Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers, or Allah will, indeed, seal their hearts, and then they will be among the heedless
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that they heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) speak on his wooden pulpit and say:
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that they heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) speak on his wooden pulpit and say: "Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers, or Allah will, indeed, seal their hearts, and then they will be among the heedless."
Attribution: Narrated by Muslim
Grade: Authentic
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned, while on his pulpit, against neglecting the Friday prayer and missing it without a valid excuse, due to laziness or carelessness. He said that such people would have their hearts sealed by Allah, covered with a barrier that prevents them from following the truth. As a result, they would become among those who are heedless of the means of goodness, with their souls turning away from acts of obedience.
Benefits
The strict warning against failing to attend the Friday prayer and that this is from the major sins.
An-Nawawi said: It indicates that the Friday prayer is an individual obligation.
The legitimacy of using the pulpit for delivering the sermon.
As-Sindi said: The meaning is that one of the two outcomes will inevitably occur—either refraining from abandoning the Friday prayers or Allah Almighty sealing their hearts. Habitually abandoning the Friday prayer leads to the heart being overwhelmed by rust and causes the souls to lose interest in acts of obedience.
A preacher and advisor should refrain from mentioning the names of those he wants to preach to, as this approach is more conducive to the acceptance of advice and compliance with the commands.
