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Fatwa CenterWhat to Do at the Time of Iqaamah and Khutbah
Question
Assalamu AlaikumWhat to do in the time of iqama and khutba? And can we do dhkir in these times?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
During the Khutbah (Friday sermon), the worshiper is Islamically enjoined to listen to the Khateeb [the person who delivers the Khutbah] and not be preoccupied by anything else or speak to anyone else.
Abu Hurayrah 
narrated that the Prophet said: “On Friday, when the Imam is delivering the Khutbah (religious talk), if you say to your companion to keep quiet, then you have indeed committed a sin (error/something senseless).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Besides, Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated that the Prophet said: “If anyone speaks on Friday while the Imam is delivering the Khutbah, he is like an ass which carries books (of knowledge), and he who tells him to be quiet is not credited with the Friday prayer [i.e. he loses its reward].” [Ahmad, and its chain of narrators is classified as Hasan by Ahmad Shaakir]
Ibn Qudaamah 
said in Al-Mughni:
“It is obligatory to listen as soon as the Imam starts the Khutbah, for it is not permissible to speak to anyone in the audience.” [End of quote]
Listening, as the jurists said, is “achieved by avoiding talking and Thikr by the listener, and by avoiding talking to others without the mention of Allah.” That means that whoever listens to the Khutbah, then his listening to it occurs by avoiding speaking and avoiding Thikr with the tongue. As for the one who does not listen to the Khutbah, like the deaf for example, or one who is far away from the Imam, while there are no loud speakers, then he must avoid speaking but he is not prevented from mentioning Allah with his tongue.
There is nothing wrong with speaking during the Iqaamah, whether by Thikr or other permissible speech.
Mataalib Uli an-Nuha reads:
“It is permissible to speak during the Iqaamah before starting the prayer.” This is narrated by ‘Umar . [End of quote]
It is desirable to supplicate between the two Khutbahs, and after the two Khutbas and before the prayer when the Iqaamah is called, as this precise time is a time when the supplication is most likely answered.
The footnote of al-Bajirmi, from the Shaafi’i School of jurisprudence, reads:
“The worshipper supplicates when the Khateeb sits down before he starts the Khutbah, and between the two Khutbahs, and after the two Khutbahs and before the prayer, or after the Tashahhud before the Salaam, but not during the Khutbah.”
Allah Knows best.
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