Reviewed by Mawlana Bilal Ali
Author: Ibrahim Madani
Publisher: Madania Publications
Pages: 89 Binding: Paperback
The Essentials of Jumuʿa, Madania Publications’ first work, is a pleasant and welcome addition to a growing corpus of Islamic literature written in English and aimed at the Western reader. At first glance, the reader will appreciate the excellence of its print and language. This is not insignificant, as many books on Islamic studies in English, whether original or in translation, are frequently overshadowed by sometimes appallingly poor quality in both material and style. Essentials is one of a number of recent publications that work to break this unfortunate standard.
The book’s language is lucid and succinct, the content, well organized. It begins with the importance, linguistic background, and history of jumuʿa and ends with a concise but thorough discussion of its legal aspects. The author discusses the conditions for establishing jumuʿa, the effects and consequences of missing it, the special time on Friday when Allah guarantees acceptance of all supplications, and many other relevant and interesting facts every Muslim should know regarding this weekly holy day.