If it were raised that the prophet ( - ) may have performed the pre-Jumu‘ah Sunnah Sal?t at home after the sun had declined and before going out to the mosque, the answer would be that had this really happened, his wives would have related this as they have related all the other Salaw?t he ( - ) used to do at night and day, his manner of doing Tahajjud and Qiy?mul Lail, and since they have not, this pre-Jumu‘ah Sunnah Sal?t has no existence at all and hence its illegality.
As for the had?th, traced back to Aishah ( - رضي الله عنه -) , that states: ‘The prophet ( - ) used to perform two Rak‘ahs at home before doing Jumu‘ah Sal?t ‘, it is a forged had?th. Ish?q Al-Asw?r? Al-Basr?, one of the had?th’s narrators, is a lier who fabricates Ah?d?th (1) -as Ibn Man‘?n stated- and he is the only one to narrate such a had?th.
If it were raised that Jumu‘ah Sal?t should have a pre Sunnah Sal?t just like Thuhr Sal?t because the former is a shortened form of the later; this could be refuted through the following points:
The first: Qiy?s [anology] should not be used as an evidence on the legality of practicing any Sal?t. (2)
The second: The word “Sunnah” in general refers to whatever is affirmed to be said or done by the prophet ( - ) or his rightly guided caliphs. The pre-Jumu‘ah Sunnah Sal?t is affirmed by neither of these two ways. (3)
(1) “Al-Ajwiban N?fi‘ah” (p. 28).
(2) See: Al-B?‘ith” (p. 92), Bid?yatul Mujtahid” (vol. 1 / p. 172). “ ’Us?lul Fiqh Al-Isl?m?” by: Badr?n Abul In?n Badr?n (p. 193) and my book: “Al-Jam‘u Bainas Sal?tain Fil Hadar Bi‘uthril Matar” (p. 55).
(3) All the narrations that affirm that the Sah?bah ( - ) used to do Sal?t before the Im?m comes refer to the N?filah Sal?t, as was previously mentioned in the chapter about: “going to the mosque late”. The following points support this view:
1 - The Sah?bah ( - ) used to perform different numbers of Rak‘ahs; for example Ibn Mas‘?d used to do four Rak‘ahs, Ibn ‘Umar used to do twelve Rak‘ahs, and Ibn Abb?s used to do eight - as Ibn Al-Munthir reported.
2 - There was only one ’Ath?n to be called at the prophet’s ( - ) time which was at the moment he ( - ) used to ascend the pulpit, so there is no time to do this pre-Jumu‘ah Sunnah Sal?t.
3 - The Sah?bah ( - ) used to perform as many Rak‘ahs as they wished to gain the reward which the prophet ( - ) stated in his had?th -which is related by ... =
= ... Ab? Hurairah by Muslim in the “Sah?h” (no. 857)- which states: ‘Whoever takes a bath, then attends the Jumu‘ah Sal?t and performs whatever was destined for him of N?filah Sal?t, then listens carefully to the Im?m till the later finishes his Khutbah and Sal?t; all the sins he committed between the present Jumu‘ah Sal?t and the following one with extra three days will be forgiven’. Regretfully, this Sunnah is commonly abandoned amongst people, the thing which causes the loss of rewards.
4 - None of the scholars stated that the pre Jumu‘ah Sunnah Sal?t consists of twelve or eight Rak‘ahs the thing which supports our view. May All?h ( - عز وجل -) guide us to the right path.