354. Is There Sunnah Prayer Before Jumu’ah?And What About After Jumu’ah?

By Asma bint Shameem 

1. *BEFORE JUMU’AH* 

Many people think that there are Sunnah prayers to be read before Jumu’ah. 

They compare Jumu’ah with *Dhuhr* and assume that since Dhuhr has four Sunnah prayers before the fardh, then Jumu’ah prayer would also have the same. 

But that’s NOT CORRECT. 

*Jumu’ah is NOT Dhuhr.* 

And there’s no authentic hadeeth that proves ANY Sunnah is to be read BEFORE Jumu’ah. 

If there was any such Sunnah, we would have seen the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam or his Sahaabah reading them. 

But there’s no such thing reported authentically. 

Rather, the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam would come out of his house on Friday and go up on his minbar. 

Then the Adhaan would be callled, affer which the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam would start his khutbah. 

That’s it. 

He Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam did not stop and pray any Sunnah before the Khutbah. 

And he did not tell the Sahaabah to do it either. 

If he did, we would have ahaadeeth telling us about that. 

But we don’t. 

So if he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam didn’t read any Sunnah before Jumu’ah, and the Sahaabah didn’t do it, then why should we?

We shouldn’t be reading them either. 

Shaikh Saleh al-Munajjid said:

“At the time of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam there was *nothing* apart from the Adhaan just before the khutbah.”

*However, we’re allowed to pray any number of *NAWAAFIL if there’s time, before the Khutbah starts.*

Shaikh Abu Shaamah said:

“People usually pray between the two adhaans on Friday, offering naafil prayers of two or four rak‘ahs, and so on, until the imam comes out. 

That is permissible and it is not a problem from the point of view of it being prayer. 

Rather the problem is what the common folk and most of those who think of themselves as knowledgeable believe, that it is a Sunnah prayer before Jumu‘ah, as they pray Sunnah before Dhuhr, and they declare their intention that it is the Sunnah of Jumu‘ah, and offer their own reasoning for this view...

*NONE of that is based on a proper examination of the issue.* 

*There is NO SUNNAH BEFORE Jumu‘ah*, like Ishaa’ and Maghrib, and like Asr... 

*It is a prayer that is like no other, with its own merits*.”

(al-Baa‘ith ‘ala Inkaar al-Bida‘ wa’l-Hawaadith, p. 96)

Shaikh al-Albaani said regarding this:

“Those who pray this Sunnah are not following the Messenger or imitating any of the imaams; 

on the contrary, they are imitating the later scholars who are like them in that they are also imitators [of earlier scholars] rather than mujtahideen [scholars who investigate and form their own rulings]. 

I am AMAZED  to see an imitator imitating another imitator.”

(al-Qawl al-Mubeen, 60, 374).

2. *SUNNAH AFTER JUMU’AH*

It’s proven from the Sharee’ah that there are rak’aat of Sunnah to be prayed AFTER Jumu’ah. 

 Ibn Umar radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam used to pray two rak‘ahs after Jumu‘ah.” 

(al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam also said: 

“Whoever among you wants to pray after Jumu‘ah, let him pray four (rak‘ahs).” (Muslim)

The ulama *reconcile* the two ahaadeeth by the following hadeeth:

“Ibn Umar radhi Allaahu anhu said that when he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam prayed in the masjid, he prayed four and when he prayed at home, he prayed two.” (Abu Dawood) 

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“When the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam had prayed Jumu’ah, he would enter his house and pray two Rak’ahs of Sunnah, and he commanded those who had prayed it to pray four rak’ahs afterwards. 

Our shaykh, Abu’l-‘Abbaas Ibn Taymiyah said: 

If he prayed in the masjid, he would pray four, and if he prayed at home, he would pray two. 

I say: this is what is indicated by many ahaadeeth.” -[al-Zaad (1/440)]

And Allaah knows best.