الجمعة
al-Jumuʿa
Friday congregational worship, held at noon with a sermon, and the name of the day itself.
What it means
Al-Jumuʿa is the congregational prayer that Muslims perform on Friday just after midday, and the name of the day. Faruqi calls it the supreme act of worship of the Muslim congregation. The Quran commands: “O you who believe, when the call is made for the prayer on the day of congregation, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off trading” (62:9). The service has two parts: a sermon (khuṭba) given by the imam, and a prayer of two units. It is required of Muslim men who are resident and able, and women may attend. After the prayer, people disperse to seek God’s bounty (62:10). A hadith in Sahih Muslim calls Friday the best day on which the sun rises.
Often misunderstood as
It is sometimes called the “Muslim Sabbath”, but Friday is not a day of mandatory rest, since the Quran permits work after the prayer.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 27, listed as AL JUMU'AH. The definition is restated here.