Why do Muslims have special prayers on a Friday?
456423
Jummah is the prayer on friday, which every muslim men has to attend unless there is a valid reason. For women it is not compulsary. They can opt to pray noon prayer from home if they are unable to attend Jummah.\n\nIn Jummah, first there will be religious sermon by the imam, which is followed by imam leading 2 rakaat prayer.\n\nRelevant verses from the Quran \n"O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading; that is better for you, if you know. " Quran 62: 9\n\n"But when the prayer is ended, then disperse abroad in the land and seek of Allah's grace, and remember Allah much, that you may be successful. " Quran 62: 10
1121074
Exactly. It was the predominant symbol BEFORE Islam. The pagan crescent symbol for the Moon God, greatest of the pagan God.\n\nIslam intigrated these pagan rituals (hajj, kabbah) and symbols (crescent) along with monotheistic traditions to make for a religious order more likely to be accepted by both.
104000
Prayers as currently used in muslim context to refer to 2 types, one is the 5 times prayer(Salaat)  and second is the prayer to God during other times.\n\nRegarding salaat prayer, there is a basic method of doing it. It involves standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting in a particular order. During standing Quran sura fathiha(mentioned above by abushible) has to be recited and optionally also any other sura. During other positions, God is praised in various wordings. In the final sitting before prayer end, there is a prayer for prophet,for us  and all the good devotees of God. There is also a special prayer to bless prophet mohammed and his people like God blessed prophet Abraham and his people. \n\nMuslims use there own wording for other prayers or use prayers mentioned in Quran or prophets sayings. One most prayed prayer from Quran is \n"Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire." Quran 2:201.\n\nMuslims are to pray to God alone for whatever they need to pray.
412809
Good Friday is the day that Jesus died so we celebrate it in honoring of his death. Here are some websites where you can read a little more about it.\nhttp://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/GoodFrid\nhttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06643a.htm\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday
835992
I think this is making a vast generalisation about all muslims. \n\nJust because some aspects of muslim culture advocate this, doesn't mean all muslims do. Not all muslims wear the hijab, it is a cultural thing. Millions of muslims in Indonesia do not. Also, many muslims are not any more fanatical about their religion than most christians. Many just go to the mosk on special holidays like ramadan, not every sunday. \n\nThe Qur'an is a book advocating peace, thought it may have some violence in it. The bible too, has much violence, but many would say it has brought them peace.
756946
It is for religious reasons mostly\n\nin Islam\nmonday and thursday fast days\n\nI believe Hindus fast on thursday
279571
Prophet Muhammed ordered us to do that...\n\nIt's mainly to differentiate the muslim from the nonmuslim...\n\nThe second reason it's a healthy habit..
200389
The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (also called "Hijri calendar", Arabic التقويم الهجري) is the calendar used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic holy days. It is a lunar calendar having 12 lunar months in a year of about 354 days. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days, although celebrated on fixed dates in their own calendar, usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year, such as a year of the Gregorian calendar. Islamic years are also called Hijra years because the first year was the year during which the Hijra occurred— Muhammad's emigration from Mecca to Medina. Thus each numbered year is designated either H or AH, the latter being the initials of the Latin anno Hegirae (in the year of the Hijra).
602842
yes, some do, like Christians have "Good Friday"  but i don't think your obligated to go, you go because you want to.
106135
No, if it was free then when a muslum,minanite ect. lady walks down the street wearing her head covering she would'nt get stares or racial slures . Or the church bells would not be the only anounment of religous practice (calling the adthan call of prayer by the muslums ) would be alloud . Then Friday would be a religous Holiday just like Saturday and sunday is due to the fact that Friday is the holy day for  muslums . Also the books written about how the Jews are killing muslum/chirstians in Palastine would not be taken off shelves in book stores . The list goes on and on .
877171
Well its symbolic and it is for the unity of Muslims so that they don't get confused  in praying and should be praying to one point. secondly Mecca is in the mid point of the  world  so  easy for anyone to face that  and pray. Well the prayers are answered even if one go somewhere and could'nt find out the right direction and had  prayed  in some wrong direction . In the beginning there was some confusion about which direction one should pray , so to make it easy Allah has ordered to pray towards Macca.its just for the ease of muslims. Yes its ordered in Quran.\nQuran 2:144\n"Indeed We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qiblah which you shall like; turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your face towards it, and those who have been given the Book most surely know that it is the truth from their Lord; and Allah is not at all heedless of what they do
347252
we have 2 hoildays 1 is after ramadan and every year it starts 10 days before the previous year\nand our 2nd hoilday is whaen peolpe go to hajj(go to the kaabi in saudi arabia)\nbut we also respect other peoples hoildays just like we want them to respect us\ngod bless us all and lead us to the right path
1058491
We have two Eids, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ud-Duha. Fitr means giving charity to the poor after eid prayer The 1st one is celebrated after fasting for a whole month in Ramadan. We prepare a special sweet dish made from semolina, milk and dry fruits which is served to everyone who comes. \n  The 2nd which is Eid-ud-Duha,  follows in about a month in which we sacrifice a goat. We keep 1/3rd and give away 2/3rds of the meat in charity again.  Both are mainly  family affairs and close friends. Well yes, we have lunches and dinners also for all those who come. No special invitees as such, anyone is welcome.
