Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Friday Prayers:

In most of the masjids, after the 1st adhan, people get up and pray some 2 rakats and some 4 rakats of sunnah prayers known as PRIOR SUNNAH OF JUMMAH PRAYER. ( in some mosques, the muazzin calls upon the people to pray this) Is this correct?

Any authentic hadhis relating to this? 

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Answer:

Sunnah before friday sermon

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The Sunnah or practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) during the Jumuah prayers was that he (saws) would directly approach the ‘mimbar’ (the platform from where the sermon is delivered), declare the greetings of peace or ‘As Salaam-o-Alaykum…’ unto the gathered believers, and sit down. Then the ‘Muaddhin’ would declare the call to prayer and the Messenger of Allah (saws) would stand and deliver the Jumuah sermon while facing the believers.

To the best of our knowledge there is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah, that the Messenger of Allah (saws) offered any voluntary prayers either in his house or in his masjid before he (saws) delivered the Jumua Khutba or sermon; thus there is consensus amongst the scholars that there is no obligation for one to offer any ‘Sunnah’ prayers before the sermon on Fridays, but one may pray as many ‘nafl’ supererogatory prayers as one wishes after the declaration of the first ‘adhaan’ and before the start of the sermon.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.51 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "When it is a Friday, the Angels stand at the gate of the masjid and keep on writing the names of the persons coming to the masjid in succession according to their arrivals. The example of the one who enters the mosque in the earliest hour is that of one offering a camel (in sacrifice). The one coming next is like one offering a cow and then a ram and then a chicken and then an egg respectively. When the Imam comes out (to deliver the sermon) they (i.e. Angels) fold their papers and listen to the sermon."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided and encouraged the believers to reach the masjid on Jumuah as early as possible and before the arrival of the ‘Imam’. The practice of the noble companions of the Prophet (saws) during the Jumuah gathering was to enter the masjid as early as possible and offer the two-rakah ‘tahihyatul-masjid’ prayer before they sat down.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 9.60

Yahya related from Malik, from Amir ibn Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, from Amr ibn Sulaymaz-Zuraqi, from Abu Qatadaal-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Whenever you enter the masjid, you should pray two rakahs before you sit down."

Then some amongst them would pray ‘nafl’ or supererogatory prayers if they wished, some would do ‘dhikr’ or remembrance of Allah Subhanah, some would recite the Glorious Quran, or some would make supplications….until the Prophet (saws) arrived at his ‘mimbar’ when all would stop whatever worship they were doing and divert their complete and undivided attention to the sermon delivered by the Messenger of Allah (saws). Such was the condition and state of attention of the companions when in the presence of the Prophet’s sermon on Jumuah (or otherwise) that a companion by the name of Hadrat Usamah ibn Sharik (r.a.) is recorded to have said that the noble companions sat as motionless ‘as if birds were perched on their heads’!

Your Question: In most of the masjids, after the 1st adhan, people get up and pray some 2 rakats and some 4 rakats of sunnah prayers known as PRIOR SUNNAH OF JUMMAH PRAYER . ( in some mosques, the muazzin calls upon the people to pray this) Is this correct? Any authentic hadhis relating to this? 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.52 Narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah

A person entered the mosque (and sat down) while the Prophet (saws) was delivering the Khutba on a Friday. The Prophet said to him, "Have you prayed?" The man replied in the negative. The Prophet (saws) said, "Get up and pray two Rakat."

Other than the guidance and command of the Prophet (saws) for the believers to offer the two-rakah ‘tahiyatul-masjid’ whenever one enters the masjid (on Friday or otherwise), to the best of our knowledge, there is absolutely no evidence that the Messenger of Allah (saws) himself prayed or commanded the believers to offer any ‘Sunnah’ prayers before the Jumuah prayers. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan