- For the Friday prayer to be valid, two sermons must precede it, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ consistently delivered both. Ibn ʿUmar said, “The Prophet ﷺ used to deliver two sermons while standing, separating them by sitting down,”––agreed upon.
Among the conditions for the validity of the two sermons are: praising Allah, pronouncing the two testimonies of faith, invoking blessings upon His Messenger, exhorting the congregation to fear Allah, offering admonition, and reciting something from the Quran—even a single verse. This is the very opposite of many contemporary sermons, which omit some or most of these essentials.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Whoever reflects on the sermons of the Prophet ﷺ and of his Companions will find them sufficient for clarifying guidance and monotheism, mentioning the attributes of the Lord—glorified and exalted be He—setting out the principal articles of faith, calling people to Allah, reminding them of His favors that endear Him to His creation and of His days that fill them with fear of His wrath, and ordering remembrance and gratitude to Him, which endear them to Him. They would speak of Allah’s greatness, His attributes, and His names in a way that endeared Him to His servants, and they would command obedience, gratitude, and remembrance that endeared the servants to Him; thus the listeners would depart having loved Him and being loved by Him.
As time went on and the light of Prophethood grew dim, the laws and commands became mere formalities carried out without regard for their realities and aims. The outward forms and conventions were treated as inviolable sunnahs that must never be neglected, while the objectives that must never be neglected were themselves set aside; so they embellished