Rulings of Jumu‘ah Sermon

Sulayk al-Ghatafāni entered the Prophet's mosque while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was giving the sermon on Friday. He sat down to listen to the sermon without performing the two-Rak‘ah mosque-greeting prayer. He was either unfamiliar with the ruling on that payer or thought that listening to the sermon was more important than performing it. The Prophet's engagement in giving the sermon did not prevent him from teaching Sulayk; rather, he addressed him asking if he had prayed in the corner of the mosque before he spotted him. When Sulayk said that he had not prayed, the Prophet commanded him to get up and pray two Rak‘ahs. According to a report in Sahīh Muslim, the Prophet asked him to pray two short Rak‘ahs. The Prophet gave instructions to the man in the presence of a big gathering for two reasons: to teach him something that he needed to learn at the time of need and to educate others as well. So for anyone entering the mosque while the Imām is giving the sermon, it is prescribed for him to pray before sitting to listen to it. This Hadīth is evidence for it, along with another Hadīth that reads: "If one of you comes to the mosque on Friday while the Imām is giving the sermon, let him pray two Rak‘ahs and keep them short." Commenting on this Hadīth in his explanation of Sahīh Muslim, An-Nawawi said: "This is an explicit text that may not be subjected to interpretation. I do not think that a scholar who is informed of this wording and believes in its authenticity would go against it."

تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، تحقيق: محمد صبحي حلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات، مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، الطبعة العاشرة، 1426هـ - 2006م. الإفهام في شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن باز، تحقيق: سعيد القحطاني، مؤسسة عبد العزيز بن باز الخيرية، الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1435هـ. الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، إسماعيل بن محمد الأنصاري، دار الفكر، دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1381هـ. خلاصة الكلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، فيصل بن عبد العزيز المبارك، الطبعة الثانية، 1412هـ - 1992م. صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة، 1423هـ. تأسيس الأحكام، أحمد بن يحيى النجمي، دار المنهاج، القاهرة، الطبعة الأولى، 1427هـ.

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Sūrat An-Nahl on the pulpit during the Friday sermon. When he reached the saying of Allah, the Almighty, which reads: {And to Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of creatures, and the angels [as well], and they are not arrogant. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.} [Sūrat An-Nahl: 49-50] He descended from the pulpit and prostrated, and the people followed suit. The following Friday, he recited the same Sūrah, An-Nahl, and when he reached the verse of prostration, and the people were prepared for prostration, he did not prostrate and asked them to do the same, according to the version in Al-Muwatta’, which reads: "The people got prepared for prostration, but he said: 'Wait! Allah did not prescribe it upon us, except if we wish to do it.' So he did not prostrate, and he prevented them from doing so." Then he added: "O people, we pass by verses of prostration. Whoever prostrates has done something right, but there is no sin on those who do not prostrate," meaning: We come across verses of prostration, and those who prostrate do rightly follow the Sunnah, but those who fail to prostrate incur no sin. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not prostrate at that time to demonstrate that the prostration of recitation is not obligatory. He explained to them, as related in another version, that if we wish, we can prostrate, and if we wish, we may not prostrate. In yet another version: "O people, indeed, Allah has not made it obligatory on us to offer the prostration of recitation." In sum, this stance was reportedly taken by the Commander of the Faithful in a Friday sermon before all the Companions, none of whom criticized him for that, which indicates their approval. In such a situation, the opinion of a Companion constitutes reliable evidence, and more so if it is that of a rightly-guided Caliph, who is more worthy of acting upon the Sunnah. Moreover, as this opinion was stated in the presence of all Companions, this means that it enjoyed unanimous agreement.

صحيح البخاري، تأليف: محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ. إرشاد الساري لشرح صحيح البخاري، تأليف: أحمد بن محمد بن أبى بكر القسطلاني، الناشر: المطبعة الكبرى الأميرية، مصر، الطبعة: السابعة، 1323هـ. توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن صالح البسام، الناشر: مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرّمة الطبعة: الخامِسَة، 1423 هـ - 2003 م. تسهيل الإلمام بفقه الأحاديث من بلوغ المرام، تأليف: صالح بن فوزان بن عبد الله الفوزان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1427 هـ - 2006 م. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام، شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: محمد بن صالح بن محمد العثيمين، الناشر: المكتبة الإسلامية، تحقيق: صبحي بن محمد رمضان، وأُم إسراء بنت عرفة.

An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) mentioned that he was sitting near the pulpit of the Prophet (ﷺ) when he heard a man say: I do not mind doing no other deed after becoming Muslim except giving water to the pilgrims. And another man said: I do not mind doing no other deed after becoming Muslim except maintaining and serving the Sacred Mosque. Then another said: Jihad in the cause of Allah is better than what you both have said. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with them) rebuked them for raising their voices near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)—and it was Friday morning. Then he said: When I have prayed the Friday prayer, I will go in and ask the Prophet (ﷺ) about the matter in which you have differed. So Allah Almighty revealed: {Do you consider giving water to the pilgrims and maintaining the Sacred Mosque as equal to believing in Allah and the Last Day and striving for Allah’s cause? They are not equal before Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 19]

1. Good deeds vary in virtue and reward.
2. Deeds differ in virtue according to what the Shariah has prescribed—not according to people's personal opinions or judgments.
3. The virtue of Jihad in the cause of Allah on the condition of believing in Allah and in the Last Day.
4. An-Nawawi said: This Hadīth indicates the dislike of raising one's voice in mosques, whether on Friday or at other times, and that one should not raise his voice for teaching or anything else when people are gathered for prayer because it causes distraction and disturbance to those praying and remembering Allah.

صحيح مسلم (3/ 1499) (1879). المفهم لما أشكل من تلخيص كتاب مسلم (3/ 720). البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (32/ 395). النهاية في غريب الحديث والأثر (ص 897).