Friday Khutba is part of prayers, not for reforming society

Islamic Society

13 Oct 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

Friday Khutba is part of prayers, not for reforming society

It should be delivered in Arabic: Whether Muslims understand what they are being told is immaterial Several intellectuals gave their views on the subject of Using Friday Khutba (the speech delivered by the Imam before prayers) for spreading reformist ideas in the Muslim community. Some said that to be effective Khutba should be given in the language Muslims of that area understand. Commenting on these ideas, conservative Deobandi Aalim Maulana Nadeemul Wajidi explains that Khutba is an essential part of Friday prayers, actually one-half of the prayers, and like the prayers should only be delivered in Arabic,  the language of Heaven and angels, who come down to listen to the Khutba; whether Muslims understand that or not is immaterial, as Muslims in any case don't understand who they are praying to or what they are praying for . He, however, concedes that lectures dealing with reformist and societal issues, which many Muslims consider the primary purpose of Friday prayers (which has to be for that reason a larger congregation than normal five-times-a-day prayers,) can be given in the local language before the Khutba. But there should not be a gap between the Arabic Khutba and the prayers, so the actual khutba should not even be translated in the local language. URL: http://newageislam.net/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1901