Question:
If a Muslim happens to ask Allahﷻ for something during that time, Allahﷻ will not leave him empty-handed. Therefore, the hadith instructs believers to seek that moment during the final part of the time after Asr.
The above narration is recorded in Abu Dawud. The brother’s question is simple but important: is this hadith authentic?
Answer:
Now, when we examine this hadith carefully, we notice something interesting. This narration is not found only in Abu Dawud; it also appears in the collection of An-Nasa’i. When scholars look at the chain of narrators, the individuals in the chain appear to be trustworthy. Because of this, some scholars judged the narration to be authentic. However, the process of verifying a hadith does not stop with the chain alone. The content of the hadith must also be examined. When we study the topic being discussed—namely, the special hour on Friday—we find several other narrations addressing the same subject, and some of those narrations mention different timings.
This particular narration says the special hour occurs after Asr, near the time just before Maghrib. But other hadiths speak about the same matter in a different way. Whenever multiple hadiths discuss the same topic, scholars do not isolate one narration and ignore the rest. Instead, they gather all the narrations, compare them, and try to reconcile them so that the correct understanding emerges. Sometimes a narration may appear strong in its chain, yet its meaning conflicts with stronger or clearer evidence.
For example, there is a hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim which says that the special hour on Friday occurs between the time when the imam sits on the minbar and when the prayer is completed. According to this narration, the special hour begins when the imam sits on the pulpit before delivering the sermon and continues until the prayer finishes. But now we have a problem: this explanation seems to contradict the narration that places the special hour after Asr.
Let us think about what happens when the imam sits on the minbar. Immediately the adhan for Jumu‘ah is called. During the adhan, what are Muslims instructed to do? They are told to listen and repeat the words of the adhan, not to engage in personal supplication. After the adhan finishes, the imam begins delivering the khutbah. At that moment the congregation must listen attentively. There is a narration in Sahih Bukhari stating that when the imam is delivering the sermon, the people must remain silent and listen carefully. Another narration in Bukhari even says that if someone tells the person next to him “be quiet,” his reward for the Friday prayer may be lost. That is how strongly the sermon must be respected.
So during the sermon, a person cannot occupy himself with personal supplications. After the sermon, the prayer begins. Within the prayer, supplication is possible, but the earlier part of the time—when the imam sits and delivers the khutbah—is clearly not a time when individuals can make their own du‘a. Therefore the narration saying the special hour begins when the imam sits on the minbar cannot simply be understood at face value without further explanation.
Now consider the narration that places the special hour after Asr. That explanation also raises a difficulty. Why? Because after the Asr prayer, it is prohibited to perform voluntary prayers until Maghrib. Yet another hadith says that the special hour occurs while a person is in prayer and asking Allahﷻ . If the supplication must occur during prayer, and voluntary prayers are not allowed after Asr, how can the special hour occur during that time? This is why scholars must study all the narrations together rather than relying on one report alone.
There is another narration in Sahih Muslim in which the Prophetﷺ ﷺ explained that there is indeed a special hour on Friday when a Muslim servant encounters it while he is praying, and whatever he asks Allahﷻ will be granted. Notice the condition here: the person encounters this moment while he is engaged in prayer. That means the supplication occurs inside the prayer itself.
Now let us think about the structure of the prayer. Most parts of the prayer have specific recitations that must be followed. When standing in qiyam we recite the Qur’an. In ruku‘ we say particular glorifications. In sujood we also recite specific praises taught by the Prophetﷺ ﷺ. However, there are certain moments where a person is allowed to make personal supplication.
One of those moments is during sujood. The Prophetﷺ ﷺ said that a servant is closest to Allahﷻ when he is in prostration, so he should increase his supplications at that time. Another moment occurs after the tashahhud before the final salam. After reciting the prescribed words in the sitting position, a person may choose any supplication he wishes and ask Allahﷻ for it.
When we combine all the narrations, the most balanced understanding becomes clear. The special hour on Friday is likely a moment within prayer when personal supplication is allowed. This could occur during the Jumu‘ah prayer itself or during the Sunnah prayers performed after Jumu‘ah. In those prayers, when a person is in sujood or sitting in tashahhud, he may ask Allahﷻ for whatever he desires. That is when the supplication is most likely to be accepted.
Therefore, although some scholars considered the narration about the time after Asr authentic based on its chain, its content conflicts with stronger evidence and established principles. The more consistent understanding is that the special hour should be sought during prayer, especially in moments where supplication is allowed.