What are the conditions that the preacher must observe in the Friday sermon? And what must the sermon include?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What are the conditions that the preacher must observe in the Friday sermon? And what must it include?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. The answer to this is that it must be known that the Friday sermon is a great and important sermon. Allah the Exalted commanded striving toward it, saying:[Al-Jumu'ah 62:9-10] And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, praised those who perform it and pray, saying: [Al-A'la 87:14-15] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade speaking during the sermon and made listening to it obligatory. He said (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): Sahih Muslim 851d And he said: Bulugh al-Maram 2:374 This indicates the importance of the sermon and that it is something to which listening is obligatory. Therefore, when a man entered on Friday while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was preaching, he sat down. The Prophet said to him: He said: No. He said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1114Da’if (Darussalam) So he ordered him to be brief in his prayer during the sermon so that he would not be occupied with lengthening the prayer to the detriment of listening to the sermon.
And since this is its importance, it is obligatory for the preacher to deliver a sermon that is impactful and beneficial, addressing the state of the people. This varies according to different circumstances and times. So the preacher should take this into account, meaning he should consider what public benefit requires in the sermons he delivers to address the state of the people.
For example, if the preacher is preaching before the month of Ramadan, it is appropriate for him to speak about the rulings of fasting, the rulings of night prayer, and the rulings of zakah, because all of these are done in the month of Ramadan. As for fasting and night prayer, that is obvious. As for zakah, it is because most people give the zakah of their wealth, or at least calculate their wealth to know the zakah, in the month of Ramadan.
If it is a time of drought and famine, remind the people of the cause of this drought and famine, which is sins and disobedience, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-A'raf 7:96] If it is a time when people are negligent of what they should turn to, such as worship and knowledge and the like, remind them of what benefits them in this. If it is a time of war, remind them of what is appropriate for the situation. If it is a time when there are many visitors to the country, such as tourist countries or countries with sacred sites, remind them of what is appropriate for the condition of these visitors so that they carry back to their people what they will benefit from. This is the most important thing that must be considered by the preacher.
As for the etiquettes of the sermon, they are many. Among them is that the preacher should be strong in his sermon, impactful, and moved according to the meanings he conveys, so that he affects the people by awakening them and making them grasp what he says, and by strengthening their minds and hearts toward it so that they benefit from this sermon. As for delivering it in a way that is like delivering any book he reads, this may bring sleep to the listeners, unlike the one who is moved and interacts. Therefore, Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: "When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) preached, his eyes would redden, his voice would rise, and his anger would intensify until he was like a warner of an army, saying: 'Your morning and your evening'" Also, the preacher should begin the introduction of the sermon with the most important matters first. Among these is praising Allah, Mighty and Majestic, at the beginning of the sermon, and this is a pillar of the sermon. So he praises Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and extols Him with what He deserves. And among the best things with which to open sermons is the sermon of need: "Indeed, praise is to Allah; we praise Him and seek His help and seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and from the bad of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, there is no one who can misguide him, and whom He misguides, there is no one who can guide him. And I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
[Ali 'Imran 3:102]
[An-Nisa 4:1]
[Al-Ahzab 33:70-71] " .
Then he proceeds to the topic he wants to speak about, and he separates the two sermons with a light sitting, not a long one. He makes the second sermon shorter than the first because the people may have become bored and weary in the first sermon, so the second comes without full readiness to listen to it. And this is part of wisdom: that a person should consider the conditions of his listeners.
Then it is something that should be known that this hour, the hour of the imam's presence, the delivery of the sermon, and the establishment of the prayer, is among the most hopeful hours of Friday for the acceptance of supplication, as Imam Muslim narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that it is from when the imam comes out until the prayer is completed. This time is appropriate because the people are in a state of gathering and in a great worship, and in a state of remembrance. All gatherings are among the causes for the acceptance of supplication. People should utilize this hour in supplicating to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, whether that is between the two sermons, or when the imam-preacher supplicates, they should say "Ameen" to his supplication, but without raising their voices, or if it is during the prayer, in the state of prostration, and after the completion of the final tashahhud.
Then I warn here about an issue that some of the brothers do, hoping for the reward of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and they are striving in what they do. One of them, meaning one of the preachers, comes to the mosque early and prays whatever Allah wills, then sits and waits for the time to enter. This is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah for the preacher on Friday is to remain in his house or in any place he is before coming to the mosque. The Sunnah is not to come to the mosque except at the time of the sermon and the prayer, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to do. And there is no doubt that the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). And let the imam know that if he delays until the time of his arrival at the disappearance of the sun, he will not be deprived of the reward he obtained from coming early. That is because whoever takes a ghusl on Friday in his house and comes out of his house having taken a ghusl, if he goes in the first hour, it is as if he has offered a camel; and if he goes in the second hour, it is as if he has offered a cow; and if he goes in the third hour, it is as if he has offered a horned ram; and if he goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he has offered a chicken; and if he goes in the fifth hour, it is as if he has offered an egg. Then, when the imam comes out, the scrolls are folded and the reward for coming early is not written for anyone, even if he attains the reward of Friday, but he is deprived of the reward for coming early. As for the imam, he does not attend except at the time of the prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh. This listener, who symbolized her name with "A M," says in this question: Honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. The answer to this is that it must be known that the Friday sermon is a great and important sermon. Allah the Exalted commanded striving toward it, saying:
(9) O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. (10) And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ * فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ(14) He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself (15) And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ تَزَكَّى * وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّىThe same hadith has been narrated by Abu Huraira, but instead of the word laghauta the word laghita has been used.
