The Distinction Between the Number of Rak’ahs for Sunnah Prayer after Friday Prayer in the Mosque and at Home
When it comes to performing the Sunnah after the Friday prayer, scholars generally mention a difference. They say that if one wants to offer the Sunnah prayer in the mosque after Friday, they should pray four rak’ahs, and if they want to pray at home, they should offer two rak’ahs. In this article, we will explore the basis of this distinction between four rak’ahs in the mosque and two rak’ahs at home and whether it is necessary to follow this differentiation. We will also discuss whether it is appropriate to make this distinction.
First, let us understand what the authentic evidence from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ states about how many rak’ahs to pray after Friday prayer. There are two types of Sunnah prayers that are clearly mentioned: two rak’ahs as an action of the Prophet ﷺ, and four rak’ahs as a statement of the Prophet ﷺ.
Evidence for the Actional Sunnah:
It is narrated by Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
وكان لا يُصلِّي بعدَ الجمُعةِ حتى يَنصَرِفَ، فيُصلِّي ركعتَينِ (صحيح البخاري:937)
Translation: The Prophet ﷺ did not pray anything after Friday until he returned home, and then he would pray two rak’ahs.
Evidence for the Verbal Sunnah:
It is narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إذا صلَّى أحدُكم الجمعةَ فليصلِّ بعدها أربعًا (صحيح مسلم؛881)
Translation: When any one of you has prayed Friday, let him pray four rak’ahs afterward.
Or similarly, the Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مُصَلِّيًا بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَلْيُصَلِّ أَرْبَعًا (مسلم:881)
Translation: Whoever among you prays after Friday, let him pray four rak’ahs.
These two types of Sunnah prayers are clearly indicated in the authentic narrations from the Prophet ﷺ. Now the question arises: What is the basis for those who differentiate between four rak’ahs in the mosque and two rak’ahs at home?
The first basis often mentioned is the two hadiths mentioned above. In light of these narrations, it is said that since the Prophet ﷺ prayed two rak’ahs after Friday at home, anyone who prays at home after Friday should pray two rak’ahs, and the four rak’ahs in the hadith refer to those who wish to pray after Friday in the mosque.
In reality, this distinction is not reliable because the Prophet ﷺ not only did this after Friday but generally performed the Sunnah prayers at home for all the prayers. Therefore, making such a distinction only on Friday is questionable. The following general command of the Prophet ﷺ applies to all prayers:
Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ، فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الصَّلَاةِ صَلَاةُ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ (صحیح البخاری:731)
Translation: O people! Pray in your homes, for the best prayer of a person is the one he performs in his home, except for the obligatory prayers.
Thus, it is clear that whether it is the Sunnah after Friday or the Sunnah after the five daily prayers, it is better and more virtuous to perform them at home, although praying in the mosque is also permissible. The Prophet ﷺ never specified any difference in the number of rak’ahs for the Sunnah after Friday prayer, whether in the mosque or at home. He only established two types of Sunnah: one verbal (the hadith where he instructed four rak’ahs), and the other practical (the two rak’ahs he prayed at home). Between these two, the verbal Sunnah takes precedence, and it can be said that praying two rak’ahs after Friday is permissible, but four rak’ahs is more preferable.
The main basis for the distinction in the number of rak’ahs between the mosque and home comes from the practice of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Let us examine the hadith found in Abu Dawood:
عنِ ابنِ عمرَ قالَ : كانَ إذا كانَ بمَكةَ فصلَّى الجمعةَ تقدَّمَ فصلَّى رَكعتَينِ ثمَّ تقدَّمَ فصلَّى أربعًا وإذا كانَ بالمدينةِ صلَّى الجمعةَ ثمَّ رجعَ إلى بيتِه فصلَّى رَكعتَينِ ولم يصلِّ في المسجدِ فقيلَ لَه فقالَ كانَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ يفعلُ ذلِك (صحيح أبي داود:1130)
Translation: Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do the following: when he was in Makkah and prayed Friday, he would pray two rak’ahs, then pray four rak’ahs. When he was in Madinah and prayed Friday, he would return home and pray two rak’ahs, without praying in the mosque. When asked about this, he replied that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did the same.
The basis for this distinction comes from this hadith, which has led some scholars to say that one should pray four rak’ahs in the mosque and two rak’ahs at home after Friday. However, when we combine this hadith of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) with other narrations of his actions, this distinction loses its validity.
(1) First, the hadith mentioned by Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) does not mention four rak’ahs but rather six rak’ahs. He would first pray two rak’ahs, then four rak’ahs. The hadith in Abu Dawood (1133) also mentions him praying six rak’ahs. Furthermore, when Ibn Umar’s practice of six rak’ahs after Friday was questioned by Ibn Jurayj, he was told by Ata that he had seen Ibn Umar doing this repeatedly. Therefore, there is no evidence for four rak’ahs in this hadith; it actually supports praying six rak’ahs after Friday. This narration allows for the possibility of praying six rak’ahs after Friday, not just four.
