Friday prayer, known as Jumu’ah, holds a special place of honor and significance in Islam. It is a day that Muslims around the world eagerly await, a day to gather in congregation, to pray, to listen to the sermon, and to seek the mercy and blessings of Allah. Central to this weekly assembly is the performance of the Zuhr prayer, also known as the Friday prayer.
As a Muslim, understanding how many rakats of Zuhr on Friday must be prayed is essential to fully participate in this communal act of devotion.
Zuhr Prayer
The Zuhr prayer is one of the five obligatory prayers performed by Muslims daily. It consists of four Rakats (units of prayer), and it can be prayed individually or in congregation. However, on Fridays, the Zuhr prayer takes on a unique aspect, and changes to what we call the “Friday Prayer” or “Jummah Prayer” which follows a different set of rules.
The Jumu’ah Prayer:
The Jumu’ah prayer is a congregational prayer that takes place in the early afternoon, shortly after the sun reaches its zenith. The Jumu’ah prayer holds a special status in Islam, fulfilling the weekly communal gathering for prayer, remembrance of Allah, and spiritual reflection. Jumu’ah prayer cannot be prayed alone at home, or without the obligatory sermon before it.
The Jumu’ah Prayer consists of 2 Farz Rakats and is preceded by a sermon (Khutbah) delivered by the Imam.
Besides this, there is also the Sunnat Prayer that is prayed before and after the 2 Farz Prayers. However, there is some controversy between the various Islamic Fiqhs (sects) over the number of Sunnat to be prayed. However, there are some authentic Hadith that can help shed some light on this issue.
Abu Hurairah narrated that :
Allah’s Messenger said: “Whoever among you is to pray after the Friday prayer, then let him pray four.”
~ Jami`at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 523
There are also many authentic Hadith which indicate we should pray 2 Rakats of Sunnat after the Friday Prayer. Whether this is in conjunction with the 4 Rakats prescribed in the above Hadith, or mutually exclusive, is not completely clear due to some conflicting Haidth.
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:
… He never prayed after Jumu’ah prayer till he departed (from the Mosque), and then he would pray two rak`at at home.
~ Sahih al-Bukhari 937
According the Hanafi sect, 4 Rakats, followed by two Rakats should be prayed (after the 2 Rakats of Farz). This line of thought is also supported by several hadith concerning the Prophet and his companions (e.g. Hazrat Umar).
‘Ata said:
When Ibn ‘Umar offered the Friday prayer in Mecca he would go forward and pray two rak’ahs, he would then go forward and pray four rak’ahs; but when he was in Medina, he offered the Friday prayer, then returned to his house and prayed two rak’ahs, not praying them in the mosque. Someone mentioned this to him and he replied that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do it.
~ Sunan Abi Dawud 1130
Several Hadiths also suggest that these two Sunnat Rakats should be prayed at home, not in the Masjid.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
Nafi’ said: Ibn Umar used to lengthen his prayer before the Friday prayer and would offer two rak’ahs after it in his house. He used to say that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would do that.
~ Sunan Abi Dawud 1128
The Hanafi Sect also insists of 4 Rakats of Sunnat Prayer before the Jumu’ah Prayer, but this is not followed by other Sects. Some are in favor of only 2 Rakats of Sunnat, and some claim that no Sunnat prayer should be offered before the Friday Prayer. Based on authentic hadith, and the lack of any explicit instructions from the Prophet, we can safely conclude that any prayers before the Jumu’ah Prayer are Ghair Muakkadah. If you wish to pray it anyways to increase your reward, you may pray between 2 to 4 Rakats.
Do note that you should pray any Sunnat before the Sermon (Qutba) from the Imam. It is forbidden to be occupied in any activity (even praying) during the Sermon.
How many Rakats of Zuhr on Friday, if you pray at Home?
The Jumu’ah Prayer is a special prayer that only be prayed in congregation at a Masjid where a sermon is performed. Praying at home alone, or even in a congregation will not count as Jumu’ah Prayer. Instead, it will count as Zuhr Prayer. This means you need to pray 4 Rakats of Farz Zuhr Prayer, instead of the 2 Farz Rakats for Jumu’ah.
The complete order of Rakats for Zuhr Prayer (including Sunnah) is as follows:
- 4 Rakats of Sunnat Muakkadah
- 4 Rakats of Farz Prayer
- 4 Rakats of Sunnat Muakkadah
- 2 Rakats of Nafl
This is the most commonly followed order of Prayer for Zuhr.
Ending Note
The instructions for the Farz Prayer regarding Zuhr and Jumu’ah Prayer on Friday are very clear. As a quick recap, if you praying Jumu’ah Prayer at the masjid in congregation with a sermon, you will prayer 2 Farz. In any other condition, you will pray 4 Farz of Zuhr (with the appropriate Niyat for Zuhr).
There may be some controversy over the exact order and number of Sunnat prayer, but this is not a big issue. There is precedence and evidence for both sides. Having different opinions between sects, does not mean only one is correct. You may choose to make your own decision based on the evidence and hadith presented in this article, or choose to follow the guidelines of whichever sect you belong to.