and he, peace and blessings be upon him, would teach his Companions during the sermon the fundamentals of Islam and its ordinances. While preaching he would command and forbid whenever a matter called for it—just as he instructed the man who entered while he was speaking to perform two rakʿahs. In the khutbah he would outline the main features of the sacred law, speak of Paradise, Hell, and the Hereafter; he would enjoin the fear of Allah, warn against His wrath, and encourage whatever leads to His good pleasure.

It is also reported that he would recite a Qurʾanic verse. Muslim relates:
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had two sermons. He would sit between them, recite the Qurʾan, remind the people, and issue warnings.”

His persistent observance of these elements in the khutbah apparently indicates that they are obligatory, for his practice clarifies what is left general in the verse concerning Friday. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Pray as you have seen me pray.”¹

This was the view adopted by al-Shāfiʿī. Some scholars maintained that his continuous observance itself constitutes proof of obligation. Al-Badr al-Tamām states: