How many rak'ahs is the sunnah after the Friday prayer? And where is it performed, in the mosque or at home?

The questioner : How many rak'ahs is the sunnah after the Friday prayer, and where is it performed? Is it in the mosque or at home?

The Shaykh : The one who prays after Jumu'ah has a choice; he may pray two rak'ahs or four. There is no doubt that four is better than two. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . This is regarding the quantity and number; four is better than two. The four rak'ahs have been established as prescribed by the hadith mentioned just now. As for the two rak'ahs, they are established by the hadith of Ibn 'Umar, which al-Bukhari narrated in his "Sahih": "That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to pray two rak'ahs at home after Jumu'ah."
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 is four, that is recommended (mustahabb). Two are sunnah, and two are recommended (mustahabb). This is regarding the quantity, as we mentioned.
As for the place, it is well known that the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a general rule regarding voluntary prayers: . It is best for the Muslim to pray all the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) at home; whether they are the sunnah before the obligatory prayer or the sunnah after it. However, this is not an obligatory requirement, but rather what is best. So whoever is able to do this best thing should adhere to it. But if he prays them in the mosque, it is permissible. In that case, whether he prays two rak'ahs after Jumu'ah or four, praying them at home is better, and praying them in the mosque is permissible.
As for the detail mentioned by the later scholars, the gist of which is that if he prays four, he should pray them in the mosque, and if he prays two, he should pray them at home; this detail has no basis whatsoever except by holding onto the hadith of Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to pray two rak'ahs at home after Jumu'ah. 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-Jumu'ah sunnah. Yes, praying at home is better. Likewise, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): does not mean that he must 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 there, then praying these four is better than praying 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 this.
Other than that?