The Time of the Friday Prayer

Q: Is it permissible to perform the Friday prayer before the sun passes its zenith?

A: It is permissible to perform the Friday prayer before the sun passes its zenith, but it is better to do so after the zenith in order to avoid the disagreement among scholars. This is because the majority of scholars say that the Friday prayer must be performed after the zenith, and this is the view of the majority. A group of scholars held the view that it is permissible to perform it before the zenith, at the sixth hour, and there are authentic hadiths and reports from the Companions and Successors indicating this. If one prays a little before the zenith, his prayer is valid. However, he should not do so except after the zenith, in accordance with all the hadiths, to avoid the disagreement among scholars, and to make it easier for people so that they all attend and the prayer is performed at one time. This is the more preferable and safer course.