KHUTBAH IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?

THE OPINION OF THE AIMMAH (RAHMATULLAHI ALAIYHIM)

The school of thought of the Hanafi: It is not permissible to conduct the Khutbah in another language besides Arabic.

The school of thought of the Hambali: It is not permissible to conduct the Khutbah in any language besides Arabic.

The school of thought of the Shaafi'i: It is necessary to do Hamd (praise) of Allah and Durud Shareef in Arabic in the Khutbah. Moreover, it is Sunnah to use the Arabic language. According to another opinion that was considered to be more correct, the Khutbah must be conducted in Arabic for it to be valid.

The school of thought of the Maliki: the Khutbah must be conducted in Arabic.

Therefore, according to all the 4 schools of thought, it is not permissible to conduct Khutbah in any language besides Arabic. Consequently, it is not permissible to conduct Khutbah in a foreign language.

... DO NOT PERFORM SALAAT-UL-JUMMAH...

One should not perform Jummah in a Masjid where the Khutbah is being conducted in a foreign language as conducting the Khutbah in another language besides Arabic is against the principle of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) and the practice adopted by all Muslims of all eras. Conducting the Khutbah in a foreign language is a means of being in conflict with the principle that has been adopted by the Ummah all the time since the era of Nabi (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam). It is grave for the entire Ummah, and mainly for the person who has introduced this Bid’ah. 

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said: "The one, who introduces an evil principle in the Ummah, will get the sin for what he has committed as well as the sin of all those who practice it after him."

No doubt, to conduct the Khutbah in a foreign language is a BID'AH and an EVIL PRINCIPLE that must be avoided at all costs.

UNITY AND KHUTBAH IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The Arabic language is the language of the Qur’an-e-Kareem and the Hadith. It is the language of the people of Jannah. It is this very language that can unite the Ummah at an international level. The language used by the Ummah in Ibaadah is the Arabic language. Khutbah is such an important Ibaadah that all worldly transactions and occupations have been prohibited for the sake of listening to the Khutbah. The Zikr or the Ibaadah of Khutbah has been accomplished in Arabic all the time since the era of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam). The change of language in the Khutbah represents a change in the structure of this Ibaadah. To change the structure of an Ibaadah is very grave. It is a means and a way to invalidate the Ibaadah in question. It is just like performing 4 Rak'aat of Maghrib instead of 3.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said: 

"The one, who introduces something foreign into  our system, is rejected." (Bukhari) 

Conducting the Khutbah in a foreign language or in any other language besides Arabic is something foreign. Therefore, it is something unacceptable that is subdividing the community which is already torn apart and divided – and this also without any use, benefit, advantage besides creating hatred, rancour and enmity within the Ummah.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) has even abandoned things that are recommended and laudable merely for the Ummah not to be confused and fall into dissention. For example, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) had abandoned the idea of reconstructing the Ka'bah Shareef according to its original plan during the era of Ibraheem (Alaihis Salaam). And this is merely to avoid dissention and to prevent people from being confused. So, how much more is it important to abandon the practice of conducting the Khutbah in another language besides Arabic which does not even has the status of “Mubaah” also and has no benefit besides creating division?

THE KHUTBAH  IS NOT A SPEECH

The Khutbah is not a speech like any other speech. It is not necessary for people to understand the speech for it to be valid. If the Khutbah was conducted in front of those who are deaf and do not hear anything, it will not prevent the Khutbah from being valid. This is because the aspect of Zikr is stronger in it. That is why in the Qur’an-e-Kareem and the Hadith, has called it Zikr.

MASJID OR CINEMA?

If we take it in the sense of an ordinary speech like any other speech, then the time is not far where a speech will be broadcasted on the screen in the Masjid instead of a person coming to conduct the Khutbah. All this will happen when we say that the Khutbah is a speech and a speech must be understood. So, it must be conducted in a language that people understand. The new generation will carry on this logic and say that the Khutbah is a speech and the main aspect of a speech is to convey a message. So, it is not necessary for a person to take the trouble to come over for that purpose. It can be done through cassette, video or any other means that are available during that era. 

This may happen especially when a great personality will pay us a short visit in Mauritius. Then he will be requested to conduct the Khutbah in a certain place and it will be broadcasted in all Masjid. Our Masjid will become a movie theatre. (Na’uzubillah).

A SPEECH BEFORE KHUTBAH

The practice of conducting a speech before the Khutbah dates from the era of Hazrat Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu). Hazrat Tameem Daari (Radiyallahu Anhu) used to deliver a speech by the Mimbar until Hazrat Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) used to arrive to conduct the Khutbah on the Mimbar. Therefore, the practice of conducting a speech by the Mimbar before conducting Khutbah on the Mimbar, as is practiced by us, is a practice that had existed during the "Khair-ul-Qurun" (best eras) and it was approved by the second caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu). A practice that is authorised and approved by the caliphs or one caliph is Sunnah according to the sayings of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam): "Follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my caliphs ...."

Allaamah Ibn Taimiyyah (Rahmatullahi Alaiyh) said that following the Sunnah of the caliphs is absolutely obeying Allah Ta’ala and Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam). Therefore, according to this perspective, the practice that is in force in regards to conducting a speech by the Mimbar before conducting the Khutbah on the Mimbar is in accordance with the principle of Sunnah. This is how the speech which is conducted by the Mimbar in the local language fulfils the goal that we want to achieve by conducting the Khutbah in a foreign language.

[English version of "Khutbah en creole?" – Al Jamiat – Vol.1 No.5]