Please… Fear Allah in the Friday Khutbah

November 24, 2009 by Haytham Islam, Masjids and Organizations, Worship
67 comments Tags: Fear Allah · khutbah

How many times have you woken up on a Friday morning, taken a shower, dressed in your best clothing, went to work, read surat al Kahf, headed to the masjid, waited for the khateeb (the speaker) but as he starts his khutbah, only to feel disappointed? And as he is delivering his speech you start to look at your watch making dua that the khutbah ends? Or maybe you picked up your cell phone and sent a text to some of your friends saying how horrible the khutbah is? Well, you are not alone.

Our respected elders are the ones who have carried on their shoulders the responsibility of setting the foundations of our communities, but I think it is time for them to pass on the torch to the next Muslim generation. This issue is bigger than just a khutbah that is hard to understand or a khutbah you cannot relate to, rather its an issue of disconnection from the community.

Not too long ago, a brother gave a khutbah about the Muslim youth in our community and shed some light on how we should deal with the youth, how we can understand them and cater to their needs. Although the topic is perfect and super beneficial, the way it was delivered would have made you wish you overslept and never showed up for Jummah. The presentation wasn't prepared properly, the information wasn't correct, the examples given in the khutbah weren't any where close to the reality in our high schools and colleges, and above all, the English was not clear or understandable.

Don't get me wrong, I too have an accent and make a lot of sentence structure and grammar mistakes, so by no means am I making fun of those who have accents, rather I would like to discuss the need to change the “usual Jummah syndrome” that most people suffer from in our communities.

I have always wondered why Allah mandated the Muslims to sit down and listen without any sort of a distraction to the khutbah every week. Is it for us to be educated about our deen? Is it for us to be inspired and motivated? Is it for us to be spiritually reconnected with Allah. Perhaps it is for us Muslims of the same community to gather and interact socially. However, I feel that none of these wisdoms are displayed when I show up for the khutbah only to find out that those who are delivering it are some of the worst public speakers ever. My focus is shifted on how awful the khutbah is rather than focusing on the actual information being delivered.

Many communities suffer from this and so it becomes the duty of the next generation to take the lead. You must take action and be an element of change within your community. There are only a few Yasir Qadhis and Hamza Yusufs around us. They cannot give the khutbahs, lectures, and halaqat all over the Western hemisphere at the same time. Therefore I believe it is time for you and I, the average Abduallahs and average Aishas, to voice our opinions and respectfully disagree with those who appoint khateebs who aren't very good at giving the khutbahs.

It is time for you and I to cause the change that needs to take place in order for our community to move forward. We, the second generation Muslims, should respectfully be able to have a dialogue with our elders and convince them that it's time for them to pass the torch… and the khutbah rotation should be the first on our list.

So here are 10 things you can do to start this chain reaction of change inshaAllah:

Bismillah:

** One very important note that you must keep in mind is that if you think that this attempt of change will cause a bigger and more severe fitna within your community, then don't start it.

Make dua and make sure that your intention of causing this change is for the sake of Allah and not for a personal gain. Also remember that if you are not involved in your community, your opinion may not weigh heavily so if you want to make a change in your community, then get involved now. Be an active member of the masjid and try to be on board with the committee that is in charge of the khutbahs.
Remember that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, 'He is not of us, he who does not honor our elders.” (Tirmidhi).
While observing the proper manners of giving a naseehah, address this issue with the brothers who are in charge of the khutbah rotation and voice your opinion respectfully and suggest a few names whom you think should give the khutbahs and state your reasons why.
If all else fails then start a petition that is not online since most of our elders aren't computer friendly and have it signed by as many people as possible then present it.
Print a 5-questions survey and stand outside the masjid's door and ask people to fill the surveys. In those surveys ask simple and broad question such as, on a scale of 1 to 5 answer the following questions:
How did you like khutbah today?
Were you able to understand the Khateeb?
Was the topic relevant?
Would you recommend this khateeb to give another khutbah?
Use this survey to prove to whoever is in charge of the Khutbah rotation that their selection of such and such person is not the right decision.
Utilize those students who give Khutbahs at the universities and develop them in order for them to be able to give Khutbahs at the main masajids in the near future. In fact, talk to the Imams at the masajid and have them train such youngsters.
Come together with a few brothers and sisters to host a speaker who can teach a weekend course on how to prepare and give a khutbah. Then select 5 or 6 brothers whom you and your congregation think are suitable to give the khutbah to learn such information. If you cannot do this, then search online for organizations who have such services and work with others to sponsor those brothers to take this course.
Ask your congregation in the masjid to suggest few topics that they want to be educated about or topics that they find spiritually fit for a khutbah and collect them and pass them to the khateebs in place and ask them to address them.
Encourage, support, and invest in the high school students in your community to host a khutbah at their highschool. This will serve as a good training for an upcoming Khateeb inshaAllah.

