Question: What is the status in Shari’ah of Friday as the weekly holiday? Is all the furore in this regard valid?  
    Answer: The assertion that Friday should be the weekly holiday has no basis in Shari’ah. In fact, it is not even a matter pertaining to Shari’ah. As far as the Qur’an is concerned, it requires that as the time of Friday prayer approaches the Muslims should abandon whatever task they are performing and begin preparing for the prayer. They can go back to work after the prayer is over. But nowhere is it stated that there should be no work on Friday.  
    In the verses of Surah Juma pretaining to the Friday prayer, the stress is on leaving all work to begin preparation for the prayer when the call for the Friday prayer is made. All the misconception has arisen owing to misunderstanding this stress of the Qur’an. According to the Qur’an, what matters is not whether Friday is a weekly holiday or not, but that the Friday prayer is given its due importance.