he would go out to the mosque, deliver the sermon, lead the prayer, depart, and pray in his home. Does anyone say that it is disliked for a person to pray in the mosque on Friday before the prayer or afterwards? We have not heard anyone say this. The same applies to the Festival prayer; there is no difference. For the Messenger, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was an imam whom the people awaited, rather than one who waited for them: he came, led the people in prayer, and then departed.

There is room for consideration in inferring dislike merely from this omission. Had they said that the sunnah is not to pray, that would have been less problematic than saying that it is disliked, because dislike is a legal ruling that requires evidence of prohibition. Dislike is established only by a prohibition, whether a general prohibition, such as: “Every innovation is misguidance” (1), or a specific one. The reason why the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, did not offer voluntary prayer before the prayer is clear: he was an imam whom the people awaited, so he came, prayed, and departed. But prohibiting the follower from voluntary prayer, and declaring it disliked in his case, is not free of difficulty.

Some scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, said that prayer at the Festival prayer-ground is not disliked, neither before the prayer nor afterwards. He said: “Between us and you are the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Where is the evidence for its being disliked? This is a good and voluntary deed. The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, said: ‘Make frequent prostration’ (2), and he said: ‘Help me concerning yourself by making frequent prostration’ (3). How, then, can you declare it disliked?”

This is the position of al-Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, on this issue, and it is the correct view.