Is the ruling on silence during the sermon different for those near the mosque versus those far away?

Primary text

There is no distinction between those near and those far regarding the obligation of listening and silence, based on the general nature of the preceding proofs. Uthman is reported to have said that one who is close should hear and be silent, and one who is far should be silent, asserting that the silent one who cannot hear receives the same reward as the one who hears. The narration from Abdullah ibn Amr states that three types attend Friday prayer, and the one who attends with silence and stillness, without stepping over a Muslim's neck or harming anyone, receives expiation until the following Friday, plus three days extra, based on the verse regarding good deeds being rewarded tenfold (Quran 6:160).