138129
Yes there are five prayers in a day:\n\n1. Fajar -Early morning prayer just before day break.\n2. Duhar -At noon\n3. Asr -Afternoon, when the sun casts the shadows of objects twice their sizes.\n4. Magrib -At sunset.\n5. Isha -After sunset, around two hours after sunset.\n\nThese timings are matched by the day and the travel of the sun, even if you are working shifts (odd ones), the prayer does not take more than 5 minutes of your time.\n\nIn case you are unable to abide by the timings, you are permitted to offer the same at any other hour of the day but it is not as reverred as doing it on time, but nevertheless, you get to complete your part of the deal.
1084512
You are refering to ramzaan, their month of fasting.\n\nIt is said that Allah, the Islamic god, was actually borrowed from Illah, the moon god of that time. Muhammad simply made him to be 'the god'.\n\nFasting is recommended in ramzaan to purify the soul, and to conserve the earth (by cosuming less resource), and also to make the body get accustomed to starvation (needed when you are always fighting someone or the other - you may have to go without food).\n\nThe moon (lunar calender was used in those days) was used to count the number of days one should fast. A specific orientation of the moon was used to mark the begining and end of the period.
75027
Why Are We Afraid of Friday the 13th?\n\nIn the Bible the numbers 7, 12 and 40 have symbolic meaning and appear throughout the Old and New Testaments. The number 12 is considered a lucky number. Consequently, the number, which follows 12, was thought to be evil. The number 13, in the Christian faith, is the number of parties at the Last Supper, with the 13th guest at the table being the traitor, Judas. When Christians combine this day and number, the combination can only hold special significance.\n\nKnown scientifically as "Tridecaphobia," fear of the number 13 is probably the most common of all superstitions. Buildings avoid numbering the 13th floor. Airplanes avoid the 13th aisle. And almost every North American knows that Friday the 13th is considered a bad luck day.\n\nAs we have stated in other parts of this site... if you believe it, it will be... so if you believe that Friday the 13th is unlucky, it will be... on the other hand, for me, Friday the 13th has always brought good luck!\n\nFor most folks, Friday the thirteenth is considered the unluckiest of days, unless you were born on Friday the 13. If you were born on this day then Friday the 13 is your lucky day. \n\nThe origins of Friday superstitions are many. One of the best known is that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. Tradition also has it that the Flood in the Bible, the confusion at the Tower of Babel, and the death of Jesus Christ all took place on Friday.\n\nThe modern basis for the Friday the 13th superstition stems from Friday October the 13th, 1307. On this date, the Pope of the church in Rome in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant against "the Knights Templar". The Templars were terminated as heretics, never again to hold the power that they had held for so long. There Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested and before he was killed, was tortured and crucified. A Black Friday indeed!\n\nLong before the Bible was written, Friday was considered an important day. Primitive people set aside Fridays as a special time to worship their deities and ask them for good crops, health and happiness. Those who worked on this day were told not to expect "good luck" from the gods. (See our superstitions on the Days of the Week)\n\nThe day Friday was named after Frigg (or Frigga), the Norse goddess of marriage. Later she was confused with the goddess of love, Freya, who in turn became identified with Friday. When the Norsemen and Germanic tribes became Christians, Freya was supposed to have been banished to the mountains as a witch. \n\nFriday came to be called "witches' Sabbath." For it was believed that on this day, each week, twelve witches and the Devil met - thirteen evil spirits up to no good! This is one of the reasons for today's superstition about Friday the 13th.\n\nThe Scandinavian belief that the number 13 signified bad luck sprang from their mythological 12 demigods, who were joined by a 13th demigod, Loki, an evil cruel one, who brought upon humans great misfortune.
1163653
The Ka'bah isn't a festish.  It serves as a ground for unity for Muslims.  Prayer is compulsory 5 times a day, so whenever Muslims get together and it is time to pray, there is no confusion as to what direction to pray in.  Also, Ibrahim and son his Ishmael, two revered men in Islam, built the Kabbah as a place of worship for Allah.  Also, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) journeyed to Mecca, where the Ka'bah is located, after he was disowned for his beliefs.  This journey is now referred to as Hajj, where millions of Muslims around the world concentrate in one area for the same reason- worship Allah and ask for his forgiveness.  We do not worship Allah, as we cannot worship anyone or anything more than God, but we do hold the Ka'bah with reverance because of it's implications.  Hope this helped!