Does the Friday prayer begin with the sermon or with the prayer itself, and does its prescribed time include both the sermon and the prayer, or only the prayer? What are the scholarly opinions regarding offering the Friday prayer earlier or later than its specified time?

The Jumu'ah prayer begins with the sermon, and the time for Jumu'ah encompasses both the sermon and the prayer. This is based on the Almighty's saying: ﴿O YOU WHO HAVE BELIEVED, WHEN [THE ADHAN] IS PROCLAIMED FOR THE PRAYER ON THE DAY OF JUMU'AH, THEN PROCEED TO THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH AND LEAVE TRADE. THAT IS BETTER FOR YOU, IF YOU ONLY KNEW.﴾ [Al-Jumu'ah:9]. Some of the Salaf interpreted "remembrance of Allah" as the sermon. The sermon is an integral and obligatory part of the prayer. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to deliver two sermons. Scholars differed on the timing of Jumu'ah; the majority hold that it is not valid before zawal (zenith), while the Hanbalis believe its time begins before zawal.