ONE HADITH A DAY

If you say to your companion 'listen' on Friday while the Imām is delivering the sermon, you have thus engaged in idle talk

Agreed upon · Authentic

عن أبِي هُرَيرةَ رضي الله عنه أنَّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلمَ قال: «إذا قُلْتَ لِصَاحِبِكَ: أَنْصِتْ، يومَ الجمعةِ، والْإِمامُ يَخْطُبُ، فَقَدْ لَغَوْتَ».

“Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you say to your companion 'listen' on Friday while the Imām is delivering the sermon, you have thus engaged in idle talk."”

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) points out that one of the ethics that should be observed by those who attend the Friday sermon is to listen to the preacher to ponder over the delivered lessons and that whoever speaks - albeit the least of words - while the Imām is giving the sermon and tells someone to "keep silent" or to 'listen' has thus missed the merit of the Friday prayer.

Benefits

• It is prohibited to speak while listening to the sermon, even to forbid something wrong, return a greeting, or say tashmīt (saying: may Allah show mercy to you) to someone who has sneezed.
• Excluded from this is a person who speaks to the Imām or the Imām speaks to him.
• It is permissible to speak between the two sermons if needed.
• If mention of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is made while the Imām is delivering the sermon, you should invoke Allah's blessings upon him inaudibly. The same holds for saying 'amen' after supplications.

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