Question:

Assalamu alaikum,
I would like to know the ruling (with proof from the sunnah) on the sunnah prayer on friday is it before the jumua prayer or after. In australia i found that most people pray the sunnah prayer before the friday khutabah but upon reading the book “Fiqh a Sunnah” it says that the sunnah prayer is performed after the jumua prayer.
Wassalam
Your brother in Islam.

Answer:

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds and may Allah raise the rank of our dear Prophet Muhammad.

The religious proof for the permissibility of praying the pre-Jum`ah sunnah prayer is what was mentioned by Al-Hafidh Zayniddin Al-`Iraqi in his commentary work on At-Tirmidhiyy’s book of Hadith that Al-Khila`iyy narrated in his book Al-Fawa’id about Ali bin Abi Talib that he said that the Prophet peace be upon him prayed four cycles before the Jum`ah (Friday) prayer and four cycles after it. This narration was classified to be of a good transmission chain by Al-Hafidh Waliyy Ad-Din Al-`Iraqiyy in his book Tarh At-Tathrib fi Sharh At-Taqrib.

Also Al-Hafidh ibn Hajar said in his commentary book Sharh Al-Bukhariyy: “The strongest defense for the legality of praying two cycles before the Friday prayer is what Ibn Hibban relayed and classified as a sahih Hadith from the way of `Abdullah ibn Az-Zubayr that the Prophet peace be upon him said what means: “For every compulsory prayer, there are two cycles which precede it”. Similarly, the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn Al-Mughaffal points to its legality, this Hadith states: “Between every two calls for prayer (adhan) there is a prayer”.

Ibn Al-`Arabiyy the Maliki scholar also said in his commentary book on At-Tirmidhiyy’s book of Hadith: “As to the prayer before it (meaning before Friday prayer) the ruling is that its permissible”. The same ruling is also reported in the book titled Al-‘Insaf by Al-Mardawiyy the Hanbali jurist.

Furthermore, it is a sufficient proof for the legality of the two cycles before Friday prayer to report that the great companion Ibn Mas`ud prayed them, and so did Ibn `Umar and so did Ummul-Mu’minin Safiyyah bint Hayyiy may Allah be reward them. In addition, Lahiq bin Hamid a great tabi`iyy (follower of the companions) prayed them, so did Tawus bin kisan Al-Yamaniyy one of the greatest disciples of Ibn `Abbas may Allah be reward them and one of the trusted leaders of at-tabi`in. Ibrahim bin Yazid An-Nakha`iyy also performed this prayer and he is another trusted tabi`iyy as well as being the Mufti of Al-Kufah during his times. Support for this practice is also given from the approval of Sufyan Ath-Thawriyy and Ibn Al-Mubarak for it, and they are both amongst the greatest of the Muslim scholars. Lastly, it is a sufficient proof in itself to relay the fact that Az-Zayn Al-`Iraqiyy who is the teacher of Al-Hafidh ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalaniyy confirmed the associated Hadith and classified it as sahih.

As to the book titled “Fiqh As-Sunnah”; this book is not an approved Islamic book because of the many errors it contains in matters of belief and practice rulings, and where does its author rate amongst these mountainous scholars which we’ve mentioned.

This is a summary with some religious evidence taken from the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah.

And Allah knows best.