If you visit Madinah Masjid in Limbe today, you will be greeted by a sign which urges everyone to remain silent. But you will be surprised to see that what happens inside the masjid is totally different. People make a lot of noise from their arrival until the time of Khutbah.
Instead of listening to the Khutbah, people are always busy discussing worldly things – they don’t even care about the importance of listening Khutbah on Friday.
This tendency is mainly rampant among Muslim brothers of Asian origin. These people make noise even when Iqama has been done. They crack jokes while their friends have started praying, things that many people have been complaining for a while.
“They take the masjid as their house. They forget that it is the house of Allah. And you wonder that most of the people who do these are grown up – not kids. I wonder what type of Islam is that,” One Muslim brother was heard as saying after one Friday prayers.
The custodians of the masjid have tried to make their announcement including putting the sign at the entrance but it seems like nobody is listening.
But what does Islam say about making noise when Imaam is delivering Khutbah?
According to many scholars, once the khutbah commences, it is wâjib for all those present to listen to the khutbah. This is irrespective of whether they are sitting near the imâm or far away from him. It is also makrûh-e-tahrîmî to do such a thing which will distract one from listening. Just as eating, drinking, talking, walking, making salâm, answering to a salâm, reading a tasbîh, showing someone a mas’ala of the Sharî’ah is prohibited while one is in salâh, it is also prohibited while the khutbah is delivered.
When someone asked about making noise during Khutbah, one of the well Known scholars Sheikh Muhammad Al-Munajjid said: “Those who attend Jumu’ah prayer should be quiet and listen attentively to the imam when he is preaching. It is not permissible to speak to others, even if that is to tell them to be quiet. Whoever does that has engaged in idle talk (laghw), and whoever engages in idle talk, his Jumu’ah prayer does not count.”
The Sheikh went on quoting a hadith which was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you say to your companion when the imam is preaching on Friday, ‘Be quiet and listen,’ you have engaged in idle talk.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 892; Muslim, 851).
In another hadith, it was narrated that Abu’l-Darda’ said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat on the minbar and addressed the people, and he recited a verse. Ubayy ibn Ka’b was next to me, so I said to him: “O Ubayy, when was this verse revealed?” But he refused to speak to me, so I asked him again and he refused to speak to me, until the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came down (from the minbar). Then Ubayy said to me: “You have gained nothing from your Jumu’ah except idle talk.” When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished (the prayer), I went to him and told him (what had happened). He said: “Ubayy was right. When you hear your imam speaking, then keep quiet and listen attentively until he has finished.” Narrated by Ahmad, 20780; Ibn Maajah, 1111; classed as saheeh by al-Busayri and al-Albaani in Tamaam al-Mannah, p. 338.
This is clear evidence that it is obligatory to remain silent and listen attentively, and that it is forbidden to speak while the imam is delivering the khutbah on Friday.
Observe Silence at Madinah Masjid.
