The Lawfulness of Prayer Before the Friday Prayer

Question:
Is there a prescribed voluntary prayer (sunnah) before the Friday prayer that is reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions after him? I used to pray it with the people of the town on Friday. When I learned from some of the books prescribed for us in our studies that it is not a sunnah, as some people think, I stopped doing it. Some of my brothers objected to me for that. I hope you will guide me to the right path? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
It does not have a specific regular voluntary prayer (rawatib), but it is prescribed to pray whatever is easy before it, two or four or more than that, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So his statement "then he prayed whatever he was able to" indicates that one should pray whatever is easy. In the other wording: "Whoever performs ablution on Friday, then goes to the Friday prayer, then prays whatever he is able to, then listens when the imam speaks, his sins between that and the next Friday and three days are forgiven."
So he said "then he prayed whatever he was able to," meaning he prays whatever is easy: two with two taslims, three, four; he prays whatever Allah makes easy until the imam comes out. When the imam comes out, he sits and listens. The minimum is the sunnah of greeting the mosque, the least of which is two rak'ahs as a greeting to the mosque when he first enters. If he prays more with it, that is prescribed, but it is not a rawatib; it is not called a rawatib. It is voluntary prayer before the Friday prayer. As for after it, it has a rawatib: the minimum is two and the maximum is four rak'ahs with two taslims. Yes. May Allah reward you with good.