It is likewise recommended to say āmeen (amen) to the preacher’s supplication, but without raising one’s voice.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Raising the voice in front of the preacher is, by unanimous agreement, either disliked or forbidden. Neither the muezzin nor anyone else should raise his voice—whether by invoking blessings or by any other supplication.”

What the Shaykh flagged is still found in certain regions: people raise their voices with prayers for the Messenger or other supplications during the sermon, before it, or between the two khutbahs. Some preachers even instruct the congregation to do so. This is ignorance and a blameworthy innovation (bidʿah) that is impermissible.

Whoever enters while the imam is already preaching should not offer the salām. He should proceed calmly to a row, pray two brief rakʿahs as mentioned earlier, then sit and listen to the sermon, without shaking hands with those beside him.

During the sermon he may not fidget with his hands, feet, beard, clothes, or anything else, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever touches the pebbles has engaged in idle talk, and whoever engages in idle talk has no Friday [reward].” Al-Tirmidhī graded this hadith sound. Moreover, fidgeting undermines humility.

Likewise, he should not turn right and left, occupy himself by looking at the people, or anything of that sort, because it distracts him from listening to the sermon; rather, he should face