371 – Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) related: “A man entered the mosque on Friday while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the sermon. He asked him, ‘Have you prayed?’ The man answered, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Then stand and pray two rak‘ahs (units of prayer).’ ” Agreed upon. (1)

Lessons derived from the ḥadīth

1. The Friday sermon is legislated and counts among the rites of the Friday prayer that must be observed.
2. The two rak‘ahs of greeting the mosque are emphatically recommended; they were given precedence over listening to the sermon, and the Prophet ﷺ ordered them even while he was preaching.
3. Although the wording here is a command—ordinarily implying obligation—other sound proofs shift the ruling from obligatory to recommended. Among them: the report of the man who asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Am I required to do anything beyond the prescribed prayers?” and he replied, “No”; the ḥadīth of the three men who entered the mosque, two of whom sat to learn without praying; and the entry of Kaʿb ibn Mālik into the mosque after his repentance had been accepted, where he sat without praying. All this occurred in the Prophet’s presence and he did not order them to offer the greeting of the mosque.
4. A brief sitting does not forfeit the time for the two rak‘ahs, for the man sat down first and then stood to pray.
5. It is permissible for the preacher and the person he addresses to speak during the sermon when doing so does not distract from listening to it.
6. The Prophet ﷺ would not overlook an error he observed; rather, he would correct it immediately, for that is the appropriate time to clarify matters.