What is the ruling on a lesson before the Friday sermon?

Question : Shaykh, may Allah bless you. Regarding the lesson before Friday, meaning before the sermon, in some countries it is as if it is obligatory for them that the preacher or someone else should deliver a lesson before the sermon?

Answer : That is wrong, this is wrong. Certainly, they are living in ignorance. It is a bid'ah (religious innovation) that removes the benefit of the sunnah (recommended practice). Because if it is on the topic of the sermon, there is no benefit in it, and if it is on a topic other than the sermon, it becomes the talk of the people and they are distracted from the sermon, so the benefit is lost.