Having someone other than the preacher lead the Friday prayer
(Ibn Bazؒ) The Sunnah method is that the person who delivers the sermon should also lead the prayer because the Prophet ﷺ consistently followed this, and the Rightly Guided Caliphs also always continued this practice after the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said: صلوا كما رايتموني اصلي “Pray as you have seen me praying.” And in another narration, he said: عليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين “Hold firmly to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs.” However, if due to some excuse another person leads the prayer, it is permissible and the prayer will be valid. But if it is done without an excuse, this act will be against the Sunnah, though the prayer will still be valid.
(Saudi Council of Fatwa) According to the majority of scholars, it is not a condition that the Friday sermon preacher must also lead the prayer.
(Shawkaniؒ) If someone other than the preacher leads the prayer, it will be an act against the Sunnah because the Prophet ﷺ, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and those after them continuously maintained that the one who delivers the sermon should also lead the prayer.