(2) Another point is that Ibn Umar (RA) followed the Sunnah in a way that closely resembled the Prophet ﷺ, paying great attention to the places where the Prophet ﷺ performed acts of worship. It is well-known that during his travels, he would pray at places where the Prophet ﷺ had prayed. Musa bin Uqbah said:
رَأَيْتُ سَالِمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَتَحَرَّى أَمَاكِنَ مِنَ الطَّرِيقِ فَيُصَلِّي فِيهَا، وَيُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِيهَا، وَأَنَّهُ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي فِي تِلْكَ الْأَمْكَنَةِ(صحیح البخاری:483)
Translation: I saw Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar (RA) searching for places on the road (from Medina to Mecca) where he would pray and say that his father, Abdullah bin Umar (RA), used to pray at those places. He had seen the Prophet ﷺ pray at those same places. Musa bin Uqbah said that Nafi’ narrated to him that Ibn Umar (RA) would pray at those places.
Based on this Hadith, we can say that since the Prophet ﷺ did not perform the Sunnah after Jummah in the mosque, but rather at home, the narration is passed down from him that “He did not pray after Jummah until he returned home and then prayed two Rak’ahs.” Therefore, in following the Prophet’s ﷺ Sunnah, he would perform the Sunnah after Jummah not in the mosque, but at home. Indeed, this is what is mentioned in Abu Dawood (1130) regarding Ibn Umar, who would not pray the Sunnah in the mosque after Jummah in Medina, but would go home and perform two Rak’ahs, just as the Prophet ﷺ did. When asked about this action, he would say that the Prophet ﷺ did it in the same way. This is fully supported by the narration from Ibn Umar.
Nafi’ said: أنَّ ابنَ عمرَ رأى رجلًا يصلِّي رَكعتينِ يومَ الجمعةِ في مقامِهِ فدفعَهُ وقالَ أتصلِّي الجمعةَ أربعًا وَكانَ عبدُ اللَّهِ يصلِّي يومَ الجمعةِ رَكعتينِ في بيتِهِ ويقولُ هَكذا فعلَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليْهِ وسلَّمَ(صحيح أبي داود:1127)
Translation: Ibn Umar (RA) saw a man praying two Rak’ahs after Jummah in the same place where he had prayed the Jummah prayer, so he pushed him away and said: “Do you pray four Rak’ahs after Jummah?” Abdullah bin Umar (RA) would pray two Rak’ahs at his house on Jummah and would say: “This is what the Prophet ﷺ did.”
This Hadith clearly indicates that the Prophet ﷺ did not perform the Sunnah after Jummah in the mosque, so Ibn Umar would also pray the Sunnah at home, rather than in the mosque, and would encourage others to do the same.
Nafi’ said: كانَ ابنُ عمرَ يطيلُ الصَّلاةَ قبلَ الجمعةِ ويصلِّي بعدَها رَكعتينِ في بيتِهِ ويحدِّثُ أنَّ رسولَ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليْهِ وسلَّمَ كانَ يفعلُ ذلِكَ(صحيح أبي داود:1128)
Translation: Ibn Umar (RA) would lengthen his prayer before Jummah and pray two Rak’ahs after Jummah at his house, and he would narrate that the Prophet ﷺ did this.
Next, look at another Hadith where Abdullah bin Umar (RA) mentions the Sunnah after the five daily prayers, including the Sunnah after Jummah:
أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَبَعْدَهَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَبَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فِي بَيْتِهِ، وَبَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَكَانَ لَا يُصَلِّي بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ(صحيح البخاری:937)
Translation: The Prophet ﷺ used to pray two Rak’ahs before Zuhr, two Rak’ahs after it, two Rak’ahs after Maghrib in his house, two Rak’ahs after Isha, and he would not pray after Jummah until he had returned home and then prayed two Rak’ahs.
This Hadith further indicates that just like the Sunnah after the other prayers, the Sunnah after Jummah should also be performed at home. Ibn Umar (RA) emphasized following this Sunnah by praying the Sunnah after Jummah at home.
(3) Ibn Umar (RA) also believed that the Sunnah after Jummah could be prayed in the mosque, provided one moved slightly from the place where the Jummah prayer was performed. Look at this narration:
Ata’ bin Abi Rabah (may Allah have mercy on him) reported that:
أنَّهُ رأى ابنَ عمرَ يصلِّي بعدَ الجمعةِ فينمازُ عن مصلَّاهُ الَّذي صلَّى فيهِ الجمعةَ قليلًا غيرَ كثيرٍ قالَ فيركعُ رَكعتَينِ قالَ ثمَّ يمشي أنفسَ من ذلِك فيركعُ أربعَ رَكعاتٍ(صحيح أبي داود:1133)
Translation: He saw Ibn Umar (RA) praying after Jummah, and he would move a little, not much, from the place where he had prayed Jummah, then pray two Rak’ahs, and then move a little further and pray four Rak’ahs.
