'Ata', Al-Nakha'i, Qatadah, Al-Thawri, Al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, Abu Thawr, and the People of Reason (Ahl al-Ra'y). We know of no dissenter regarding this, except Al-Hasan, who said: It suffices for them all, whether the Imam delivers the sermon or does not, because it is an 'Eid prayer, so the sermon is not a condition for it, like the 'Adha prayer. Our evidence is the saying of Allah the Almighty: "Hasten to the remembrance of Allah." And the remembrance is the sermon. Furthermore, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never abandoned the sermon for the Friday prayer in any situation, and he said: "Pray as you have seen me praying." And from 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "The prayer was shortened for the sake of the sermon." And the statement of 'A'isha is similar to this. Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: The Friday prayer was four [rak'ahs], so the sermon was made in place of the two rak'ahs. His saying: "He delivers the sermon to them while standing" implies that he intended the condition of standing during the sermon, and that whenever he delivers the sermon sitting without an excuse, it is not valid. The words of Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, allow for this. Al-Athram said: I heard Abu 'Abd Allah being asked about the sermon while sitting, or sitting during one of the two sermons? He did not like it and said: Allah the Almighty said: "And they left you standing." And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to deliver the sermon while standing. Al-Haytham ibn Kharija said to him: 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz used to sit during his sermon. He showed disapproval of that. This is the school of Al-Shafi'i. The Qadi said: It is sufficient for him to deliver the sermon while sitting. Ahmad has explicitly stated this, and it is the school of Abu Hanifa, because it is a remembrance whose condition is not facing the Qibla, so standing is not obligatory for it, like the Adhan. The position of the first [view] is what Ibn 'Umar narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to deliver two sermons while standing, separating between them by sitting. It is agreed upon. Jabir ibn Samura said: Indeed
(1) Previously cited in 2/157. (2) Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in: "The Chapter of the Man Who Misses the Sermon," from the book of Prayer. Al-Musannaf 2/128. (3) Surah Al-Jumu'ah, 11. (4) Abu Ahmad al-Haytham ibn Kharija al-Khurasani by origin. Imam Ahmad narrated from him, and he asked Imam Ahmad about several things. He died in Baghdad in the year 228 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabila 1/394. (5) Narrated by Al-Bukhari in: "The Chapter of Delivering the Sermon While Standing," and "The Chapter of Sitting Between the Two Sermons on Friday," from the Book of Jumu'ah. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/12, 14. And Muslim in: "The Chapter of Mentioning the Two Sermons Before Prayer and the Sitting Between Them," from the
