VOLUME 2 – 253 – SITTING AND WAITING TO HEAR A SERMON
Abdullah bin Sa’ib, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I was present with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the (holiday) prayer.
Upon finishing the prayer, he said:
“We will deliver a sermon. Whoever wishes to remain should sit, and whoever wishes to leave may go.” [178]
Abu Dawud states that this hadith is mursal. Because Ata, from among the followers, transmitted this hadith directly from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
EXPLANATION
This honorable hadith indicates that the bayram sermon is not obligatory. If it were obligatory, he would not have allowed the congregation to freely sit or leave.