[Q 532] Starting Sunnahs Before Khutbah

QUESTION:

At jummah you start your 4 sunnats, adhan starts & you realise khutbah is about to begin. Do you read your full 4 sunnats or cut it short so you dont miss the khutbah? If you do have to cut it short how and at what point would you do this

ANSWER:

If a person comes to the masjid for Jumu‘ah (Jummah – Friday congregational prayer) and the Khutbah (sermon) is about to begin, and it is known that he will not be able to complete the Sunnat (Sunnah – established practice) prayers during that time, then instead of performing the Sunnahs he should sit down. After performing the Fard (obligatory) prayer and the Ba‘diyyah Sunnat (post-Fard Sunnahs), he should then perform those earlier Sunnahs.

However, if he had already started the Sunnahs before the Khutbah began, then he should not break them in the middle; rather, he should complete all four Rak‘ahs.

It should also be kept in mind that performing the Sunnahs of Jumu‘ah during the Khutbah is Makruh-e-Tahrimi (severely disliked and sinful), Na-Jaiz (impermissible) and sinful. If someone starts the Sunnahs during the Khutbah, then breaking them becomes Wajib (necessary), and it is Wajib to make their Qada (make-up) at a non-Makruh time. And if he completes them, then the Sunnahs will be considered performed, but he will be sinful.

Answered by:
Usman Madani (Ask Mufti scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 6th February 2026.