Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

DEAR SIR

ASSALAMO ALAIKUM

I AM A LADY RESIDING IN CANADA, I WAS WORKING ON FRIDAYS NOW I HAVE PLANNED TO TAKE OFF ON FRIDAYS. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ABOUT JUMMA PRAYER IN MOSQUE. I NEVER WENT TO MOSQUE NOW I WOULD LIKE TO GO, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS:

1. AS SOON I REACH MOSQUE DO I HAVE TO SAY 2 RAKAH OF SALATUL MASJID?

2. THERE ARE TOTAL 12 RAKAHS FOR DOHR SALAH IF I GO TO MOSQUE FOR JUMMAH PRAYER, BEFORE KHUTBA HOW MANY RAKAS I SHOULD PRAY AND AFTER JUMMA 2 RAKAHS HOW MANY I SHOULD PRAY, WHICH ARE THEY - FARD, SUNNAH, NAFL AND AFTER JUMMAH SHOULD I SAY ALL MY 12 RAKAS OF DOHR ALSO.

I WANT TO START SO PLS. BROTHER LET ME KNOW SOON. MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU. I AM USING SOMEONE'S E-MAIL.

THANKS

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Friday prayers

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: AS SOON I REACH MOSQUE DO I HAVE TO SAY 2 RAKAH OF SALATUL MASJID?

Jabir reports that a man came to the mosque on Jumu'ah while the Prophet (saws) was delivering the khutbah. The Prophet (saws) inquired of him: "Did you offer the salah?" The man replied: "No!" He (saws) told him: "Pray two rak'at."

This is related by the Bukhari, Muslim and others.

Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud relate that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If one of you comes to the mosque on the day of Jumu'ah and the imam is delivering the khutbah, he should pray two rak'at and make them quick."

Q-2: THERE ARE TOTAL 12 RAKAHS FOR DOHR SALAH IF I GO TO MOSQUE FOR JUMMAH PRAYER, BEFORE KHUTBA HOW MANY RAKAS I SHOULD PRAY AND AFTER JUMMA 2 RAKAHS HOW MANY I SHOULD PRAY, WHICH ARE THEY - FARD, SUNNAH, NAFL AND AFTER JUMMAH SHOULD I SAY ALL MY 12 RAKAS OF DOHR ALSO.

The ‘dhuhr’ and ‘Jumaa’ prayers are absolutely different and separate; The obligatory ‘dhuhr’ prayers are prayed everyday except Friday, and Jumuaa is prayed only on Fridays.

The obligatory ‘dhuhr’ prayers has only four rakahs. The Messenger of Allah (saws) would pray two sets of two rakah (thus total four rakah) voluntary prayers before the obligatory ‘dhuhr’ prayer, and a two rakah voluntary prayer after it. Thus it would make a total of ten rakahs:

Four Nafl (his Sunnah for us)+ Four Fard + Two Nafl (Sunnah for us) = Ten rakahs.

There is absolutely no limit to the number of nafl (voluntary) prayers one may pray after the dhuhr prayers until ‘asr’ time.

If one goes for Jumuaa prayers to the mosque, then he must pray a two rakah ‘tahiyat-ul-masjid’ prayer. While waiting for the ‘imam’ to arrive to deliver the sermon, one may pray any number of ‘nafl’ or voluntary prayers, or recite the Glorious Quran, or do ‘dhikr’ and praise Allah Subhanah.

When the ‘imaam’ arrives to deliver the sermon, one must leave everything and listen to the sermon, at the end of which the two-rakah Jumuaa prayers will be prayed in congregation.

After the Jumuaa prayers, it was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that he would pray a four rakahs voluntary prayer if he prayed in the mosque, or a two rakah voluntary prayer if he prayed at home.

Ibn al-Qayyim says: "After the Prophet (saws) finished the Jumu'ah, he would enter his house and pray two rak'at; and he ordered those who prayed the Jumu'ah to pray four rak'at after it (if prayed in the mosque).

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Whoever is to pray after the Jumu'ah should pray four rak'at (if prayed in the mosque)."

Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi.

Q-2A: AND AFTER JUMMAH SHOULD I SAY ALL MY 12 RAKAS OF DOHR ALSO.

On the Day of Friday, one either prays the Jumuaa prayers in congregation, and if for some reason one has missed the Jumuaa prayers in congregation, he must pray the Dhuhr prayers, but not both.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan