Friday Khutbah

Validity Of Two Rakaats During Khutbah of Jum’ah

As Salaamu Alaikum

Quran & Sunnah Panacea For All Muslim Disputes:

Every Friday, the scenario is the same in most masjids of United Kingdom: Latecomers offer two Rakaats while the Imam delivers the Khuthbah. In some Masjids, this action is frowned upon, in others, it is discouraged; yet in other Masjids, it… What is the correct hukm on offering two rakaats during the Khutbah of Jum’ah?The golden rule when we fall into disputes among ourselves in matters of Deen is to return to Qur’an and the Sunnah for a resolution. The Qur’an says: “O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most suitable for final determination.” (Q.4:59).

Ahaadith Narrated On The Issue.

1. Abu Sa’eed (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man entered the masjid on the day of Jum’ah3 while the Prophet (S) was delivering the khutbah on the minbar, and he ordered him to pray two rakaats. (Reported. by Ibn Majah and others).
2. That a man came on the day of Jum’ah looking shabbily while the Prophet (s) was delivering the khutbah, and he ordered him to pray two rakaaats ( Reported by AtTirmidhi).
3. Jaabir (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man came on the day of Jum’ah while the Messenger of Allah (s) was delivering the khutbah. He said. “Did you pray?” The man answered: “No.” He then commanded him : “Pray two rakaats.” (Reported by the Jamaa’ah, lbn Majah, Tirmidhi, and several others.)
4. In one narration, it is mentioned “If one of you comes on the day of Jum’ah while the Imaam is delivering the khutbah, let him pray two rakaats lightly and quickly.” Reported by Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawood).
5. In another narration:”If one of you enters a masjid, let him not sit until he prays two rakaats.” (Reported by the Jamaa’ah). These ahaadith clearly indicate the shar’ee4 validity of praying two rakaats during the khutbah of Jum’ah.

Legal opinions On The Issue

1. The first group of scholars, Imaams Shaafi’ee, Ahmad, Maalik in one ruling of his, and others held that two rakaats prayed during the khutbah of Jum’ah is permissible, citing the above-mentioned ahaadith as their proof
2. The second group of scholars, AthThawree and the learned of Koofah5 held that no one should pray while the Khutbah is being delivered. This view was also held by Abu Haneefah, Maalik in another ruling of his, and most of the salaf (righteous predecessors) from among the Sahaabah6 and Taabi’een7 including Ibn Abbaas, Ibn Umar, Ali, Qataadah, and ‘Ataa’.

Reason For Difference Of Opinions

The opinion of the second group of scholars is based on the reasoning that the Prophetic command to pry two rakaats during the khutbah on Jum’ah was addressed specifically to Sulaayk, the name of the man mentioned in the above-cited ahaadith, due to his impoverished condition (see hadith b above) and therefore does not apply to others unlike him. He was ordered by the Prophet (s) to pray so that people would see his poor condition and respond to his needs by charity and so forth.

Refutation of Those Who Prohibit Prayer During Khutbah

Scholars rebut that the origin of the hukm has nothing to do with specificity, that is, specific reference to one individual. Also, the Prophetic command to Sulayk to pray during the khutbah for the sake of charity does not necessarily prohibit the permissibility of prayer offered during the khutbah. This statement is supported by ahaadith (d, e,). in the words of the Prophet (s): “If one of you comes… ” is a general address to anyone who finds himself in that situation on Jum’ah. Argument: The ayah8 (”When the Qur’an is read, listen to it,” Q.7:204) supports the view of the second group of scholars Reply: Khutbah and Quran are two different things. The issue concerns praying during the Khutbah -not reading of the Quran or listening to it:Argument: The hadith (”If you say to your companion `keep quiet.” while the Imaam is giving the khutbah, you have indulged in idleness.” Agreed Upon) is proof for the second group.

Reply: The prohibition in the hadith is against cross-talk during the delivery of the khutbah not Salaah. The two of them cannot be equated so that the prohibition of one is necessarily a prohibition of the other.

Argument The following hadith is proof for the second group (A man [entered the masjid] making a pathway dough the necks of the people on Jum’ah while the Prophet (s) was delivering his khutbah. He said to him: “Sit! You have caused disturbance.” Reported Abu Dawood). The proof lies in the fact that the Prophet (s) ordered him to sit and not pray.

