The rules of the Friday sermon, and the etiquette of listening to it

Rulings Regarding Friday Prayer 7. Rules of the Friday Sermon

1. The Friday sermon is a condition for the validity of the Friday prayer; without it, the prayer is not valid.
2. The sermon must be delivered before at least three sane, adult, and qualified individuals present from start to finish. If fewer people are present, the condition will not be fulfilled.
3. There are two obligatory aspects of the sermon:

• It must be delivered after the sun has passed its zenith and before the Friday prayer. If delivered before the time of Dhuhr or after the Friday prayer, it is invalid.
• It must include the mention of Allah, at least to the extent of سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, or اَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ. Without this, the sermon is not valid.

(Note): Although Saying any of these phrases once with the intention of the sermon fulfills the obligation [If someone sneezes and says "الحمد للہ" or says "سبحان اللہ" out of amazement, it will not replace the sermon.], relying solely on this without a valid excuse is against the Sunnah and is disliked (Makruh Tahrimi).

1. There are twelve Sunnahs of the sermon as detailed below:
2. Delivering the sermon in a state of purity [Meaning both texts should be free from impurity.].
3. Standing while delivering the sermon.
4. Facing the congregation [And the body should not be turned away from the Qiblah.].
5. Delivering two sermons.
6. Sitting briefly between the two sermons for the duration of reciting three verses or until the preacher’s body settles.
7. Reciting A‘ūdhu Billāhi min ash-Shayṭān-ir-Rajīm silently before beginning the sermon.
8. Speaking loudly enough for the congregation to hear.
9. Starting the sermon with Al-ḥamdu lillāh.
10. Including the following in the first sermon: praise of Allah, testimony of His oneness, testimony of the Prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ), sending blessings upon him, exhortation to the believers, and reciting three short verses or one long verse of the Qur'an.
11. In the second sermon: praise, testimonies, blessings upon the Prophet, reciting one Qur'anic verse [Surahs from Surah al-Hujurat to Surah al-Buruj are called long-surah (Mufassal).], and making supplications for the believers instead of exhortation [This is because the Imam is instructed to shorten the prayer.].
12. Keeping both sermons concise, ideally equal in length to a chapter from Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal.(Note): The sermon should be shorter than the prayer itself.
13. Delivering the sermon from the pulpit.

Note:

Delivering the sermon in Arabic is a confirmed Sunnah [This is because the Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) always delivered the khutbah (sermon) in Arabic. Despite the fact that numerous foreign lands were conquered during the time of the Companions, and the people there were not at all familiar with Arabic, the Companions, who knew languages other than Arabic, did not change the khutbah for these people but instead continued to deliver it in Arabic. In the "Musaffa" of the "Sharh of Muwatta," it is mentioned that when we examined the khutbahs of the Prophet (peace be upon him), his Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them), and their followers, several things were observed: praise of Allah, the testimony of His Oneness and the Prophethood, sending blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), advising the Muslims with piety (taqwa), recitation of a verse from the Quran, making dua (supplication) for the Muslims, and the khutbah being in Arabic. Despite the fact that the majority of the attendees in most lands were non-Arabs, adherence to delivering the khutbah in Arabic remained consistent from the East to the West. End of the text.]. Including any non-Arabic content [This is in reference to the Urdu, Persian, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, and other languages.] or mixing Arabic with other languages in verse or prose is against the confirmed Sunnah [The purpose is generally to remind those who don’t know Arabic of divine guidance and to avoid altering the style of the sermon which is best delivered in Arabic. A sermon in a language other than Arabic would lose the essence of worship.] and disliked (Makruh Tahrimi).

Note:

Also, covering the body appropriately, holding a staff, and sitting on the pulpit while the second call to prayer is being given are also Sunnah.

1. The following are recommended in the sermon:
2. Beginning exhortation after praise and testimonies with the phrase Amma Ba‘d.
3. In the second sermon, mentioning and supplicating for the family of the Prophet (ﷺ), his wives, the companions, especially the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Ten Promised Paradise, and the Prophet’s two honorable uncles, Hamza and Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him).(Note): Supplicating for the Islamic ruler is also permissible [But making an incorrect definition is disliked.].
4. Delivering the second sermon in a slightly softer tone than the first.
5. The preacher wearing a black turban on Friday.
6. The following are disliked in the sermon:
7. Greeting the congregation upon ascending the pulpit.
8. Delivering the sermon without purification [Performing prayer in a state of impurity or without ablution is not allowed.].
9. Delivering the sermon without proper covering.
10. Delivering the sermon while seated.
11. Starting the sermon before the second call to prayer is completed.
12. Limiting the sermon to only the first one or omitting the sitting between the two.
13. Prolonging the sermon beyond the length of a chapter from Ṭiwāl al-Mufaṣṣal or shortening it to less than three verses without valid reason [Especially in cold weather.].
14. Speaking during the sermon, except to clarify a legal issue or to prevent a wrongdoing through gestures.

