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While the sermon is in progress one must not offer more than two rak‘ahs for the greeting of the mosque, because attentive listening to the sermon is required. Even outside this circumstance the greeting consists of two rak‘ahs; anything in excess of that is an unrestricted voluntary prayer.
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The Prophet’s words, “Stand and pray two rak‘ahs,” were addressed to that particular man, yet the ruling is universal and applies to him and to everyone else. Shaykh al-Islām remarked: In the revealed texts there is nothing that singles out a specific individual in and of himself; any apparent singling out is due only to a quality he happens to possess, for all people are equal before Allah.
This excludes the Prophet ﷺ, for certain rulings apply to him alone by virtue of his prophethood and messengership, even though the default in legislation is generality.
Scholarly disagreement
The scholars differed about a person who enters the mosque while the preacher is delivering the Friday sermon: should he perform the greeting of the mosque, or sit down and listen?
Al-Shāfiʿī, Aḥmad, and the scholars of hadith held that it is recommended for him to pray, using this hadith as their proof.
Mālik and Abū Ḥanīfah maintained that he should sit and not pray, citing the verse, “When the Quran is recited, listen to it and pay heed” (al-Aʿrāf 7:204), and the hadith, “If you say to your companion, ‘Be quiet,’ you have engaged in idle talk.”
They replied to the hadith of this chapter with feeble arguments.
Accordingly, al-Nawawī said in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: “This text is plain and admits of no interpretation. I do not think any scholar who receives this wording and deems it authentic would oppose it.”
As for the verse, the Friday sermon is not Quran, and even if it were, this hadith specifies it. Regarding the hadith “you have engaged in idle talk,” it too is a directive of the Lawgiver, so there is no conflict between two commands: the one already seated listens, whereas the newcomer performs the greeting of the mosque.