Concerning his remark on the report from ʿUmar—“Pray Jumuʿah wherever you happen to be,” adding, “This includes both cities and villages”—I say: Al-Ḥāfiẓ made the same comment in Fatḥ al-Bārī 4/380, and al-Shawkānī followed him (3/198). In fact, the wording is broader than that, for it also covers those staying at watering stations. Ibn Abī Shaybah, immediately after citing ʿUmar’s report (2/102), narrated through Ibn Idrīs from Mālik that
“the Companions of Muhammad used to observe Jumuʿah at these watering places between Mecca and Madinah.”
This is corroborated by the report of Ibn ʿUmar quoted in the book at the end of this discussion, in which it is said, “It was transmitted by ʿAbd al-Razzāq with an authentic chain.” I say: Al-Ḥāfiẓ stated that, and al-Shawkānī mentioned it without attribution—as is his wont in most of his source citations—and the author here adduced it as proof, though it is not free of difficulty. It appears in Musannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq 3/170, 5185 through “ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar …” The copy has the name as “ʿAbd Allāh” in the full form, and he is weak; most likely the original read “ʿUbayd Allāh” in the diminutive, who is reliable, as Al-Ḥāfiẓ’s grading of the isnād as sound indicates. Allah knows best.

He then says at the close of the section on the legal ruling of the sermon, quoting al-Shawkānī: “The stronger view is that of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, Dāwūd al-Ẓāhirī, and al-Juwaynī, namely that the Friday sermon is merely recommended.”

I reply: The correct opinion is that it is obligatory, and al-Shawkānī’s argument is untenable. Ṣiddīq Khān inclined to the same position in al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah and in al-Mawʿiẓah al-Ḥasanah, and I refuted him in my treatise al-Ajwibah al-Nāfiʿah in a manner that leaves no room for doubt regarding the obligation. Consult it, for the matter is of great importance.

He next cited the marfūʿ hadith of Jābir: “Whenever he ascended the pulpit he would greet (the congregation with salām),” declaring it weak on account of Ibn Lahīʿah, and then quoted it in mursal form from al-Shaʿbī and ʿAṭāʾ.

I say: These two mursal reports were recorded by Ibn Abī Shaybah and ʿAbd al-Razzāq, and they bolster one another.