The Ruling on the Imam Preaching to His Congregation After Prayer and His Responsibility

Question:
This man says: Some imams have the habit of preaching to their congregations with a hadith from *Riyad al-Salihin* or other books, specifically after the 'Asr prayer and on all days, while some exclude Friday. Is there a basis for this in the Shari'ah, or is it merely a custom? And if the imam changes the time and reads to his congregation after Maghrib, or after 'Isha', or after Fajr, or after Zuhr, depending on the size of the congregation, is there any harm in that? And what is your guidance for some imams who do not know their congregation except during the obligatory prayer, then they leave and know nothing about their conditions?

Answer:
The imam has a great responsibility, which is not limited to merely leading them in prayer, but he is responsible for guiding them and preaching to them, and he is responsible for checking on them and following up with them, so he bears this responsibility.
As for the sermon, it is required, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to preach to his Companions, as in the hadith of al-'Arba' ibn Sari, who said: They said this was after the Fajr prayer. And Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his congregation: I , meaning at one time and not another; he does not do it with them at every time, but he omits it at times so that they do not get bored of it, so that they do not get bored. It is not only on Friday, but he does it on some days so that they do not get bored. He does it at one time and not another, and he reads from *Riyad al-Salihin* or reads from *al-Tarhib wa al-Tarhib* by al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri. He reads from these hadiths, letting the attendees hear the words of Allah and the words of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and in this there is great good. Even if it is merely reading without explanation, there is good in it. Their hearing the words of Allah and their hearing the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) contains much good. And if an explanation is added to clarify the meaning of the verses and the meaning of the hadiths, provided it is by scholars who are skilled and understand the meanings, this is an increase in good. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,