Rose S. Aslan is Assistant Professor of Religion, California Lutheran University. 

Posts By This Author

The Significance of Friday Prayers in Islam

by Rose S. Aslan 03-19-2019

Image via Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock

Muslims believe Friday was chosen by God as a dedicated day of worship. In addition to the prayer itself, which is shorter than the usual midday prayers, Friday services include a sermon, usually given by a professional male Muslim clergy member in Muslim majority countries, but in the West, they are also given by a male lay community member.