Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah and Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrate: We heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever takes a bath on Friday, uses the tooth-stick (miswak), applies perfume if he has any, and wears his best clothes, then comes to the mosque and does not step over the necks of the people, then prays as much as Allah wills, then remains silent when the imam comes out (for the sermon) until the prayer (is completed), this deed will become an expiation for him for the sins between this Friday and the Friday before it." Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And an expiation for three more days as well, because Allah Almighty has made the reward of one good deed tenfold. Isma'il bin Ulayyah is among the trustworthy narrators whose narrations the two Shaykhs agreed upon. Al-Hakim Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Hafiz dictated this hadith to us in Rabi' al-Awwal of the year 395 AH:

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out (to the mosque) on Friday and sat on the pulpit, (Sayyiduna) Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) would call the adhan. This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain, because Hisham bin al-Ghaz is among those narrators whose hadith are collected; however, the two Shaykhs did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) settled upon the pulpit on Friday and said to the people: "Sit down." Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) heard this while he was at the door of the mosque, so he sat down right there. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "O Ibn Mas'ud! Come here (closer)." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs, but they did not record it.

It is narrated from Abdullah bin al-Harith (the paternal cousin of Muhammad bin Sirin) that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said to his mu'adhdhin on a rainy day: When you have said 'Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah' (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), do not say 'Hayya ala al-salah' (Come to the prayer); rather say: 'Sallu fi buyutikum' - "Pray in your homes." The narrator said: It was as if the people found this strange, so he said: This was done by one who was better than me (that is, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, the Friday (prayer) is obligatory, but I disliked to bring you out (of your homes) and have you walk in mud and water.

Sayyidah, the daughter of Harithah bin al-Nu'man (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates: I memorised Surah Qaf only from the blessed tongue of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (by hearing it), because he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite it every Friday (on the pulpit). She said: Our oven and the oven of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were one and the same. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but they did not record it! And Muhammad bin Ishaq has named the daughter of Harithah bin al-Nu'man in his narration:

Sayyidah Umm Hisham bint Harithah bin al-Nu'man (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I learned "Qaf. By the glorious Qur'an" from the blessed tongue of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (by hearing it). He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite it every Friday when he addressed the people.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that one day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed us and recited Surah Sad. When he reached the (verse of) prostration, he (peace and blessings be upon him) came down and prostrated, and we also prostrated with him. Then he recited it once again, and when he reached the (verse of) prostration, we got ready to prostrate. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw us (ready), he said: "This is only the repentance of a Prophet, but I see that you have got ready to prostrate." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) came down and prostrated, and we also prostrated. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs, but they did not record it, while the prostration of Surah Sad has been recorded by Imam Bukhari. The purpose of bringing it here in the Book of Friday is that when the imam recites a verse of prostration on the pulpit on Friday, the sunnah is that he comes down and prostrates.

Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When I drew near to the city of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (Madinah), I made my mount kneel, opened my baggage, and put on my (best) garment. Then I entered the mosque while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon. He (peace and blessings be upon him) greeted me with salam, and the people began to stare at me. I asked the man sitting next to me: O servant of Allah! Has the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned anything about me? He said: Yes, he (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned you in the best of terms and said: "There will enter upon you from this door - or from this mountain pass - one of the best people of Yemen, on whose face there is a radiance like that of an angel." So I praised Allah for this favour. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs, and it is a foundation for the imam being able to speak during the sermon about matters that arise.

It is narrated from Iyad bin Abdullah that Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the mosque on Friday while Marwan bin al-Hakam was delivering the sermon. He stood up to pray (tahiyyat al-masjid), and the guards came to make him sit down, but he refused until he had prayed. When Marwan finished and turned away, we came to him and said: May Allah have mercy on you, they were just about to (treat you harshly). He said: I could never abandon it (these two rak'ahs) after something I saw from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he mentioned a man who came on Friday while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon, then he came again the next Friday while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the people to give charity, and that man threw down one of his two garments (as charity). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer, then rebuked him and said: "Take your garment." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This man entered in a very shabby state, so I ordered the people to give charity, and he gave one of his two garments." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to pray two rak'ahs. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but they did not record it. It is a supporting narration (shahid) for the previous hadith, and it has another supporting narration on the condition of Imam Muslim:

Sayyiduna Abu Rifa'ah al-Adawi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was delivering the sermon, and I said: O Messenger of Allah! A stranger has come to ask about his religion; he does not know what his religion is. He (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards me and left his sermon. Then a wooden chair with iron legs was brought for him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) began to teach me from what Allah had taught him. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to his sermon and completed it.