What is better on Friday: prayer or reciting the Qur'an?

Question : If someone were to ask, “If I come on Friday, do you prefer that I spend my time in prayer or that I spend my time in recitation, meaning reciting the Qur'an?”

Answer : We hold that two rak'ahs are necessary, and they are the greeting of the mosque; they are obligatory. As for what is beyond that, a person should look at what is stronger for him. If you are in a mosque where the people are crowded and there are many people coming and going in front of you, it appears that reciting the Qur'an is more reverent for a person, more reverent for his heart, and more beneficial. And if you are in a place free from disturbance, there is no doubt that prayer is better than recitation, because prayer combines recitation, dhikr, du'a', standing, sitting, ruku', and sujud; it is a garden among the gardens of worship, so it is better. But in the Sacred Mosque during the seasons, if a person prays, he is tired from pushing through the people; he is tired. So here, if he sits and recites the Qur'an with reflection and deliberation, he may attain a softness of heart, tenderness, and strength of faith that he does not attain through prayer. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a matter from the matters of knowledge, and he said to the questioner, “Look at what is best for your heart and do it.” This is a great word: look at what is best for your heart and do it. And there is no doubt that Imam Ahmad meant this in matters where no preference has been established. As for what has a preference established, the word is what Allah and His Messenger said. But despite that, we see from the actions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his state that sometimes he would prioritize the less preferred over the more preferred. Sometimes he would fast until it was said, “He does not fast.” And likewise in standing in night prayer. Sometimes delegations would come to him and occupy him, so he would sit with them and not pray the rawatib until after another prayer, just as he delayed the rawatib of the Zuhr prayer to after the 'Asr prayer. So the wise, successful person—we ask Allah for success for us and for you—knows how to handle the non-obligatory acts of worship. There is no discussion about the obligatory ones; they must be done. But for the non-obligatory ones, a person can compare and weigh the benefits and do what is best.