What is the Sunnah after the Friday prayer, how much is it, and where is it performed? Is it in the mosque or at home?

The questioner : What is the Sunnah after the Friday prayer, how much is it, and where is it performed? Is it in the mosque or at home?

The Shaykh : The one who prays on Friday has the choice: he may pray two rak'ahs or four. There is no doubt that the four are better than the two, and that is because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): This is with regard to the quantity and number; the four are better than the two. The four have been established as prescribed in the hadith mentioned just now. As for the two, they have been established by the hadith of Ibn 'Umar, which al-Bukhari included in his *Sahih*: .
So the prayer of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) of two rak'ahs is a confirmed Sunnah. As for adding two more rak'ahs so that the total becomes four, that is recommended: two rak'ahs are Sunnah and two rak'ahs are recommended. This is with regard to the quantity, as we mentioned. As for the place, it is well known his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) as a general rule regarding voluntary prayers: However, this is not an obligatory requirement, but rather what is best. So whoever finds it easy to do this best thing, he should hold fast to it. But if he prays them in the mosque, it is permissible. In that case, whether he prays two rak'ahs after Friday or four, praying them at home is better, and praying them in the mosque is permissible. As for the detail mentioned by some of the later scholars, the gist of which is that if he prays four, he prays in the mosque, and if he prays two, he prays at home, this detail has no basis whatsoever except for relying on the hadith of Ibn 'Umar: But this does not mean, as we mentioned just now, that if he prays these two rak'ahs in the mosque, he has not prayed the post-Friday Sunnah. Yes, praying them at home is better. Also, his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): does not mean that he should pray them in the mosque immediately. Rather, if he does that, it is permissible, just like the two rak'ahs. And if he goes to his home and prays four at home, then the prayer of these four is better than the prayer of the two. The important point is that both the two and the four are permissible to pray in the mosque, and it is better to pray them at home. As for the detail that the two are at home and the four are in the mosque, there is no evidence for that.