إذا قلت لصاحبك: أنصت يوم الجمعة والإمام يخطب فقد لغيتWhoever speaks on Friday while the Imam is giving the Khutbah (religious talk), he is like a donkey which carries books
الذي يتكلم يوم الجمعة والإمام يخطب كمثل الحمار يحمل أسفاراًDid you pray?
أصليت؟Then perform two Rak’ah, but make them brief.
قم فصل ركعتين وتجوّز فيهماAnd since this is its importance, it is obligatory for the preacher to deliver a sermon that is impactful and beneficial, addressing the state of the people. This varies according to different circumstances and times. So the preacher should take this into account, meaning he should consider what public benefit requires in the sermons he delivers to address the state of the people.
For example, if the preacher is preaching before the month of Ramadan, it is appropriate for him to speak about the rulings of fasting, the rulings of night prayer, and the rulings of zakah, because all of these are done in the month of Ramadan. As for fasting and night prayer, that is obvious. As for zakah, it is because most people give the zakah of their wealth, or at least calculate their wealth to know the zakah, in the month of Ramadan.
If it is a time of drought and famine, remind the people of the cause of this drought and famine, which is sins and disobedience, as Allah the Exalted said:
And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning."
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى ءامَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلَكِنْ كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَAs for the etiquettes of the sermon, they are many. Among them is that the preacher should be strong in his sermon, impactful, and moved according to the meanings he conveys, so that he affects the people by awakening them and making them grasp what he says, and by strengthening their minds and hearts toward it so that they benefit from this sermon. As for delivering it in a way that is like delivering any book he reads, this may bring sleep to the listeners, unlike the one who is moved and interacts. Therefore, Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: "When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) preached, his eyes would redden, his voice would rise, and his anger would intensify until he was like a warner of an army, saying: 'Your morning and your evening'" Also, the preacher should begin the introduction of the sermon with the most important matters first. Among these is praising Allah, Mighty and Majestic, at the beginning of the sermon, and this is a pillar of the sermon. So he praises Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and extols Him with what He deserves. And among the best things with which to open sermons is the sermon of need: "Indeed, praise is to Allah; we praise Him and seek His help and seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and from the bad of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, there is no one who can misguide him, and whom He misguides, there is no one who can guide him. And I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَO mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا(70) O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. (71) He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا * يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًاThen he proceeds to the topic he wants to speak about, and he separates the two sermons with a light sitting, not a long one. He makes the second sermon shorter than the first because the people may have become bored and weary in the first sermon, so the second comes without full readiness to listen to it. And this is part of wisdom: that a person should consider the conditions of his listeners.
Then it is something that should be known that this hour, the hour of the imam's presence, the delivery of the sermon, and the establishment of the prayer, is among the most hopeful hours of Friday for the acceptance of supplication, as Imam Muslim narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that it is from when the imam comes out until the prayer is completed. This time is appropriate because the people are in a state of gathering and in a great worship, and in a state of remembrance. All gatherings are among the causes for the acceptance of supplication. People should utilize this hour in supplicating to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, whether that is between the two sermons, or when the imam-preacher supplicates, they should say "Ameen" to his supplication, but without raising their voices, or if it is during the prayer, in the state of prostration, and after the completion of the final tashahhud.
Then I warn here about an issue that some of the brothers do, hoping for the reward of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and they are striving in what they do. One of them, meaning one of the preachers, comes to the mosque early and prays whatever Allah wills, then sits and waits for the time to enter. This is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah for the preacher on Friday is to remain in his house or in any place he is before coming to the mosque. The Sunnah is not to come to the mosque except at the time of the sermon and the prayer, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to do. And there is no doubt that the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). And let the imam know that if he delays until the time of his arrival at the disappearance of the sun, he will not be deprived of the reward he obtained from coming early. That is because whoever takes a ghusl on Friday in his house and comes out of his house having taken a ghusl, if he goes in the first hour, it is as if he has offered a camel; and if he goes in the second hour, it is as if he has offered a cow; and if he goes in the third hour, it is as if he has offered a horned ram; and if he goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he has offered a chicken; and if he goes in the fifth hour, it is as if he has offered an egg. Then, when the imam comes out, the scrolls are folded and the reward for coming early is not written for anyone, even if he attains the reward of Friday, but he is deprived of the reward for coming early. As for the imam, he does not attend except at the time of the prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh. This listener, who symbolized her name with "A M," says in this question: Honorable Shaykh.