Going Early to Jum’a

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “On the Day of Jum’a, the angels stand at the door of the Masjid and write down the first to come and then those who follow. When the Imam comes out, they roll up their scrolls and listen to the reminder.” [Sahih Bukhari]

Ibn Hajar said in Fath-ul-Bari, “On the Day of Jum’a, Allah sends angels with scrolls of light and pens of light.” The angels mentioned in this hadith are special angels deputed by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) to note down on scrolls the names of all the people who go early to the Jum’a prayer. Once the Khutbah starts (reminder to Muslims of their obligations towards their Lord), these angels roll up their scrolls, sit to listen to the Khutbah themselves, and note no further names. At the end of this hadith in Ibn Majah we find, “Anyone coming after that, comes merely for the sake of the prayer.”

The angels mentioned in this hadith are not guardian angels. Guardian angels continue to write down a person’s deeds at all times. A person who arrives at the Masjid after the Khutbah has started misses getting noted down by the special angels on their scrolls of light but still accrues the benefits of listening to the Khutbah, catching the prayer, Dhikr, supplication, humility, and other such things.