentic by al-Albani).
Complete, attentive silence during the khutbah is obligatory, without talking or distraction — the promise of forgiveness is given to whoever combines ghusl, early arrival, and attentive listening (Sahih al-Bukhari 883).
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever reads Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, light will shine for him between the two Fridays." (Al-Hakim, Sahih al-Albani).
Because Allah commands believers in the Qur'an to hasten to Friday prayer and leave off trade when the call is made, so Friday prayer replaces Dhuhr for those obligated to attend it.
Allah says: "O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade" (Qur'an 62:9). Whoever prays Jumu'ah in congregation has fulfilled that day's Dhuhr obligation, and it is not permissible to pray Dhuhr afterward.
Friday prayer is obligatory on every sane, adult, male, resident Muslim who has no valid religious excuse.
Anyone not obligated to attend prays Dhuhr instead — details follow in the next topic.
Four categories are exempted from the obligation to attend Friday prayer, as named in the hadith: the owned slave, the woman, the child who has not reached puberty, and the sick person — with the traveler added to this list by the majority of scholars.
Abu Dawud (1067) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Jumu'ah is a duty binding upon every Muslim in congregation, except for four: a slave who is owned, a woman, a child, or a sick person." Anyone to whom these excuses apply prays Dhuhr instead of Jumu'ah.
Whoever misses Friday prayer, whether excused or not, prays four rak'ahs of Dhuhr instead — Jumu'ah itself cannot be made up as a Jumu'ah prayer.
Scholars agree that Friday prayer cannot be made up in its own form, because its conditions of validity (congregation, khutbah, specific time) don't exist outside its time window, so whoever misses it prays Dhuhr instead. Whoever deliberately abandons it without excuse must repent to Allah in addition to making it up as Dhuhr.
It is Sunnah for the Friday khutbah to be relatively brief; the two khutbahs together with the prayer usually take around 20 to 30 minutes at most mosques, though the actual duration varies by khatib and mosque.
Sahih Muslim (869) narrates that Ammar ibn Yasir (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "The length of a man's prayer and the shortness of his sermon are a sign of his religious understanding, so make the prayer long and the sermon short" — meaning that lengthening the prayer and shortening the khutbah is a mark of the khatib's understanding.
It is recommended to arrive early, before or around the first Adhan — the earlier a worshipper arrives, the greater the reward. It's best to arrive with enough time before the khutbah begins to calmly pray two rak'ahs of tahiyyat al-masjid and find a good spot.
Several hadiths encourage arriving early to Jumu'ah, showing that earlier arrivals earn greater reward than those who come later. At large, crowded mosques, it's advisable to arrive 15 to 30 minutes before Dhuhr enters to secure a good spot.
Yes, a worshipper may pray any voluntary prayer after the first Adhan without any dislike, since the prohibitions associated with Jumu'ah (such as leaving off trade and other distractions) begin, according to the majority of scholars, with the second Adhan, not the first.
The first Adhan is purely an alert call, so it carries no ruling that would prevent prayer or other permissible activities — unlike the second Adhan, which marks the start of the obligatory duty to proceed to Friday prayer.
Yes, entering during the khutbah is permissible, but the person entering must sit and listen quietly without stepping over people's shoulders or talking.
Listening attentively to the khutbah is obligatory on anyone already seated in it. Someone who has just entered is first encouraged to pray two light rak'ahs (tahiyyat al-masjid), as covered in the next topic, then sit quietly and listen to the rest of the khutbah.
Yes, the two rak'ahs of tahiyyat al-masjid are prescribed even while the Imam is delivering the khutbah, provided they are kept light and brief so the worshipper doesn't miss the rest of the khutbah.
It is established in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA), that Sulayk al-Ghatafani entered while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the Friday khutbah and sat down. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: "O Sulayk, stand up and pray two rak'ahs, and make them light." This is evidence that tahiyyat al-masjid is prescribed even during the khutbah, as long as it is kept brief.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance oversees mosques and their imams and khatibs across the Kingdom, but it does not publicly publish one standardized schedule specifying the exact minute of the first Adhan or khutbah duration for each individual mosque.
The Ministry approves which mosques are designated to hold Friday prayer and assigns imams and khatibs to them, while the approximate timing of the first Adhan and khutbah length is left to each mosque's own administration, within the general convention observed across the Kingdom.
Because the first-Adhan time and khutbah length are not officially standardized to the exact minute across all mosques, they vary slightly based on each mosque's own convention and how long its imam's khutbah runs — even though nearly all mosques agree on the same moment Jumu'ah time itself begins (Dhuhr time).
