Offering Sunnah (voluntary) prayer before Jumu’ah prayer  

Sources:

• The Clarified Ruling of Mistakes Done in Salaat, by Mashhur Hassan al-Salmaan
•  Fat-h Dhil-Jalaali wal-Ikraam bi Sharh Bulugh al-Maraam, by Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen (Rahimahullaah)

Many of those who are present in the Masjid for the Jumu’ah prayer offer two or four Rak’ahs Sunnah Salaat – between the two Adhaans – believing it to be a Sunnah just like the one prior to Dhuhur Salaat. The following evidences affirm that there is no pre-Jumu’ah Sunnah Salaat:

1- The word Sunnah in general refers to whatever is affirmed to have been said or done by the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) or his rightly guided Caliphs. The pre-Jumu’ah Sunnah Salaat is not affirmed by either of these two ways.

There was only one Adhaan to be called at the Prophet’s (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) time, which was at the moment he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would ascend the pulpit; so there was not time to do this pre-Jumu’ah Salaat.

2-The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never ordered any Sahaabi (Companion) to perform two Rak’ahs, except for the two Rak’ahs for the one who entered the Masjid, as a way of greeting it (i.e. Tahiyyatul-Masjid). If the two Rak’ahs was the pre-Jumu’ah Sunnah Salaat, he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would have ordered all the other Sahaabah that were present to perform them. [Zaad al-Ma’ad and Sifrus-Sa’adah]

3- There are scholars who paid a great deal of attention to the Sunnah practiced before and after Jumu’ah Salaat. They have never mentioned the Hadeeth in which the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked the man who entered the Masjid while he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was delivering the Khutbah to get up and pray, to be an evidence for the pre-Jumu’ah Sunnah Salaat. Instead they stated that it is recommended to offer Tahiyyatul-Masjid even if the Imaam is on the pulpit.” [Zaad al-Ma’ad and Sifrus-Sa’adah]

Accordingly, most scholars agreed that no Nafl (voluntary) Salaat is to be performed before the Jumu’ah prayer (after the Adhaan), at a certain time with a certain number of Rak’ah, for this was not affirmed to have been done or ordered to be done by the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Also, there is no specified limit to the number of Nafl (voluntary) prayers one can offer while waiting for the Friday prayer. Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “He who takes a bath and then comes to the Jumu’ah prayer and then prays what was decreed for him, then keeps silent till the Imaam finishes the Khutbah and then prays along with him, his sins (committed) between that time and the next Friday will be forgiven, with an addition of three days.” [Muslim]