A short documentary film showing Friday Prayers, made for the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Part of a series of films designed to introduce a non-Muslim audience to the cultural and religious practices at the heart of Islam.
In the past few years, Muslims have been attacked and killed while praying, many times on a Friday. Worshippers have been targeted in countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq and Kuwait.
Muslims pray five times a day every day, but the most important prayer of the week is “jumah,” or the day of gathering, on Friday.
So why are Friday prayers so central to the Islamic faith?