Is it permissible to deliver the Friday sermon and prayer before the time for Dhuhr prayer, and is there any evidence for this from the Quran or Sunnah, or any conditions or circumstances that permit it?

Scholars differ on the earliest time for Jumu'ah (Friday) prayer, holding two opinions:

The first opinion: The sun's zenith (zawal), which is the view of the majority of scholars from the Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi'i schools. They cite clear and authentic hadiths as evidence, such as the hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray Jumu'ah when the sun declined."

The second opinion: It is permissible before zawal, which is the view of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishaq ibn Rahawayh. They cite hadiths as evidence, such as the hadith narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): "We used to pray with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and then return to rest our camels."

Imam Al-Nawawi and others have clarified that the hadiths cited by the proponents of the second opinion do not indicate prayer before zawal, but rather emphasize extreme haste in performing it after zawal.

The preponderant view is that of the majority of scholars, which states that the time for Jumu'ah prayer is the same as the time for Dhuhr prayer. This is the more cautious and more absolving approach. Sheikh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) held that it is preferable to pray it after zawal to avoid disagreement.