The actual difference between mosques usually doesn't exceed a few minutes, and it typically results from differing khutbah lengths or each mosque's own habit regarding first-Adhan timing — not any difference in when Jumu'ah time itself religiously begins.
For the other daily prayers, check the prayer times in Riyadh today. When planning the weeks around Ramadan and Eid, use the Ramadan countdown and Riyadh timetable, Eid al-Fitr countdown and Eid al-Adha countdown alongside this Friday schedule.
Friday prayer in Riyadh is held at approximately the time Dhuhr enters, shown at the top of this page and updated daily based on the astronomical calculation for Riyadh's location.
The first Adhan is called an estimated 20 to 30 minutes before Dhuhr enters at most mosques in Riyadh — it is an alert and preparation call, not the time the prayer itself is performed.
The second Adhan coincides directly with Dhuhr time entering and the Imam sitting on the minbar to begin the khutbah.
The khutbah begins immediately after the second Adhan, at approximately the time Dhuhr enters.
Friday prayer usually begins about 20 to 30 minutes after the second Adhan, once both khutbahs have finished and the Iqamah is called — this duration varies slightly depending on how long the khutbah runs at each mosque.
Riyadh's mosques don't publish precise, minute-by-minute official times for each individual mosque, and nearly all of them follow the city's general Dhuhr entry time, with minor differences that usually don't exceed a few minutes.
Yes, the entry of Jumu'ah time (along with the second Adhan and khutbah start) coincides with the same astronomical Dhuhr time entering, and Friday prayer is not valid before this time begins.
Two Adhans in most mosques today: the first Adhan as an alert, and the second Adhan at the start of the khutbah, with the Iqamah added later, right before the prayer itself.
It was added by Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (RA) when the number of Muslims in Medina grew, called at a place known as az-Zawra', as established in Sahih al-Bukhari (912).
No, there was only a single Adhan during the Prophet ﷺ's lifetime and the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar, called when the Imam sat on the minbar. Uthman ibn Affan (RA) later added a first Adhan after that.
Because Allah commands in the Qur'an to hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade when the call for Friday prayer is made (Qur'an 62:9), so Jumu'ah replaces Dhuhr for those obligated to attend, and it is not permissible for them to pray Dhuhr afterward.
It is obligatory on every sane, adult, male, resident Muslim who has no valid religious excuse.
The owned slave, the woman, the child who has not reached puberty, and the sick person — with the traveler added by the majority of scholars, as narrated in the hadith of Abu Dawud (1067).
You pray four rak'ahs of Dhuhr instead, since Friday prayer cannot be made up in its own form outside its time window.
No, whoever prays Jumu'ah in congregation has fulfilled that day's Dhuhr obligation, and it is not valid to repeat the prayer as Dhuhr afterward.
It is Sunnah for it to be relatively brief; the two khutbahs together with the prayer usually take around 20 to 30 minutes at most mosques, with the actual duration varying by khatib.
It is recommended to arrive early, before or around the first Adhan, and it's best to arrive with enough time before the khutbah begins, especially at large, crowded mosques, to secure a good spot.
Yes, there is no harm in praying any voluntary prayer after the first Adhan, since the rulings related to the obligatory duty of proceeding to Friday prayer begin with the second Adhan, not the first.
Yes, but one must sit and listen quietly without stepping over people's shoulders or talking, and it is first prescribed to pray two light rak'ahs of tahiyyat al-masjid.
Yes, this is established in the hadith of Sulayk al-Ghatafani in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, where the Prophet ﷺ instructed him to pray two light rak'ahs even while he was delivering the khutbah.
Most mosques in Riyadh do not publish precise, separate official times for the first Adhan, and follow the general convention of the city's Dhuhr entry time, with minor differences per mosque.
Because of differences in each mosque's own convention for first-Adhan timing and differing khutbah lengths, even though they nearly all agree on the same moment Jumu'ah time itself begins (Dhuhr time).
Among the most notable are Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in central Riyadh, King Khalid Grand Mosque in the Umm Al-Hamam district, and Al-Rajhi Grand Mosque in the Al-Jazirah district.
The majority of scholars hold that the prohibition on buying, selling, and other distracting activities begins with the second Adhan (when the Imam sits on the minbar), while the Hanafi school holds that it begins with the first Adhan, based on Qur'an 62:9.
Alongside Friday prayer, this site displays the five daily prayer times in Riyadh, updated astronomically, along with a guide to the city's landmark mosques.
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