Jumu’ah (Friday prayer) is a congregational prayer (salah) that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon in due†of dhuhr. It is mentioned in the Qur’an as:
O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew!
And when the Prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper.
Qur’an, sura 62 (Al-Jumua), ayat 9-10
The jumu’ah prayer is half the dhuhr prayer, for convenience, preceded by a khutbah (a sermon as a technical replacement of the two reduced rakaat of the ordinary dhuhr prayer), and followed by a congregational prayer, led by the imam. In most cases the khatib also serves as the imam. Attendance is strictly incumbent upon all adult males who are legal residents of the locality. Salaat-ul-Juma’a in the presence of a congregation is not obligatory for female Muslims.
The muezzin makes the call to prayer, called the adhan, usually 15-20 minutes prior to the start of Jum’ah. When the khatib takes his place on the minbar, a second adhan is made. The khatib is supposed to deliver two sermons, stopping and sitting briefly between them. In practice, the first sermon is longer and contains most of the content. The second sermon is very brief and concludes with a dua, after which the muezzin calls the iqama.