The Khutbah of Jummah

The Khutbah of Jummah is not just a speech. Otherwise, we could have played a tape recorder which contains beautiful speeches on the Mimbar. People could have listened and benefited from it and that would have sufficed for the necessity of the Khutbah. But no one has authorised such a practice. This is a solid indication that it is not just a speech.

Let's say that there is also the aspect of speech in the Khutbah of Jummah. We then must see the extent of the value of this aspect speech and understand that there is also another aspect which is called the aspect of a "symbolic" Zikr. This aspect is stronger and more important than the aspect of speech. It is illogical to maintain a weak aspect at the expense of a strong aspect.

The Khutbah of Jummah is an Ibaadah that must be accomplished just as Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) practiced it. Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) did it in Arabic. After him, the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu Anhum), the Taabi'in and the Tabi Taabi'in, all did it in Arabic. Thus, this Ibaadah must be done in Arabic just as it is being practiced ever since. The fact that since the beginning, this has always been practiced in Arabic, it is a sufficient and satisfactory proof to say that one must do it in Arabic. It is those who want to do it in another language who must furnish a proof. As we know, there is no proof from the Qur’an or Hadith which says that its structure can be changed and that it can be done in another language besides the Arabic language. Therefore, the authorisation to do the Khutbah in Creole is not based on any proof of the Shari'ah. There are some people who had presented a Hadith to prove that it is permissible but they came to know that they had made a mistake in presenting that Hadith. They became aware that the Hadith cannot be used as a proof. Thus, it is an innovation on behalf of those who have turned their backs on the research of the great 'Ulama of the past such as Imam Abu Hanifah (Rahmatullaahi alayh), Imam Malik (Rahmatullahi alayh), Imam Shaafi'i (Rahmatullahi alayh) and Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal (Rahmatullahi alayh).

 [English version of "Khutbah Jum’ah" – Al Jamiat – Vol.5 No.7]