—the subjects, whom he instructs and directs toward what is good. Any further counsel is already contained in the two Friday sermons. The finest guidance—whose guidance is that?—is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ. He never delivered a sermon after the prayer, and nothing of that sort has been transmitted from him, whether with a sound chain or even a weak one.

Yet some people have turned this into a fixed practice: every time the Friday prayer ends they stand up to speak. How many sermons does that make for one Friday? Three! From where did this practice come? If, however, an urgent matter arises—such as a written decree from the ruler, his deputy, a minister, or anyone else authorized to address the public—then, certainly, it should be read out to the people and they should listen.

As for Allah’s words, “so that you may prosper,” the particle laʿalla here expresses causation, not hope. In every occurrence of laʿalla in the Book of Allah it serves this causal meaning, because hope pertains only to one for whom the matter might be difficult, whereas for the Lord—glorified and exalted be He—everything is easy. Thus whenever you encounter laʿalla in the Qur’an it is causal, as in: “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may become God-fearing” (2:183), and similar verses.

“So that you may become God-fearing” therefore means “in order that you may attain piety,” and “so that you may prosper” means “in order that you may succeed.”

May Allah grant us and you success, righteousness, reform, and guidance. We ask Him to guide us, to grant us guidance, and to guide others through us; He is indeed able to do all things.

I would also like to point out that miswaks are not to be bought after the second call to Friday prayer; even the miswaks themselves may not be sold at that time.