Prayers before and after Jumuah

• Is there a prescribed Sunnah prayer before Jumu’ah?
• Can I pray just before Friday Prayer even though the sun is at its zenith?
• How many rak’ahs should I pray after Jumu’ah?

Alhamdulillah, all praise belongs to Allah.

While there is no regular Sunnah prayer specifically prescribed before Jumu’ah, it is encouraged to offer whatever voluntary prayers you wish from the time you enter the mosque until the Imam ascends the pulpit.¹ At least where I pray, this is considered one of the abandoned Sunnah, so called because it is rarely practiced, despite it being the practice of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. It is not uncommon for someone who revives this Sunnah to face criticism, for example, being told there’s no prayer before Jumu’ah because it’s not dhuhr, or that it falls within a forbidden time due to the sun being at its zenith.

The best response, and one that dispels this misunderstanding, is to refer to the authentic hadith narrated in Al-Bukhari and Muslim, in which Salman Al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

The Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, said:
“Whoever does Ghusl on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, uses (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the perfume of his house, then goes out (for the Jumu’ah prayer) and does not separate between two (persons sitting together in the mosque), then prays as much as is decreed for him, then remains silent whilst the Imam is speaking, his sins between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven for him.”²

Many scholars³ note that this hadith indicates that it is recommended to pray as much as time allows, until the Imam appears.

Shaykh al-Islam, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “This is what is reported from the Companions — when they came to the mosque on the day of Jumu‘ah, they would pray whatever was made easy for them. Some of them would pray ten rak‘ahs, some would pray twelve, some would pray eight, and some would pray less than that.”⁴

As for the Sunnah prayer after Jumu’ah, the Prophet ﷺ would offer four rak’ahs (in two sets of two) if he prayed them at the mosque, and he would offer two rak’ahs if he prayed them at home. According to Ibn Taymiyah, this is indicated by numerous ahadith.⁵