If you have any more ideas, please post it in the comment section.

I hope this will be the spark of change that takes over our masajid for there are plenty of things that must change and I hope Allah gives me the tawfeeq to address them as we go.

Our respected elders are the ones who have carried on their shoulders the responsibility of setting the foundations of our communities, but I think it is time for them to pass on the torch to the next Muslim generation. This issue is bigger than just a khutbah that is hard to understand or a khutbah you cannot relate to, rather its an issue of disconnection from the community.

Not too long ago, a brother gave a khutbah about the Muslim youth in our community and shed some light on how we should deal with the youth, how we can understand them and cater to their needs. Although the topic is perfect and very beneficial, the way it was delivered would have made you wish you overslept and never showed up for Jummah. The presentation wasn't prepared properly, the information wasn't correct, the examples given in the khutbah weren't any where close to the reality in our high schools and colleges, and above all, the English was not clear or understandable.

I have an accent and make a lot of sentence structure and grammar mistakes, so by no means am I making fun of those who have accents, rather I would like to discuss the need to change from the “usual Jummah syndrome” that most people suffer with in our communities.

I have always wondered why Allah mandated on the Muslims to sit down and listen without any sort of a distraction to the khutbah every week. Is it for us to be educated about our deen, is it for us to be inspired and motivated, is it for us to be spiritually reconnected with Allah. Perhaps it is for us Muslims of the same community to gather and interact socially. However, I feel that none of these wisdoms are displayed when I show up for the khutbah to find out that those who are delivering it are some of the worst public speakers ever. My focus is shifted on how awful the khutbah is rather than focusing on the actual information being delivered.

Many communities suffer from this and so it becomes the duty of the next generation to take the lead. You must take action and be an element of change within your community. There are only a few Yasir Qadhis and Muhammad AlShareefs around us. They cannot give the khutbahs, lectures, and halaqat all over the Western hemisphere at the same time. Therefore I believe it is time for you and I, the average Abduallahs, to voice our opinions and respectfully disagree with those who appoint khateebs who aren't very good at giving the khutbahs.

It is time for you and I to cause the change that needs to take place in order for our community to move forward. We, the second generation Muslims, should respectfully be able to have a dialogue with our elders and convince them that its time for them to pass the torch… and the khutbah rotation should be the first on our list.

So here are 10 things you can do to start this chain reaction of change inshaAllah:

Bismillah:

** One very important note that you must keep in mind is that if you think that this attempt of change will cause a bigger and more sever fitna within your community, then don't start it.

Make dua and make sure that your intention of causing this change is for the sake of Allah and not for a personal gain.Â Also remember that if you are not involved in your community, your opinion may not weigh heavily so if you want to make a chance in your community, then get involved now.Â Be an active member of the masjid and try to be on board with the committee that is in charge of the khutbahs.
Remember that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, 'He is not of us, he who does not honor our elders.” (Tirmidhi).
While observing the proper manners of giving a naseehah, address this issue with the brothers who are in charge of the khutbah rotation and voice your opinion respectfully and suggest a few names whom you think should give the khutbahs and state your reasons why.
If all else fails then start a petition that is not online since most of our elders arent computer friendly and have it signed by as many people as possible then present it.

Print a 5-question survey and stand outside the masjid's door and ask people to fill the surveys. In those surveys ask simple and broad question such as, on a scale of 1 to 5 answer the following questions:

How did you like khutbah today?
Where you able to understand the Khateeb?
Was the topic relevant
Would you recommend this khateeb to give another khutbah?

Use this survey to prove to whoever is in charge of the Khutbah rotation that their selection of such and such person is not the right decision.

