Title: The Sunnah Rak`ah in Jum`ah Prayers Question: I will really appreciate if you could tell me with support of Ayats from Qur'an and/or Hadiths that whether the way people pray Jum'ah in Pakistan is Bid'ah or not? I have read at one of the sites that it is Bid'ah . The site address is as follows: www.islam-qa.com/search.shtml . You can search the question I am referring to by entering "Prayers" in the Keywords section of the search. The question I am referring to is "Is there a Sunnah Prayer before and after Jum'ah ?". Your answer will be of great value to me and will be really appreciated. Wassalaam , Your Brother in Islam. Answer: If anyone considers any number of rak`at before or after the Jum`ah prayers to be obligatory, it would be an incorrect belief (and a bid`ah ) on his part. However, offering any number of supererogatory ( naf'l ) rak`at before or after the Jum`ah prayer can in no way be prohibited (or termed as a bid`ah ), in the absence of a clear and explicit directive of the Shari`ah , to the stated effect. In fact, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have prompted the Muslims on offering such supererogatory rak`at , in a number of narratives ascribed to him [1] . To fully understand the background of my answer, you must appreciate the fact that a positive backing [2] of the Shari`ah is required in holding something prohibited or obligatory. For instance, if someone says that it is obligatory for a Muslim to offer a particular number of rak`at before or after the Jum`ah prayers, it shall then be imperative to positively provide a basis for this opinion (for holding something to be obligatory). Likewise, if someone says that it is prohibited to offer any rak`at before or after the Jum`ah prayers, it would be equally important to substantiate this opinion from the original sources of the Shari`ah (as something is being held as prohibited). Within these two limits - of holding something obligatory or prohibited - lie such actions, which fall in the category of 'allowables'. To hold something as allowed (i.e. neither obligatory, nor prohibited) does not require a positive basis [3] in the Qur'an or the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). On the contrary, the mere fact that something is not expressly prohibited in the Shari`ah , may sometimes be considered an adequate basis of its allowability. Keeping the above explanation in perspective, it should be quite clear that offering any number of rak`at before or after the Jum`ah prayer can only be termed as a bid`ah (an invention in religion) or a deviation from the directives of the Shari`ah , if: Those who offer these rak`at , incorrectly, hold it to be obligatory; or Offering supererogatory ( naf'l ) prayers is prohibited, except at times specified by the Prophet (pbuh); or It has been explicitly prohibited by the Shari`ah to offer prayer at these timings. In view of the above-mentioned facts, it is the responsibility of those who hold offering any naf'l or supererogatory rak`at to be a bid`ah , to provide the basis of their opinion. It should be remembered that the mere fact that the Prophet (pbuh) did not do a particular thing [4] , does not make that thing a bid`ah . Declaring something a bid`ah would also require that the particular act be proven to be an addition or an invention in the structure of Islam. Al-Shawkaaniy , in his book " Nayl al-Awtaar ", while discussing whether or not is it allowable to offer naf'l rak'at before or after the Jum`ah prayers has stressed the same point. He writes: The result is that [supererogatory] prayer before Jum`ah is something aspired, generally as well as specially. The onus of proving otherwise is completely upon the one who claims that such prayer is detested. The saying of the Prophet: 'He offered prayers as much as possible for him...' entails the fact that there is no limit imposed on the rak`ah that may be offered before the Jum`ah prayers. Nevertheless, it would not be completely correct to call these rak`ah ' Sunnah ' of the Prophet [5] . 23 rd May 2000 [1] Reported in almost all the major compilations of narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh), including Bukhari and Muslim . [2] By 'positive backing', I mean an express directive of the Shari`ah . [3] That is, it is not necessary to find an express directive of the Shari`ah to hold something as allowed ( jaaiz ). The mere fact that the Shari`ah has not expressly prohibited something and neither is such a thing closely similar to an express prohibition of the Shari`ah , places that thing in the category of things which are allowed. [4] Although, it may be noted that there are a number of narratives, according to which the Prophet (pbuh) offered naf'l rak`at before and after the Jum`ah prayers, as well as those in which the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have prompted the Muslims to do so. [5] Something which the Prophet (pbuh) initiated, taught and promoted among all his companions.