Sunna Prayers after Jumu‘a

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat is asked about the number of sunna prayers after the Friday prayer.

I use this website very often and it has helped me a lot with my religious questions. Thank you to the SeekersGuidance team for doing this wonderful work.

I love Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and his team and whenever I want to know about a particular ruling, I try my best to find answers on this website and I am mostly successful.

I recently purchased a book written by Shaykh Faraz Fareed Rabbani entitled The Absolute Essentials of Islam. In there on page 42, Shaykh Faraz mentions that there are four rak‘as of confirmed sunna after Jumu‘a prayer.

My question: Historically I have been praying four rak‘as and then two rak‘as of sunna prayer after jumu‘a. I know there are Hanafi scholars who mention that this correct. However, in most other respects I follow the opinion of SeekersGuidance, so should I now only pray four rak‘as of sunna prayer after jumu‘a or should I continue praying four rak‘as plus two rak‘as?

P.S. My main concern when asking this question is to make sure that I am consistent. That is, I do make religion a play and out of many opinions out there, do not always choose the most easy option.

Looking forward to the answer.

Jazak Allah khayr.

I pray you are well.

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Perhaps you could translate this gratitude into action and help to raise funds for the Islamic Scholars Fund, through with many scholars all over the world are able to teach, help, and benefit the Muslims. Why not tell your loved ones about the benefit you have found at SeekersGuidance and encourage them to benefit by donating too?

The Friday Sunnas

The position found in the authoritative books on Hanafi jurisprudence, such as Radd al-Muhtar, al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Maraqi al-Falah,  and others, is that it is a sunna to pray four units before the obligatory units of the Friday prayer, and four units after. These are the emphasized sunnas for the Friday prayer.

There is another weaker position ascribed to Abu Yusuf, the student of Abu Hanifa, which indicates that one should pray six units – and not just four (Mawsili, al Ikhtiyar). Some scholars of the Indian subcontinent prefer to apply this position.

If you regularly pray these units keep doing so. See them as means of thanking Allah for His kindness and favors upon you. However, if someone does not pray them they cannot be criticized.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

Abdul-Rahim

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.