Khutbah is an Arabic word meaning "sermon" and commonly used to refer to the Friday khutbah, which is performed before Jumu'ah (Friday afternoon prayer). It is an important part of Jumu'ah and is considered a replacement for the two rak'ahs commonly read for Zuhur (midday prayer). The khutbah is obligatory, so without khutbah the Friday prayer is invalid. Finally, with regard to Friday prayers, the Qur'an says: 'O believers! When the call to prayer is called on Friday, then diligently turn to the remembrance of Allah and let your affairs rest. That's best for you, if you only knew.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparing the khutbah
Step 1. Choose a good topic
Avoid controversial topics that are likely to divide the congregation. Since the Jumu'ah prayer is a time of gathering, you should choose a topic that will unite the congregation. Also avoid complicated topics, such as the rules of inheritance, as not everyone will be able to understand the topic well. Remember that the congregation must be able to leave the mosque with a newly learned lesson, and if you choose a subject that is too controversial or difficult, the khutbah may not be as effective as you would like.
Try to choose a relevant topic. For example, as Ramadan, Eid, or the Hajj season is approaching in a few weeks, speak about the virtues of these events so that the congregation can better understand their significance
Step 2. Learn and practice public speaking
The khutbah is a public speech to a large audience. On Fridays, the mosques are normally even more crowded than usual, so it is vital that you know how to give an effective khutbah, which will benefit the congregation. With that in mind, you need to know that your listeners respect your knowledge, so you need to be able to keep the sermon flowing and coherent. There are many ways to do this, for example:
- Look at the audience. If they feel like you're speaking to them directly, they'll feel more involved.
- Raise your voice to emphasize certain points. This will bring back the focus that may have wandered a bit and you can emphasize the most important parts of your speech that way.
- Know your verses and hadiths. The worst thing that can happen to you when delivering a khutbah is not being able to recite a particular verse, mispronounce it or even forget a verse.
- Make sure you are well prepared; reread the verses or narrations you are going to recite. This is especially important, because you don't want to constantly look at your writing. Memorize your sermon as much as you can, and be sure to memorize Arabic. Remember: if you misread a verse, you can change its meaning, so be careful, and don't be afraid to take a quick look at your notes to remind you of the correct words.
- If Dutch is not your native language, it may be better to avoid words that are difficult to pronounce. Some people might get distracted by this, and might even laugh if you mispronounce a word.
Part 2 of 2: Keeping the khutbah
There are specific guidelines for delivering the Friday sermon. For example, the sermon is split into two parts and there are certain prayers that must be said at the beginning and at the end of the sermon.
Step 1. Go to the pulpit and salute the congregation
You are expected to use the full Islamic greeting, Assalamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh (May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you). After you have said this, you can sit down.
After the khateeb (the one who gives the sermon) has sat down, the muaddhin (the one who makes the call to prayer) will make the adhan
Step 2. Get up and recite the Khutbat-ul-Haajjah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to praise Allah before starting his khutbah. The Khutbat-ul-Haajjah is read in Arabic and is:
- Al-hamdu Lillahi nahmaduhu wa nasta'eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na'oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa min sayi'aati a'maalinaa. Man yahdih Illaahu falaa mudilla lahu wa man yudlil falaa haadiya lahu. Wa ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu la sharika lahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasooluhu.
- إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ, نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره, ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا, ومن سيئات أعمالنا, مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ, وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ, وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ, وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
- Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our evil deeds. Whoever is guided by Allah will never be misled, and whoever is misled by Allah cannot be guided by anyone. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, the One, of whom there is no second. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Step 3. Recite verses of taqwa (piety)
You can recite any verse that calls people to be godly and pious. The most read verses are 3:102, 4:1, and 33:70-71.
- Ya ayyu-hallathena aama-nutta-qullaha haqqa tuqatihi wala tamootunna illa waantum muslimoon (You who believe, remember God as it belongs to Him, and be sure to commit yourselves to Him until the moment of death.)
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
- Ya ayyu hannas utaqoo rabba kumullathee khala qakum min nafsiw wahidatiw wakhalaqa minha zawjaha wabaththa minhuma rijalan katheeraw wanisaa-ah. Watta-qullahallathee tasaa-aloona bihi wal-arhama innallaha kana 'alaykum raqeeba. (Men, remember your Lord, who created you from one soul, and brought forth from it its mate, and brought forth from their pairs innumerable men and women; remember God, in whose name you call upon one another. And beware of the bonds from kinship: God is always watching over you.)
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَآءً ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
- Ya ayyu-hallathena aama-nuttaqullaha wa qooloo qawlan sadeeda. Yuslih lakum a'maalakum wayaghfir lakum thunoobakum. Wamay yuti'illaha wa rasoolahu faqad faaza fawzan 'atheema. (Believers, remember God and speak directly and with good purpose; He will put your deeds in order for you and forgive you your sins. Whoever obeys God and His messenger will surely gain a great victory.)
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا. لَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
Step 4. Recite another dua
While there are many supplications you can read, the supplications read here are mostly about bid'ah (innovation in religious matters). This is as stated in Sahih Bukhari.
- Amma ba'd (أما بعد). mei yah di hillahu falaa mudhila lahoo, wa may yudhlil hu falaa haadiya lahoo. Ina asdaqal hadeethi kitaabullah, wa ahsanal hadyi hadyu muhammadin, wa sharal umoori muhda-thaa-tu-haa, wa kulla muhda-tha-tim bid'ah, wa kula bid'a-tin dhalaalah, wa kulla dhalaala-tin fin-naar.
- مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَأَحْسَنَ الْهَدْىِ هَدْىُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَشَرَّ الأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ وَكُلَّ ضَلاَلَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
- Whoever is guided by Allah cannot go astray, and whoever Allah causes astray cannot be guided. The true word is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst things are those which are newly invented; every newly invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is an error and every error is in the Fire.'
Step 5. Start with your khutbah
It can be on any subject, such as a particular verse or hadith, Islamic events, or recent social issues.
- Once you have finished the first part of the sermon, recite Aqoolu qawli haa dhaa wa'asstagh fi rullaha lee wa lakum, which means 'I say these words of mine and ask Allah's forgiveness'.
قولي هذا وأستغفر الله ولكم
- This part of the khutbah is not obligatory. If your time is limited, you should only recite the obligatory Arabic parts of the khutbah, as the Dutch part of the sermon is an extra addition.
Step 6. Sit down
This is part of the sunnah. This time should be used for forgiveness, so you should recite a short dua before sitting down to show the congregation that it is now time to repent.
If your throat is sore or dry from all that talking, feel free to carry a bottle of water with you and take a sip - but don't leave the pulpit
Step 7. Get up again and praise Allah
Just as you did at the beginning of the first part, you should now also praise Allah and His Messenger at the beginning of the second part. Recite Alhamdulillah was Salatu Wassalamu 'ala Rasulullah, which means 'My thanks and gratitude belong to Allah, the Lord of all mankind, I ask Allah to bless the Prophet Muhammad and grant Him peace'. Continue with your sermon.
- لِلَّهِ والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله
- Instead of starting a new topic, take this time (the second part is shorter than the first, and shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes) to repeat what you've already said. Focus on the future and advise the congregation on how to implement what you have said in their lives. Highlight the key points of the sermon that you want them to remember after leaving the mosque.
Step 8. End the sermon with duas and salawat
Send blessings to the Prophet and say duas for the congregation and for all Muslims around the world. Some duas you can say are:
- Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil 'akhirati hasanatan waqina 'adhaban-nar' means: 'Our Lord, grant us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire'.
ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
- Rabbana wala tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bihi wa'fu anna waghfir lana wairhamna anta mawlana fansurna 'alal-qawmil kafireen' which means 'Lord, excuse us if we forget or make mistakes. Lord, do not burden us as You burdened those who were before us. Lord, do not burden us with more than we can bear. Forgive us, and have pity on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelievers."
رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
- Rabbana la tuzigh quloobana ba'da idh hadaytana wa hab lana milladunka rahmah innaka antal Wahhab, which means 'Our Lord, do not let our hearts wander after You have guided us. Grant us Thy mercy; You are the Eternal Giver'.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ
- Alahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima wa barik 'ala Muhammad kama barakta 'ala ali Ibrahim fil-'alamin, innaka hamidun majid, meaning 'O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family from Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim among the nations. Verily, You are praiseworthy, full of glory'.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Step 9. Announce the prayer
At the end of the duas, simply say wa aqimas salah (announce the prayer أَقِيمُوالصَّلاَةِ). The congregation will then stand up and make the prayer standing.
- Because many people come to the mosque for Friday prayers, the mosques are usually full of believers. Make sure everyone fits in and has a place. Before you begin, you can say the following Arabic phrases to remind the faithful:
- Istawoo (اسْتَوُوا): straighten the rows
- Taraasoo (تراصوا): stand close to each other
- Sawwoo sufoofakum (سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ): straighten the rows
- Aqeemoo sufoofakum (أقيموا صفوفكم): make straight rows
- 'Saddul khalal (سُدُّوا الْخَلَلَ): fill the gaps
- Haathoo bil manaakib (حَاذُوا بِالْمَنَاكِبِ): stand shoulder to shoulder
- I'tadiloo (اعْتَدِلُوا): stay straight
- The above can be read in Dutch if you wish, as long as the municipality understands it. For example, you can say, “Make sure there are no gaps. Stand straight, shoulder to shoulder."
- You don't have to say all this. It is customary to say 'Istawoo, taraasoo, i'tadiloo' (Straighten the rows, stand close together, stay straight).
Tips
- Another occasion when a khutbah is given is after Eid-salah. In this case, the khutbah comes after the prayer, not before it; the khutbah is done in the same way, with two khutbahs and a short break in between. The subject of your khutbah will generally have to do with the occasion of Eid, its rules, its teachings, the continuation of Ramadan or when to make the sacrifice on Eid al-Adha, etc.
- You must be clean and wear your best clothes.
- Always turn your face to the congregation and be sincere in your counsels.
- Keep the khutbah short. However, this does not mean that it has to be content-less. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'That a man lengthens his prayer and shortens his khutbah is a sign of his understanding (of the religion), so make your prayers long and your khutbahs short, for there is charm in eloquence '. 15-20 minutes is ideal.
- If you make your khutbah extremely long, there is a good chance that people will get bored and lose their focus.
- Make sure your references are accurate and authentic. It is considered sinful to say something about religion that is not true. Examine the verses and ahaadeeth you are going to mention and study the meaning and interpretation to get a full understanding of them.
Warnings
- The khutbah should come before the prayer, not after it.
- Most scholars agree that the khutbah cannot be given in silence because that defeats the purpose of the khutbah, but it must be done loudly for all to hear.
- It is forbidden to speak of meaningless things (laghw) during the khutbah.