Forty years ago, Friday used to be the weekly Eid for Saudis and in an iconic way was different from weekdays, especially in the city of Madinah. It was there that I grew up watching and observing the uniqueness of Fridays.
One of the things that distinguished Friday in Madinah from the Fridays in other cities and towns was that people would come to the holy city from different areas to participate in the Juma prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque. It was common to see them seize the opportunity after the prayer to buy and sell goods. People used to buy their weekly supplies on Friday because transportation was not available and commuting was rather difficult. Shoppers, buyers, and curious people would crowd into the shops and markets in Madinah to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the day.
The shopping areas renowned for being lively on Fridays were the vegetable, sheep, and ghee markets, and the auction. These were the more important shops that the Bedouins and farmers would visit. It was these markets that provided the bare necessities for such people. In essence Friday was the day of buying and selling.
The Egyptian door or “Bab Al-Masry” was a very popular place where people gathered. It used to swarm with people buying and selling various goods. The most active and lively time at the Bab Al-Masry was definitely after the Juma prayers. People sold all kinds of bread, especially the highly popular Madinah bread.
Neighboring Bab Al-Masry were Madniah’s famous markets specializing in food and other goods. For instance, the Al-Ayasha market sold many types of bread, the Al-Tabbakha market had famous restaurants providing traditional food, the Al-Khamasha market used to sell clothes and materials, and the Al-Tamra market used to attract people because it offered all kinds of delicious dates.
Trading began in the early morning hours of Friday and continued until the Juma prayer. Then people would assemble at the Prophet’s Mosque or at any other mosque in the area to listen to the Friday sermon and then pray together.
Markets and shops used to stay open until the muezzin announced the Juma prayer.
Shop doors were rarely closed and owners would use pieces of cloth to cover shop entrances before leaving for mosque to pray. Shutting shops during prayer times was something unknown and stall owners surrounding the Prophet’s Mosque went to pray alternately.
Nowadays, Friday is known to be a day of boredom and laziness. People sleep till late and shopping centers and malls are usually closed during Fridays. Most shopping centers do not bother opening because they end up only operating for very few hours.
One important reason for having lifeless shops during Friday is the change in economic circumstances.
Most people who work in shops don’t practice the art of selling and buying as their occupation. Another reason is that Madinah has no central market.
Various shopping malls are found here and there making it easy for people to buy anything they need without going to the city center. In fact, we see that this is something that is happening in all cities all over the Kingdom.
More importantly, shutting down shopping centers at an early hour on Friday is something contrary to the Qur’anic verse that prohibits selling and buying only at the time of the Juma prayer and not before or after.
Do you think that the beauty of Fridays we still see in some Arab and Muslim countries will ever come back to Saudi Arabia?
