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Sunnah Prayer Before And After Jumu'ah According To Hanafi School

Question

How many Rak'ah should we pray for the Friday prayer according to Hanafis?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It seems that the questioner is asking about the Sunnah prayers on Friday. The Hanafi and Shaafi’i Schools of jurisprudence are of the opinion that performing Sunnah prayers is desirable contrary to the Maaliki and Hanbali Schools of jurisprudence.

The Hanafi School of jurisprudence is of the view that four Rak'ahs of Sunnah are performed before Friday prayer and four Rak'ahs after it. The correct opinion in this matter is that of the Maaliki and Hanbali Schools of jurisprudence that there is no specific Sunnah prayer before the Friday prayer. This was the practice of the Prophet Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) and his Companions  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  them. However, after performing the two Rak'ahs of salutation to the mosque, one may perform as many supererogatory prayers as he wishes.

After the Friday prayer, four Rak'ahs of Sunnah should be performed if one performs them in the mosque or two Rak'ahs if one performs them in his house. The evidence for this is the Hadeeth reported by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Whoever is to pray after the Jumu'ah should pray four Rak'ahs.”

There is also a sound Hadeeth reported in Sunan At-Tirmithi from Ibn ‘Umar that The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) used to pray two Rak'ahs in his house on the day of Jumu'ah (i.e. after the Friday prayer).

For more benefit on the Sunnah prayers for the Friday prayer, please refer to Fataawa 90213, 82753, and 17270.

Allah knows best.

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