by Asma bint Shameem
ANSWER
Yes it’s true that it’s highly recommended to pray twelve rak’aat every day.
🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is no Muslim slave who prays twelve rak‘ahs to Allaah each day, voluntarily, apart from the obligatory prayers, but Allaah will build for him a house in Paradise.”
(Saheeh Muslim)
🍃And he Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said:
“Whoever prays twelve rak‘ahs in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Jannah:
four before Dhuhr and two after it,
two rak‘ahs after Maghrib, two rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’, and two rak‘ahs before Fajr prayer.”
(At-Tirmidhi 415; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhi)
However, as there’s no proof of reading any Sunnah prayers before Jumu’ah prayer, the number of Sunnah prayers associated with the daily prayers would not add up to twelve.
So the scholars say that
Friday is an EXCEPTION to the general meaning of the hadeeth:
“… whoever prays twelve rak‘ahs each day…”
🍃Shaykh Dr. Bandar ibn Naafi‘ al-‘Abdali said:
“There is no regular Sunnah prayer before Jumu‘ah prayer, but there is a regular Sunnah prayer after it.
In that case, Friday is exempted from the general meaning of the hadeeth,
“There is no Muslim slave who prays twelve rak‘ahs to Allaah each day, voluntarily, apart from the obligatory prayers, but Allaah will build for him a house in Paradise.” (Muslim 728).”
However, you can pray as many NAWAAFIL on Fridays as you want.
That’s because there’s no restrictions in that.
🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever does ghusl on Friday, and purifies himself with whatever means of purification he can, then puts on perfume, then goes and does not push between any two people, then prays whatever is decreed for him, then when the Imaam comes out he listens attentively, (his sins) between that and the next Friday will be forgiven.”
(al-Bukhaari 910)
That’s why the Sahaabah would try and come early to Jumu’ah and pray as many Nawaafil as they could before the Khutbah of Jumu’ah.
And there’s a great reward in that.
🍃 Naafi’ said:
“Ibn Umar Radhi Allaahu anhu used to lengthen the prayer before the Jumu’ah (prayer).”
(Aboo Dawood 1128; saheeh by al-Albaani)
🍃 Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
“This is that which has been reported from the Sahaabah;
when they would come to the Masjid on the day of Jumu’ah; they would pray from the time that they entered – that which would be easy (for them).
So from them was he who would pray ten rak’aat and from them was he who would pray twelve rak’aat and from them was he who would pray *eight rak’aat*and from them was he who would pray less than that.
Due to this the majority of the Imaams are in agreement that there is no Sunnah (prayer) before the Jumu’ah (prayer) which is scheduled for a given time – valuated with a number (of specific units), because that has to be established from the statement of the Prophet ﷺ or through his action, and nothing has been prescribed/established in that regard, not through his statement nor through his action.”
(Majmu’ Fataawa vol 24 p.189)
🍃 Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said regarding the above statement:
(..then he prays whatever is decreed for him…)
“(Here) The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam did not specify a prayer, this proves that the Jumu’ah (prayer) does not have a regular Sunnah (prayer) before it, rather the person can pray what he wishes, whether it is a little or plentiful – up until the Imaam becomes present.”
(Sharh Riyaadh us Saaliheen vol 5 p.171)
🍃 Shaikh ibn Baaz said:
“…And the sahaabah Radhi Allaahu anhum, on the day of Al-Jumu’ah; they would pray plentifully before the sermon, so this does not have a restricted limitation.”
(Fataawa Noorun ‘Alad-Darb vol 2 p.858)
🍃 And he said:
“It has been authentically established from the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam in many ahaadeeth that which indicates that it is legislated for the Muslim when he comes to the Masjid on the day of Al-Jumu’ah that he prays that which Allaah has portioned for him before the emergence of the Imaam.
The Prophet ﷺ did not restrict a confined number of rak’ahs in that, hence if one prays two or four or more than that then ALL of it is GOOD; and the least of that is the two rak’ahs for the Tahiyyatul Masjid.”
(Majmu’ Fataawa vol 12 p.387)
And Allaah knows best.
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