Timing for recitation of Al Kahf on Juma

What is the appropriate timing for recitation of Surah Al Kahf on Friday, whether Thursday night (Shab-e-Juma because Islamic lunar day starts at sunset) or sometime during Friday. Like every other thing we resort to Sunnah for guidance & application of method. If there is some variation found in Sahih Ahadith as is the case with recitation timings of Surah Al Kahf, then we can exercise ‘common sense’ which is called Ijtihad. Most people will be content to go to Maulvi Sahab for guidance which has one advantage and some grave disadvantages. The advantage is that on Judgment Day, the burden of our wrong method will be on Maulvi sahab’s neck. List of disadvantages is seriously long and gruesome.

Speaking of disadvantages, first advantage has inherent disadvantage that if Maulvi’s neck will be on the line, you will also be held accountable for not researching on the issue. Besides, Maulvis these days are paid professionals who spend 8 odd years in a Madrassa to finally get a job. Most with lesser qualifications end up as Imam Masjid on meager stipend, shelter (normally a small room or family quarter adjacent to the mosque) and food offered by local community. Some with additional qualifications may make earnings by registering Nikah, Jinaza, Khatm-e-Quran, Taraveeh, teaching nazrah (Arabic reading of Quran) to kids and other sidekicks from their profession. Everyone knows how hard it is to make a living these days. Those running Madrassas are power brokers. They have their own hegemonic issues. Each fighting the other for gaining religious, financial and political space. Everyone has a sect, whereas Nabi (PBUH) is a Muslim.

Funniest part is that after watching Ertugrul, people specially www generation assumes themselves as Alps and Maulvis as Ibe ul Arabis. This only adds fuel to the blazing fire of confusion. 

However, amid this extremely chaotic situation, we should try and establish in the light of available Ahadith, when to recite Al Kahf? We shall take on only three sayings of the Prophet(PBUH) out of nearly two dozen Ahadith on the subject:

• From Abu Sa’eed al-Khdri, who said: “Whoever reads Surah Al Kahf on the night of Juma, will have a light that will stretch between him and the Ancient House (the Ka’bah).” 

(Narrated by al-Daarimi, 3407. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in 
Saheeh al-Jaami, 6471) 

• “Whoever reads Sura Al Kahf on the day of Juma, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next.”

(Narrated by al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249. See: Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/198. It was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6470) 

• It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (RA) said: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘Whoever reads Surah Al Kahf on the day of Juma, a light will shine for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky, which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be forgiven (his sins) between the two Fridays.”

It is possible that all these Ahadith are narrated on different occasions or one Hadith cited by three different persons with variation in understanding of the content. However, one simple fact comes to fore that Surah Al Kahf is to be recited on Juma which extends from Thursday evening after sunset to before sunset on Friday. This also means that during this period, recitation of Al Kahf is considered Afzal (more fruitful) and there is no restriction on its recitation on any other day of the week.

Only Allah knows the whole truth.