Is sitting between the two Friday sermons obligatory?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Friday Prayer
Primary text
It is recommended (*mustahabb*) that the speaker sits briefly between the two sermons because the Prophet, peace be upon him, did this, as narrated from Ibn Umar and Jabir ibn Samurah. The majority of scholars hold that this sitting is not obligatory. The evidence for this view is that this sitting contains no prescribed remembrance (*dhikr*), and therefore it is not obligatory like the first sitting. Many companions delivered the sermon without sitting in between, including Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah and Ubayy ibn Ka'b, according to Ahmad.
Supporting text
Al-Shafi'i holds that the sitting is obligatory because the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to perform it. Furthermore, Malik, the scholars of Iraq, and the rest of the jurists of the major cities, excluding Al-Shafi'i, maintain that there is no penalty upon one who omits the sitting between the two sermons.