Muwatta Imam Malik (Riwayat Yahya)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "When the Imam is delivering the sermon, if you say to your companion, 'Be quiet,' then you have also engaged in idle talk."

It is narrated from Thalabah bin Abi Malik Qarzi that people used to perform prayer on the day of Jumu'ah until Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, would come out. Then when Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, would come out and sit on the pulpit and the caller to prayer would give the adhan, Thalabah says that we used to sit and talk. When the mu'adhdhin would become silent and Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, would stand and deliver the sermon, then no one would talk. Ibn Shihab said: When the Imam comes out for the sermon, prayer should be stopped, and when the sermon begins, talking should be stopped.

It is narrated from Malik bin Abi Amir that when Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, would stand to deliver the sermon, he would often say—and it was very rare that he would not say this—"O people! When the Imam stands to deliver the sermon, listen to the sermon and remain silent, because whoever remains silent and does not hear the sermon will still receive the same reward as the one who remains silent and hears the sermon. And when the takbir is called for the prayer, straighten the rows and shoulders, because straightening the rows is the completion of the prayer." Then Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani, may Allah be pleased with him, would not say the opening takbir until those whom he had appointed to straighten the rows came and informed him that the rows had been straightened; then he would say the opening takbir.

It is narrated from Hazrat Nafi that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) saw two men talking during the sermon, so he threw pebbles at them so that they would remain silent.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was informed that a man sneezed on Friday while the Imam was delivering the sermon, and another person replied to him (i.e., said "Yarhamuk Allah"). Then he asked Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib about it, and he forbade it and said: "Do not do that again."

It is narrated from Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, that he asked Ibn Shihab Zuhri: "When the Imam descends from the pulpit after delivering the sermon, is it permissible to speak before the takbir?" Ibn Shihab said: "There is no harm in it."