The ruling on raising the hands in supplication while the imam is delivering the sermon
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Question:
During the sermon, the preacher raises his hands to the sky while making supplication, and the people respond to his supplication by saying: Ameen. We have heard through your program that this is not permissible, meaning: that responding to the preacher's supplication is not established.
My question: What should the seated people do if the preacher makes supplication in a loud voice? Do they raise their hands with him, or what should they do? I ask you to inform us about what is best for the preacher to do in the sermon: should he lengthen it or shorten it? And what are the topics you prefer for the preacher to address? Are they narrating stories, explaining jurisprudential matters, or matters related to creed? Guide us to the truth, and may Allah reward you with all good for us.
Answer:
It is prescribed for the preacher to be concise in the sermon and not to lengthen it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:Sahih Muslim 869 Muslim narrated it in his Sahih from the hadith of 'Amir ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him). This indicates that the Sunnah and the best practice is to lengthen the prayer and shorten the sermon, shortening it in a way that does not compromise the intended purpose.
It is prescribed for him to seek out what moves the hearts and brings them closer to Allah and distances them from the causes of His anger. He must mention in his sermon the rulings of the Shari'ah that people need, and explain what Allah has made obligatory and what Allah has forbidden. It should include moving the hearts through admonition, beneficial and useful stories, and Qur'anic verses that contain admonition, reminder, encouragement, and warning.
He does not raise his hands in the sermon except in the prayer for rain, if he is calling for aid, seeking rain, and asking for precipitation, he raises his hands, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when he sought rain in the Friday sermon, he raised his hands. As for the ordinary sermon that does not include seeking rain, raising the hands is not prescribed in it; rather, he supplicates without raising his hands, this is the Sunnah. The one praying behind the imam, if he says Ameen to the supplication between himself and his soul, there is no blame on him, if Allah wills, and he does not raise his hands. The one praying behind the imam is like the imam; he does not raise his hands except in the prayer for rain. The people praying behind the imam also raise their hands if the imam raises them in the prayer for rain. As for ordinary Friday sermons, he does not raise his hands in them, and likewise in the sermons of the festivals, he does not raise his hands in them. Raising the hands is specific to the sermon for seeking rain, as mentioned above, and because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
During the sermon, the preacher raises his hands to the sky while making supplication, and the people respond to his supplication by saying: Ameen. We have heard through your program that this is not permissible, meaning: that responding to the preacher's supplication is not established.
My question: What should the seated people do if the preacher makes supplication in a loud voice? Do they raise their hands with him, or what should they do? I ask you to inform us about what is best for the preacher to do in the sermon: should he lengthen it or shorten it? And what are the topics you prefer for the preacher to address? Are they narrating stories, explaining jurisprudential matters, or matters related to creed? Guide us to the truth, and may Allah reward you with all good for us.
Answer:
It is prescribed for the preacher to be concise in the sermon and not to lengthen it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:
The lengthening of prayer by a man and the shortness of the sermon is the sign of his understanding (of faith). So lengthen the prayer and shorten the sermon
إن طول صلاة الرجل وقصر خطبته مئنة من فقهه، فأطيلوا الصلاة واقصروا الخطبةIt is prescribed for him to seek out what moves the hearts and brings them closer to Allah and distances them from the causes of His anger. He must mention in his sermon the rulings of the Shari'ah that people need, and explain what Allah has made obligatory and what Allah has forbidden. It should include moving the hearts through admonition, beneficial and useful stories, and Qur'anic verses that contain admonition, reminder, encouragement, and warning.
He does not raise his hands in the sermon except in the prayer for rain, if he is calling for aid, seeking rain, and asking for precipitation, he raises his hands, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when he sought rain in the Friday sermon, he raised his hands. As for the ordinary sermon that does not include seeking rain, raising the hands is not prescribed in it; rather, he supplicates without raising his hands, this is the Sunnah. The one praying behind the imam, if he says Ameen to the supplication between himself and his soul, there is no blame on him, if Allah wills, and he does not raise his hands. The one praying behind the imam is like the imam; he does not raise his hands except in the prayer for rain. The people praying behind the imam also raise their hands if the imam raises them in the prayer for rain. As for ordinary Friday sermons, he does not raise his hands in them, and likewise in the sermons of the festivals, he does not raise his hands in them. Raising the hands is specific to the sermon for seeking rain, as mentioned above, and because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.