What is the idle talk prohibited in the Friday prayer, and when is it considered idle talk and when is it not?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Anyone else?
The questioner : The idle talk in the prayer, I mean, today in the Friday prayer, the man who interrupted the man who was speaking, is that idle talk?
The Shaykh : The one who starts it is the most blameworthy.
The questioner : What is the meaning of idle talk?
The Shaykh : The one who starts it is the most blameworthy, the one who starts it is the most blameworthy, meaning this man who interrupted the preacher.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He interrupted him, wanting to stir up fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and fitnah, as it is said, is "sleeping, may Allah curse the one who wakes it up." So there is no doubt or ambiguity that it is not permissible for him to speak in enjoining good, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 934 Even though the word "be quiet" is first: a single word, and then its meaning is clear in that it enjoins good or forbids evil, yet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) condemned that.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All of this is so that the Muslim sitting there can devote himself to listening to the sermon, so that his heart can be free to listen to it. So what do you think if he stands up objecting to the preacher? First of all, this preacher is in the right.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And the objector is in the wrong. Second, the least that can be said is that the issue is one of scholarly disagreement, and there is absolutely no disagreement in it. So one should not object to the preacher in such an issue, because this is an issue that requires a calm and aware session in which the two differing parties discuss the issue.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So the sermon is never a place for discussion. And so, in truth, this man did great harm, first to himself, second to the preacher, and third to those sitting in the mosque. And perhaps you noticed with me that the preacher began the sermon on the topic of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And its division into three categories. No Muslim scholar doubts that each category completes the other.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And clarifies the meaning of His saying: So he did great harm to this preacher who had begun to speak about the first foundation of Islam. A Muslim is not a Muslim unless he makes Allah one in His essence, and one in His worship, His uluhiyyah (oneness of worship), and one in His names and attributes. So this man stood up while the preacher was speaking about a fundamental issue, and it is very regrettable for me to say that most Muslims do not know it!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So this man is corrupting things twice: the first time is that he is speaking while the preacher is preaching, and the second time is that he wants to spread his shirki (associating partners with Allah) polytheistic belief in the name of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), because you heard that he began by saying, "Al-Bukhari narrated."
The questioner : Al-Bukhari, yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, and I wished, if only things were as we wish, that our brother the preacher would have been patient with him a little.
The questioner : Until he narrated the hadith.
The Shaykh : Until he narrated the hadith, but not everything a person wishes for does he attain. First, and second, the preacher in his position is not gathered in his thoughts, such that he can confront every emergency as he should confront this emergency.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So this is my answer.
The questioner : The idle talk in the prayer, I mean, today in the Friday prayer, the man who interrupted the man who was speaking, is that idle talk?
The Shaykh : The one who starts it is the most blameworthy.
The questioner : What is the meaning of idle talk?
The Shaykh : The one who starts it is the most blameworthy, the one who starts it is the most blameworthy, meaning this man who interrupted the preacher.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He interrupted him, wanting to stir up fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and fitnah, as it is said, is "sleeping, may Allah curse the one who wakes it up." So there is no doubt or ambiguity that it is not permissible for him to speak in enjoining good, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When the Imam is delivering the Khutba, and you ask your companion to keep quiet and listen, then no doubt you have done an evil act.
إذا قلت لصاحبك يوم الجمعة والخطيب يخطب : أنصِتْ ؛ فقد لغوتThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : All of this is so that the Muslim sitting there can devote himself to listening to the sermon, so that his heart can be free to listen to it. So what do you think if he stands up objecting to the preacher? First of all, this preacher is in the right.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And the objector is in the wrong. Second, the least that can be said is that the issue is one of scholarly disagreement, and there is absolutely no disagreement in it. So one should not object to the preacher in such an issue, because this is an issue that requires a calm and aware session in which the two differing parties discuss the issue.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So the sermon is never a place for discussion. And so, in truth, this man did great harm, first to himself, second to the preacher, and third to those sitting in the mosque. And perhaps you noticed with me that the preacher began the sermon on the topic of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And its division into three categories. No Muslim scholar doubts that each category completes the other.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And clarifies the meaning of His saying:
So know that there is no deity except Allah
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So this man is corrupting things twice: the first time is that he is speaking while the preacher is preaching, and the second time is that he wants to spread his shirki (associating partners with Allah) polytheistic belief in the name of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), because you heard that he began by saying, "Al-Bukhari narrated."
The questioner : Al-Bukhari, yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, and I wished, if only things were as we wish, that our brother the preacher would have been patient with him a little.
The questioner : Until he narrated the hadith.
The Shaykh : Until he narrated the hadith, but not everything a person wishes for does he attain. First, and second, the preacher in his position is not gathered in his thoughts, such that he can confront every emergency as he should confront this emergency.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So this is my answer.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.