Utilize those students who give Khutbahs at the universities and develope them in order for them to be able to give Khutbahs at the main masajids in the near future. In fact, talk to the Imams at the masajid and have them train such youngsters.
Come together with a few brothers and sisters to host a speaker who can teach a weekend course on how to prepare and give a khutbah. Then select 5 or 6 brothers whom you and your congregation think they are suitable to give the khutbah to learn such information. If you cannot do this, then search online for organizations who have such services and work with others to sponsor those brothers to take this course.
Ask your congregation in the masjid to suggest few topics that they want to be educated about or topics that they find spiritually fit for a khutbah and collect them and pass them to the khateebs in place and ask them to address them.

Encourage and support the highschool students in your community to host a khutbah at their highschool. This will serve as a good training for an upcoming Khateeb inshaAllah.

If you have any more ideas, please post it in the comment section.

I hope this will be the spark of change that takes over our masajid for there are plenty of things that must change and I hope Allah give me the tawfeeq to address them as we go.

Tags: Fear Allah · khutbah

About MuslimMatters

Muslimmatters.org began in 2007 as a collaboration between various Bloggers and Shuyukh in order to bring attention to issues faced by Muslims, especially in the West. We have focused on issues of Religion, Society, Ethics, Sex Education, Politics, Civil Rights, Family, as well as the random issues that pop up from now and then, all with some ranting and humor mixed in.

We challenge ourselves and our readers to engage in discourses that touch our lives as citizens of the West, while maintaining our individual Islamic identities: Ultimately to cooperate, but not to compromise.

http://hydtechblog.com IsmailBhai

jazakumullah Haytham.
Ahmed

So true! Though a speaker may contain vast wisdom and knowledge of this deen, if he has trouble speaking in the language of the people, or does not experience what the congregation encounters in their daily lives, the listeners will have a hard time relating to the khateeb. I’ve sat through khutbahs where the khateeb uttered things that made me cringe; a speaker should have knowledge of the idioms and expressions of the people he is addressing, e.g. what jokes are considered acceptable and what are not. I’ve noticed other khateebs ascend the mimbar and proceed to give what sounds like the same khutbah, over and over again. I do not wish downplay all the great work our imams and khateebs do, and the wonderful services they provide as pillars of their communities, but the Jum’ah khutbah is the chance to energize and educate the people, every single week. Yet I can only recall a few truly memorable khutbahs, and some of those were online and not from my local community.

I would encourage those intending to act on Br. Haytham’s suggestions to heed his and the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) words on respecting one’s elders. Such a project is doomed to failure if this sunnah and beautiful characteristic is not adhered to.
Ibn AbuAisha

Excellent article Haytham, I’m glad that you’ve got the ball rolling…atleast got us thinking about this issue. My thoughts:

- Good Advice, particularly love the 10 points.
- I think the survey idea might rub people the wrong way, I mean the Masjid committee might think “Oh these guys are causing a rebellion by standing at the door…typical youngsters ; )” but I like the idea. As you advised, if they get permission from the Masjid admin beforehand, then it should not cause any confusion.

May Allah reward you for discussing this and thinking about solutions. I pray to Allah that He makes this fruitful for us and all those who are active in their communities.

BarakAllahu Feekum Wassalamu ‘Alaikum.

http://www.muslimmatters.org/author/haytham Haytham

Jazakom Allahu Khayran Br. Ibn AbuAisha for the feedback… this is the feedback that am looking for :)

Tho I think you might be right… i also think that its okay to upset them every once and a while depending on the situation. Some of the uncles are understanding and welling to educate the second generation of their point of view… some others get theatened and shut down and treat us as if we are nobodies … and there are lots more in between…

Hence, I think based on your community situation… use the best technique you see fit. Make istikhara and may Allah help you :) Ameen

http://muslimbestlife.com/blog Siraaj Muhammad

I read a joke once in which a father asks his children, “Why must you keep quiet during the khutbah,” to which they reply, “So we don’t wake up the people who are sleeping.”

If ever there were to be a cure for insomnia, it can be found at the local friday khutbah. There are few khateebs I look forward to – during Ramadan is the worst, because the stomach is empty as is the mind of meaningful dialogue which induces more coma.

