If the Imam Is Delivering the Friday Khutbah, What Should a Latecomer Do?
Source: Fatāwā Amun Pūrī by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amun Pūrī
The Question
If someone enters the mosque while the Imam is delivering the Friday khutbah, what should he do?
The Answer
Whoever comes during the khutbah should pray two short rakʿahs (tahiyyat al-masjid) before sitting down.
Evidence from Ḥadīth
❀ Ḥadīth of Sulaik al-Ghaṭafānī رضي الله عنه
Sayyidunā Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه narrated:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was delivering the Friday khutbah when Sulaik al-Ghaṭafānī رضي الله عنه entered and sat down. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“O Sulaik, stand up and pray two rakʿahs and make them short.”
Then he said: “If any of you comes on Friday while the Imam is delivering the khutbah, let him pray two rakʿahs.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1166; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 875)
❀ Ḥadīth of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه
ʿIyāḍ ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Abī Sarḥ رضي الله عنه said:
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه entered the mosque on Friday while Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam was delivering the khutbah. He began to pray. Guards came to stop him, but he refused and completed the prayer.
He explained:
“I cannot leave those two rakʿahs. Once a man entered during the khutbah in a shabby state, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered him to pray two rakʿahs, which he did during the khutbah.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 511; Musnad al-Ḥumaydī: 2/326–327; al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 3/194; al-Awsaṭ by Ibn al-Mundhir: 1843; Sunan al-Dārimī: 1593 — sanad ṣaḥīḥ)
Imām al-Tirmidhī graded it ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ, and Imām Ibn Khuzaymah (1830) and Ibn Ḥibbān (2505) graded it ṣaḥīḥ.
Scholars’ Statements
❀ Imām Ibn Khuzaymah (311H):
“When Sulaik رضي الله عنه finished his two rakʿahs, the Prophet ﷺ commanded in general terms until the Day of Judgment that whoever enters during the khutbah must pray two rakʿahs. It is not permissible to restrict this command to Sulaik alone. The wording is general and applies to everyone. Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه even swore that he would never abandon these two rakʿahs after hearing this command.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/167–168, ḥadīth 1835)
❀ Imām al-Nawawī (676H):
“This text is explicit and cannot be reinterpreted. I do not think that any scholar who receives this narration, accepts it as authentic, and still opposes it.”
(Sharḥ Muslim: 1/287)
Conclusion
- Whoever comes to the mosque during the Friday khutbah must pray two short rakʿahs before sitting down.
- This ruling is general for all latecomers, not specific to one Companion.
- Ignoring these rakʿahs contradicts clear and authentic aḥādīth.
