Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Whoever performs ghusl on the day of Jumu’ah, and if he has perfume, he applies it, and wears his best clothes, then goes to the mosque and, if he wishes, performs voluntary prayer, and does not cause harm to anyone, then when his imam arrives, he remains silent until he completes the prayer, then these actions will be an expiation for the sins committed between this Jumu’ah and the previous Jumu’ah.” Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: This is related to the same category about which I say that, according to the Arabs, ‘insat’ (silence) sometimes means refraining from mutual conversation, not silence from recitation of the Qur’an, remembrance of Allah, or supplication—as is in the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Companions used to converse during prayer until this verse was revealed « وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا » [ سورة الأعراف : 204 ] “And when the Qur’an is recited, listen to it attentively and remain silent.” In this verse, they were forbidden from conversing with each other and were commanded to remain silent at the time of recitation of the Qur’an. Is this silence from mutual conversation among people? Silence is not meant from recitation of the Qur’an, tasbihat, takbir, remembrance, and supplication, because it is certain that the statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him), “Then when the imam arrives, he remains silent until he completes the prayer,” does not mean that the person present at Jumu’ah will not say « اللهُ أَكْبَرُ » at the beginning of the prayer, nor say takbir when going into ruku’, nor recite tasbihat in ruku’, nor say « سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ » when rising from ruku’, nor say « اللهُ أَكْبَرُ » when going into prostration, nor recite tasbih in prostration, nor recite tashahhud in the sitting position. Whoever understands the commands of Allah and His religion does not have such a misconception. Therefore, it is definite and certain that in this hadith, the meaning of ‘insat’ (silence) is silence from mutual conversation and speech among people. It does not mean silence from takbir, recitation of the Qur’an, tasbih, and remembrance, etc., which the worshipper is commanded to perform during prayer. Similarly, the meaning of the statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him), if it is proven authentic, “When the imam recites, remain silent,” is to stop conversing with people. I have already explained the meaning of ‘insat’ and how many meanings this word can have under the issue of “reciting behind the imam.”