Reply: A possible interpretation of the hadith is that the Prophetic order to sit and not pray the two rakaats was a specific command to that particular individual who made himself a nuisance by annoying people who were already seated in the masjid. There are other interpretations of the hadith, but the fact remains is that it is not a clear proof to support the second group of scholars in their prohibition of pray during the khutbah.

Argument: The following hadith is also used as proof by the second group of scholars (”If one of you enters the masjid while the Imaam is on the minbar there is no salah nor speech until the Imam finishes.” (Reported by At -Tabaraani).

Reply: The hadith reported by At Tabaraani is da’eef (weak). The hadith scholar Abu Haatim describes it as “rejected” (munkar).

Argument: The following hadith is also cited as proof (A man came while the Messenger of Allah was delivering the khutbah and the Prophet (s) said to him: “Stand and pray two rakaats!” Then he stopped his delivery of the khutbah until the man had finished his prayer. (Reported by Ad Daaraqutni)

Reply: This hadith is inauthentic. As a matter of fact, Daaraqutni himself weakened the hadith, saying that it is either mu’dil9 or mursal10

Argument: When the Prophet (S) preoccupied himself by speaking with Sulayk, it nullified the obligation of listening to the khutbah at that point in time. Ibn Al-Arabi said: “This is the strongest argument of theirs.”

Reply: According to Ibn Hajar, “This is actually their weakest argument, since when the Prophet spoke to Sulayk he returned to delivering the khutbah while Sulayk occupied himself with the Prophetic command of performing the two rakaats. And it is authenticated that he did so during the khutbah of the Prophet (s).

Argument: Scholars are in agreement that the Salaah upon entering the masjid (At_ Tahiyyah) is not a right upon the Imaam. If that is the case with the Imam, that is, leaving out that prayer upon entering the masjid, then it must be even more so upon the follower to leave out that prayer if he enters the masjid while the Imam is giving the khutbah.

Reply: This qiyaas11 is invalid since it contradicts unambiguous ahaadith of the Prophet (S) on the matter of offering two rakaats during khutbah of Jum’ah as we have mentioned above (see hadith c, d, e)

Argument: The early scholars of Al-Madinah during the period of the salaf and the view of Umar, Uthman, and others among the Salmbah is sufficient proof to establish the hukm of prohibition of pray during khutbah.

Reply: This view of the majority of the salaf does not tantamount to ijmaa (consensus) so that it can be considered as shar’i proof. There are many among them who hold the view of permissibiltiy on prayer during the khutbah, such as Abu Sa’eed, Al-Hasan, Makhool, Abu Thawr, and so forth. Further more the majority view contradicts authentic ahaadith and they cannot be considered shar’i proof .

CONCLUSION

Preferred View: The opinion of the first group of scholars who held that it is Sunnah to perform two rakaats during the khutbah of Jum’ah based an authenticated ahaadith of the Prophet(S) narrated on the issue. No one has the right under Shari’ah to prohibit someone from offering this prayer if he enters the masjid while the khutbah is been given. It should be noted, however, that there is a certain adaab or etiquette in performing this two rakaats:

1. That it should be performed lightly and quickly.
2. It should not be offered at the expense of causing disturbance to others. This adaab is gleaned frorn the following hadiths:
   1. The Prophet (s) said: “If one of you comes[to the masjid] and the Imaam is delivering the khutbah, let him pray two short, light rakaats.” (Reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Davwod).
   2. A man came [to the masjid and proceeded to] walk trough the necks of the people on the day of Jum’ah. The Prophet (s) said to him: ” Sit! You have disturbed {others)”. (Reported by Abu Dawood and An-Nasaa’i.)

Footnotes to Article

1. Hukm - Islamic legal ruling on an issue
2. Deen - Religion; more appropriately the way of life of Islam.
3. Jum’ah-The day of Friday, the last day of the Islamic calendar week
4. Shar’ee - Pertaining to the legality of Islaamic laws
5. Koofah - An ancient city of leaming in Iraq.
6. Sahaabah - Companions of the Prophet (s)
7. Taabi’een -Followers, or the generation after the Sahaabah.
8. Ayah -Verse of the Qur’an
9. Mu’dil - “Problematic”, a type of weak hadith
10. Mursal “Incompletely transmitted”, a type of weak hadith

Qiyaas Juristic analogy, a legal proof of Islamic law agreed upon by most scholars.

source: Minhaj al-Muslim