Fifth: Even if we were to concede the “generality” of the ḥadīth, we would still hold that it is a general text qualified by the earlier proofs. For that reason, one cannot claim that the rationale mentioned in it—“It is an hour when…,” and so on—requires that the Prophet ﷺ also prayed before the Friday Prayer. We answer that the evidences already cited prevent such an inference. At most, the rationale shows his ﷺ desire for a righteous deed to be raised up for him at that hour, and we have no doubt that this was realized for him on Friday even more than on other days, because during that very hour he would be delivering the indispensable Friday sermon: admonishing the people, reminding them of their Lord, and teaching them the matters of their religion. That was better for him ﷺ than four rakʿahs whose benefit was confined to him alone, whereas the sermon’s benefit encompassed the entire congregation—and was therefore superior.

Sixth: Authentic—al-Bukhārī records (1/394) from Ibn ʿUmar who said, “I prayed two rakʿahs with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before Ẓuhr, two rakʿahs after Ẓuhr, two rakʿahs after the Friday Prayer, two rakʿahs after Maghrib, and two rakʿahs after ʿIshāʾ.”