Rajab, other prayers mentioned for the three months, prayers on the nights of the two Eids, the prayer on the day of ‘Āshūrā’, and similar prayers attributed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, despite the agreement of those knowledgeable about his hadith that these attributions are false. Yet these reports reached some people of knowledge and religious devotion, who thought them authentic and acted upon them. They are rewarded for their good intentions and earnest efforts, not for departing from the Sunnah. As for someone to whom the Sunnah has become clear, yet who believes something else to be better than it, he is misguided, an innovator—indeed, a disbeliever.

The balanced and just position is that which accords with the authentic Sunnah established from him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It is established that he used to pray two rak‘ahs after the Friday prayer. In Sahīh Muslim, he is reported to have said:

“Whoever among you intends to pray after the Friday prayer should pray four rak‘ahs.”

It has also been reported that a number of the Companions prayed six rak‘ahs, combining these two practices. The Sunnah is to separate the obligatory prayer from the voluntary prayer, whether on Friday or otherwise. As established in an authentic report:

“He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade joining one prayer directly to another without separating them by standing up or speaking.”

One should therefore not do what many people do: proceed directly from the closing salutation to the two Sunnah rak‘ahs, for this contravenes the prohibition of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.