What are the rawatib prayers, and is there a sunnah before the Friday prayer?
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The questioner : What are the rawatib prayers? And is there a sunnah before the Friday prayer?
The Shaykh : The rawatib prayers are twelve rak'ahs: four rak'ahs before the Zuhr prayer with two taslims. Aisha, the mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her), said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2920Hasan (Darussalam) and two rak'ahs after it, two rak'ahs after the Maghrib prayer, two rak'ahs after the 'Isha' prayer, and two rak'ahs before the Fajr prayer. These are twelve rak'ahs; whoever prays them in a day, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.
The most emphasized of these rawatib is the Fajr sunnah, which is distinguished and specific to it in several matters:
First, it is the best of the rawatib. Second, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not leave it, whether resident or traveling. Third, it is recommended to shorten them, to the point that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "Until I say:". Fourth, it is recommended to recite specific things in them: in the first rak'ah, one recites [Al-Kafirun 109:1] and in the second, [Al-Ikhlas 112:1]; or in the first rak'ah, [Al-Baqarah 2:136] to the end of the verse in al-Baqarah, and in the second rak'ah, [Ali 'Imran 3:64] to the end of the verse in al-Imran. Fifth, they are better than the world and all that it contains, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said. These are the rawatib, twelve rak'ahs.
As for the Friday prayer, it has a rawatib after it, but not before it, because people come and pray whatever Allah wills them to pray and recite until the imam arrives. So, it has no rawatib before it.
As for the rawatib after it, Ibn 'Umar said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 1128. And it is authentic from him (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that he said: Sahih Muslim 881a. Some scholars said: The statement is prioritized over the action, so the rawatib of Friday is four rak'ahs. Others said: If he prays in the mosque, it is four, and if he prays in his house, it is two rak'ahs, interpreting the statement as applying when the person is in the mosque and the action as applying when he is in his house. Some said: We take both the statement and the action, so we say he prays six rak'ahs.
The closest to me, and Allah knows best, is the second opinion: if he prays in the mosque, it is four, and if he prays in his house, it is two rak'ahs. If he prays four in his house and says he does so to comply with the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), then whoever prays the four has necessarily prayed the two.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : The rawatib prayers are twelve rak'ahs: four rak'ahs before the Zuhr prayer with two taslims. Aisha, the mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her), said:
Narrated 'Aishah: "The Prophet (ﷺ) would not sleep until he recited Surat Bani Isra'il and Az-Zumar."
كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يدع أربعاً قبل الظهرThe most emphasized of these rawatib is the Fajr sunnah, which is distinguished and specific to it in several matters:
First, it is the best of the rawatib. Second, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not leave it, whether resident or traveling. Third, it is recommended to shorten them, to the point that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "Until I say:
Do I recite with the Mother of the Qur'an?
أقرأ بأم القرآن ؟Say, "O disbelievers,
قُلْ يَاأَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَSay, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌSay, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us
قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَاSay, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْAs for the Friday prayer, it has a rawatib after it, but not before it, because people come and pray whatever Allah wills them to pray and recite until the imam arrives. So, it has no rawatib before it.
As for the rawatib after it, Ibn 'Umar said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
would offer two rak'ahs after it in his house
كان يصلي بعدها ركعتين في بيتهWhen any one of you observes the Jumu'a prayer (two obligatory rak'ahs in congregation), he should observe four (rak'ahs) afterwards.
إذا صلى أحدكم الجمعة فليصل بعدها أربعاًThe closest to me, and Allah knows best, is the second opinion: if he prays in the mosque, it is four, and if he prays in his house, it is two rak'ahs. If he prays four in his house and says he does so to comply with the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), then whoever prays the four has necessarily prayed the two.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.