The innovation of teaching before Friday prayer and the negative consequences resulting from it.

The Shaykh: ... Indeed, this time is the most suitable for people and their gathering. In fact, we advise this time because in this country, they have a true innovation, which is that they impose their person, their lesson, and their voice on the crowds who came for the Friday prayer, before the Friday prayer, before the sermon of the preacher. This is prohibited by the hadith of 'Umar ibn Shu'ayb from his father from his grandfather . In this prohibition lies a profound wisdom, and it fully corresponds with other texts, including the encouragement to hasten to the mosque and to linger in it, and the encouragement to pray what Allah has written for him until the imam comes out. It also includes reading Surat al-Kahf on Friday, and His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . So this is a time of pure worship, not a time for teaching and reminding. Yet these teachers, these officially employed teachers, come and deliver a word before the sermon, before the prayer. They disturb the worshippers and disturb the reciters. A person cannot know how to pray while his voice is echoing in the mosque, especially in the age of the loudspeaker. So we say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited this. This approach is an innovation, because the worst approach is approaching [Allah] with what He has prohibited, just as those who pray in mosques built over graves do. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who take mosques over graves, the awliya (close friends of Allah), and the righteous. So we say, instead of this lesson, it should be after the prayer. If so, teaching after Friday prayer has no connection to innovation at all, but only with the previously mentioned condition that it not occur to the minds of the attendees that this timing has a special virtue, like those who, for example, legislate fasting on the twenty-seventh of Rajab, or on what else, the middle night of Sha'ban, and fasting on this has been prohibited.

The questioner : Standing in prayer on the two nights of the festivals.

The Shaykh : And many other things of this kind. These are innovations in the religion without a doubt, because they seek to draw near to Allah specifically through this time and this period. As for the one who teaches after the Friday prayer, he does not intend this, and it does not cross his mind. Otherwise, have you not clarified what is upon you, may Allah will it? .