(Note):

Violating any other Sunnah of the sermon is also disliked.

1. From the moment the Imam rises to ascend the pulpit for the sermon until its conclusion, conversation, remembrance, supplication, or voluntary prayers are all prohibited. However, someone who needs to perform a make-up prayer may do so [A person who has missed six prayers since reaching maturity is considered to have neglected their duties.]. If someone is already praying Sunnah prayers, they should complete them quickly [If you are offering a voluntary prayer and have not yet performed the prostration in the first unit, you should leave it. If you have already prostrated, complete the prayer quickly and say the Salaam, but if you are in the third unit, complete the four units briefly.].
2. It is permissible for the preacher or the congregation to make silent supplications while sitting between the two sermons.
3. Turning to the right or left during specific supplications in the second sermon is an innovation (Bid‘ah).
4. Practices like descending the pulpit after the phrase Allahumma A‘izzal-Islam and ascending it again after Allahumma Anṣur have no basis and should be avoided.
5. It is disliked for the Imam to perform prayers in the prayer niche before delivering the sermon.
6. It is valid for a minor to deliver the sermon, provided that the prayer is led by an adult.
7. It is preferable for the same person to deliver the sermon and lead the prayer.
8. If there is a long interval between the sermon and the prayer, such as the Imam leaving or engaging in other activities, the sermon must be repeated [However, if after the sermon someone has been appointed to lead the prayer, then repeating the sermon is not necessary.].
9. If the Imam becomes ritually impure after the sermon, he should appoint someone who attended the sermon to lead the prayer [If an impurity occurs after entering the prayer, any of the followers can take the lead, whether they participated in listening to the sermon or not.].
10. Including farewell and parting themes in the last Friday sermon of Ramadan is not proven from the Prophet (ﷺ) or his companions and is not mentioned in Fiqh books. Therefore, it should not be considered obligatory or habitual.

Rulings Regarding Friday Prayer Etiquette of Listening to the Khutbah

1. When the Imam moves towards the pulpit for the Khutbah [Before this, it is recommended to engage in the remembrance of Allah (zikr), recitation of Quran, or similar acts.], stop all activities like dhikr, tasbeeh, and conversations, and pay full attention to the Khateeb.
2. Once the Khutbah begins, it is obligatory for all present to listen to it from start to finish [Listening to other sermons besides Jumuah, such as the Eid sermon or the marriage sermon, is also obligatory.], whether they are near or far from the Khateeb and whether they can hear it or not.
3. During the Khutbah, any action that disturbs listening, such as eating, drinking, walking, talking, greeting, responding to greetings, doing dhikr, reciting Quran, performing nafl prayers, or explaining a religious issue, is impermissible. These are forbidden during Khutbah just like in prayer.
4. If someone sneezes and says الحمد للہ or enters the mosque and offers greetings during the Khutbah [If a person sneezes, it is preferable for them to say "Alhamdulillah" in their heart instead of aloud.], their response is not obligatory.
5. If someone is performing sunnah prayers when the Khutbah begins, they should complete them quickly.
6. Listeners should sit facing the Qiblah and focus on the Khateeb.
7. Sitting in the two-knee posture, as in the prayer, is recommended during the Khutbah [However, it is not obligatory because the sermon is not actually a prayer, nor does it replace the two units of the Dhuhr prayer, though it carries the reward of half the Jumuah prayer.].
8. If the Khutbah's voice is not audible, still focus on the Khutbah without engaging in dhikr, tasbeeh, or conversation.
9. Do not verbally stop anyone from talking or reading during the Khutbah [Preventing others from speaking also counts as talking during the sermon.]; it is permissible to signal them to be quiet [If, during the sermon, someone sees a blind person falling into a well or someone being bitten by a scorpion, they may warn them with a gesture; if the gesture is not enough, speaking is permissible.].
10. When the name of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is mentioned during the Khutbah, listeners may send blessings upon him in their hearts.
11. When the verse يٰٓأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوۡا صَلُّوۡا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوۡا تَسۡلِيۡمًا is recited, listeners should silently send salutations and peace.
12. If the names of the Companions or Caliphs are mentioned in the Khutbah, Saying رضي الله عنه aloud, or Saying phrases like خلد الله ملكه when a ruler is mentioned, is disliked for all, including the audience, the mu’adhin, or the muballigh.
13. Walking over people’s shoulders to reach the front rows during the Khutbah is not permissible.
14. Do not stand for prayer before the second Khutbah is completely finished.

Note:

It is preferable that a new Khutbah is delivered each time, addressing issues relevant to the audience. Repeating the same Khutbah every Friday is permissible but consistently doing so is not recommended.