two views held by scholars of al-Shāfiʿī’s school (1).
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite in the Friday dawn prayer the two surahs beginning “Alif Lām Mīm. The revelation” and “Has there come upon man” (2).
Many who lack knowledge think that the purpose is to distinguish this prayer with an additional prostration, which they call the Friday prostration. If one of them does not recite this surah, he considers it recommended to recite another surah containing a verse of prostration. For this reason, those imams who disapproved of regularly reciting this surah in the Friday dawn prayer did so to prevent this misconception among the uninformed.
I heard Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah say that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite these two surahs in the Friday dawn prayer because they encompass what happened and what will happen on that day. They speak of Adam’s creation, the resurrection, and the gathering of all creation, which will take place on Friday. Thus (3), reciting them on this day reminded the Muslim community of what happened on it and what will happen. The prostration occurs incidentally; it is not an end in itself that would lead the worshipper to seek out a verse of prostration wherever it occurs (4). This, then, is one of Friday’s distinctive features.