Are there four rak'ahs prayed in the mosque and four in the house, meaning?
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The questioner : Are there four rak'ahs prayed in the mosque and four in the house, meaning?
The Shaykh : No, this distinction has no basis. The general principle for voluntary sunnah prayers is that it is better to pray them in the house, explicitly as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Bulugh al-Maram 2:313. In fact, he used to pray the two rak'ahs after Jumu'ah in the house. However, the four-rak'ah sunnah we mentioned is absolute: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 523Sahih (Darussalam). This absolute statement is qualified by the previous text: Bulugh al-Maram 2:313.
Therefore, the distinction mentioned by some authors has no justification whatsoever. If you pray the post-Jumu'ah sunnah in the house, you have fulfilled two sunnahs: the sunnah of the two rak'ahs, and the sunnah of praying them in the house. If you pray four rak'ahs after Jumu'ah, and you pray them in the mosque, you have fulfilled one sunnah, which is the prayer of these four. But if you pray them in the house, you have combined the two sunnahs: praying them as four, and praying them in the house. There is no doubt that praying them as four is better than praying two.
The Shaykh : No, this distinction has no basis. The general principle for voluntary sunnah prayers is that it is better to pray them in the house, explicitly as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The most excellent prayer of a person is (that which he prays) in his house except that which is prescribed (the five congregational prayers).
أفضل صلاة المرء في بيته إلا المكتوبةWhoever among you is to pray after the Friday prayer, then let him pray four.
مَن كان منكم مصلِّيًا بعد الجمعة فليصلِّ أربعًاThe most excellent prayer of a person is (that which he prays) in his house except that which is prescribed (the five congregational prayers).
أفضل صلاة المرء في بيته إلا المكتوبةTherefore, the distinction mentioned by some authors has no justification whatsoever. If you pray the post-Jumu'ah sunnah in the house, you have fulfilled two sunnahs: the sunnah of the two rak'ahs, and the sunnah of praying them in the house. If you pray four rak'ahs after Jumu'ah, and you pray them in the mosque, you have fulfilled one sunnah, which is the prayer of these four. But if you pray them in the house, you have combined the two sunnahs: praying them as four, and praying them in the house. There is no doubt that praying them as four is better than praying two.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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