إِذَا قُلْتَ لِصَاحِبِكَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَنْصِتْ وَالْإِمَامُ يَخْطُبُ فَقَدْ لَغَوْتَ
If you say to your companion, 'Be quiet,' while the Imam is delivering the khutbah, you have indeed engaged in idle talk.
Idha qulta li-sahibika yawm al-Jumu'ah anṣit wal-Imamu yakhṭubu faqad laghawta
When to Read
This guidance applies specifically to the time of the Friday khutbah. While there isn't a specific *dua* to recite in words during this time, the core instruction from the Prophet ﷺ is about our *state* – one of complete attentiveness and silence. Speaking, even to tell someone to be quiet, negates the reward of listening. Therefore, the 'dua' here is in our intention and action: to absorb every word, reflect upon it, and make our hearts receptive to its message.
How to Read
The 'recitation' is the act of listening. Turn your heart and mind towards the Imam. Let your eyes focus on him, and your ears capture his words. Avoid any fidgeting, looking around, or engaging in private conversations – even through gestures. The command is clear: 'anṣit' – be silent, listen attentively. This focused listening is itself a form of worship and supplication, asking Allah to allow the message to benefit you.
Virtues & Benefits
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ clearly stated the consequence of not listening: 'whoever listens to the khutbah is forgiven for the (minor) sins between that Friday and the next, plus three more days.' (Sahih Muslim 857). This profound benefit is contingent upon attentive listening. Speaking during the khutbah, as the hadith above indicates, renders this listening ineffective and potentially nullifies the opportunity for this great forgiveness. It's about prioritizing the remembrance of Allah and the guidance from His Messenger ﷺ over all other distractions.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When it is Friday, the angels stand at the gate of the mosque and write down the names of those who come first, and then those who follow them. The example of the one who is early is like the one who offers a camel as a sacrifice. The one who comes next is like the one who offers a bull, and the next like the one who offers a horned ram. The next like the one who offers a chicken, and the next like the one who offers an egg. When the Imam comes out (to deliver the sermon), the angels roll up their scrolls and listen to the sermon. The example of the one who listens to the sermon at the end is like the one who offers an egg." Sahih al-Bukhari 932. And in another narration from Abu Huraira, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever performs Ghusl on Friday (i.e. bath), and then comes to Friday prayer at the first hour (of its time), it is as if he sacrificed a camel, and whoever comes at the second hour, it is as if he sacrificed a cow, and whoever comes at the third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram. Whoever comes at the fourth hour, it is as if he offered a chicken, and whoever comes at the fifth hour, it is as if he offered an egg. When the Imam comes for the khutbah, the angels attend the (khutbah) prayer. So, whoever comes late, he misses all that, just as the one who comes late for the prayer misses its reward. The Prophet (ﷺ) also said: 'When one of you says to his companion during the khutbah: 'Listen!' then he has already engaged in an idle talk.' Sahih al-Bukhari 934. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Whoever hears the Khutbah, and then talks during it, he has committed hypocrisy.' Sahih Muslim 851.