This is the same issue of the six Rak’ahs mentioned earlier, where Ibn Umar (RA) believed it was permissible to perform the Sunnah after Jummah in the mosque, but only after moving a bit from where the Jummah prayer had been performed. This is a prescribed practice proven by authentic Hadiths, which suggest that after performing the obligatory prayer, one should move from the spot to perform the Sunnah, and this rule applies to all obligatory prayers, including Jummah.
Imam Muslim mentions a Hadith in his Sahih concerning the Sunnah after Jummah:
عن عمرَ بنِ عطاءِ بنِ أَبي الْخُوَارِ: أَنَّ نافعَ بنَ جُبَيْرٍ أَرسلَهُ إِلَى السَّائبِ ابنِ أُختِ نَمِرٍ، يسأَلُه عن شيءٍ رآه منه معاويةُ في الصَّلَاةِ، فقال: نعم، صلَّيْتُ معه الْجُمُعَةَ في الْمَقْصُورةِ، فلَمَّا سَلَّمَ الْإِمامُ، قُمْتُ في مقَامِي فَصَلَّيْتُ، فَلَمَّا دخل أَرْسلَ إِلَيَّ فقال: لا تَعُدْ لِمَا فعلْتَ، إِذا صَلَّيْتَ الْجُمُعَةَ، فلا تَصِلْهَا بصلاةٍ، حتَّى تَكَلَّمَ أَو تَخْرُجَ، فإِنَّ رسولَ اللَّه صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَنَا بذلك: أَنْ لَا تُوصَلَ صَلَاةٌ بِصَلاةٍ، حَتَّى نَتَكَلَّمَ أَوْ نَخْرُجَ.(صحيح مسلم:883)
Translation: Umar bin Ata said that Nafi’ bin Jubayr sent him to ask Sa’ib bin Ukt Nimir about something he had seen from Mu’awiya in prayer. Sa’ib said: Yes, I prayed Jummah with Mu’awiya in the mosque. When the Imam finished the prayer, I stood in my place and prayed. When he entered, he sent for me and said: “Do not repeat what you did. After Jummah, do not pray any prayer without speaking or moving, because the Prophet ﷺ commanded us to not join one prayer with another unless we talk or move from the place.”
Imam Nawawi, in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, mentions that this Hadith supports the opinion of the Shafi’i jurists that it is recommended to change places when performing the Sunnah after an obligatory prayer. The best place to perform the Sunnah is at home, but if not, it is preferable to do so elsewhere in the mosque or outside, to distinguish between the Sunnah and the obligatory prayer.
From this Hadith, it is clear that just as one can perform the Sunnah after other obligatory prayers in the mosque, one can also perform the Sunnah after Jummah in the mosque, provided one moves slightly from where the Jummah prayer was offered, just as explicitly stated in the Hadith.
Abu Huraira (RA) says the Prophet ﷺ said:
أيعجِزُ أحدُكم إذا صلَّى أن يتقدَّمَ أو يتأخَّرَ أو عن يمينِهِ أو عن شمالِهِ يعني السُّبحةَ(صحيح ابن ماجه:1182)
Translation: “Is any of you incapable of moving slightly to the front, back, or to the right or left when performing the Sunnah after the obligatory prayer?”
Now, this issue becomes clearer. The Sunnah after Jummah and other prayers can be performed in the mosque, but it is better to perform them at home, as recommended by the Prophet ﷺ. When performing the Sunnah in the mosque, one should move from the place where the obligatory prayer was performed. There is no evidence to differentiate between performing two Rak’ahs at home and four Rak’ahs in the mosque after Jummah, so this distinction is not correct. The better practice is to perform four Rak’ahs after Jummah, as the Prophet ﷺ commanded, but if in a hurry, two Rak’ahs can be prayed in the mosque and two at home.
This is the opinion of Sheikh Ibn Baz (RA), who said, “After Jummah, four Rak’ahs should be prayed, whether in the mosque or at home, as the Prophet ﷺ ordered.” This is also the view of Sheikh Al-Albani (RA), who said, “After Jummah, whether two or four Rak’ahs are prayed, both are permissible, but four Rak’ahs are better, and performing them at home is preferred.” There is no proof for the differentiation of two Rak’ahs at home and four in the mosque.
In conclusion, there is no proof for the distinction between the number of Rak’ahs prayed at home and in the mosque after Jummah. The number of Rak’ahs should be four after Jummah, but it is better to pray them at home, as the Prophet ﷺ encouraged.
By: Maqbool Ahmad Salafi
Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy As-Salamah, Saudi Arabia