I think one measure we need to take is we need to end last-minute-itis. This is where the khutbah arrangement person scrambles to find a khateeb and picks you the day or hour before the khutbah and then all you can really do is download a khutbah from khutbah.com and start saying, “Back when I was in Madinah, I remember…”

If I’m asked to deliver a khutbah last minute, I turn it down and simply tell the person in the future, if they’d like a khutbah delivered from me, they have to give me at least two weeks advance notice. In this way, I can prepare, practice delivery, and give it a naturally from the heart. I can also consult with other people of knowledge and make sure I’m not saying something stupid. We are, after all, representing Islam to numerous people when we stand and deliver.

I’m confident that once everyone sets a minimum limit on how much time is needed for them to accept a khutbah, they’ll find their time is better utilized, and you’ll teach these arrangers of khutbahs that last minute doesn’t cut it – arrange ahead of time or deliver the khutbah yourself.

Siraaj

Sami

Good points Siraaj,

But what if you were asked last minute due to a cancellation, and you have sure knowledge that if you don’t give it, someone who is less relevant and can barely speak the language will? Would you give it out of the door of “helping your Muslim brother?”

http://muslimbestlife.com/blog Siraaj Muhammad

Absolutely not – let someone else deliver the mediocre khutbah, not me. Besides, it teaches another organizing skill – having a back up plan / khutbah / khateeb when things go sour.

Siraaj

Mirza Shahbaaz

assalamualaikum,

great article haytham. we love your spirit and you for the sake of Allaah.
i will see how many of them are practically applicable here in india insh Allaah. jazakumullah khayr.

Siraaj/anyone,

referring in the context of the joke you mentioned, are we allowed to have interactive khutbah? like having participation of crowd. asking them questions or at least asking them are you getting what i am talking about or something like that?

wassalam,

http://www.muslimmatters.org/author/haytham Haytham

May that whom you love for you love me… Ameen.

It is known that once the khateeb rises up on his pulpit, his audience shall not be distracted at all. That includes speaking, looking at your cell phone, replying the salam to the person who walks in… or even play with the carpet.

The evidence for that is the hadith of the prophet regarding the Khutbah: (rough translation) “Whoever plays with the pebbles has become distracted”

Mirza Shahbaaz

interact means, interact with khateeb, not with each other, iff we have a question or something. i dont see that covered during ilmsummit :)
Ismail

Assalaamu Alaykum.

I remember our imaam telling us that once while the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was giving a khutbah, someone didn’t understand something, so the Prophet went over to him and sat down and explained it to him.

Sorry for mentioning this without a reference. I will ask our imaam about where we can find this narration, inshaa’ Allaah. Has anyone else heard of this?

But if this is true, then maybe Mirza’s comment about asking the people if they are “getting what I am talking about” is not such a bad idea.

JazaakAllaahu khayran for your advice Haytham.

http://www.halaltube.com MR

I remember one time I had to do a last-minute khutbah literally 10 minutes after the time of Jummah. I was young and the only person visible in the vicinity of the muadhin (also caretaker of the masjid). He grabbed me and shoved the Tablighi book (Fazail Amaal) and said “Give the khutbah. Read something from there”.

Thankfully it was a Hanafi Deobandi masjid. So the khutbah every week is 100% Arabic and 2 minutes long and always given by the Imam. The English lecture before the adhan is what I gave, so in reality it wasn’t the khutbah, that’s why I didn’t feel bad doing it, but it was still weird.

Anyways I just some ayat and hadith on why salah is important. It lasted about 3-4 minutes. Best Khutbah every people said aftewords. Short, sweet and concise. After that whenever I gave Khutbah at my MSA, I’d make sure it was at maximum 5 minutes. I was notorious for this, thus when people heard I was giving khutbah, they know to come early since I finish early. The first few times was fun, since you could see several people walking in late and everyone was praying sunnah after the Jummah salah. They were like “WTH” hahahaha,

Mirza Shahbaaz

assalamualaikum ,

good point MR. aren’t we supposed to have short and sweet 5 minutes khutba? after all prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam had never had more than 5-7 minutes khutbas? or is it because he was jawaami’ al-kalim and hence we can’t do that?

haytham,

referring to change in society, speaking about giving khutba in india/subcontinent, what other changes would you suggest?

wassalam,

http://muslimbestlife.com/blog Siraaj Muhammad

I believer most scholars are well aware of the Prophet’s Sunnah in regards to the khutbah timing – some have said, however, that since ignorance is rampant and this is the only time an imam or speaker has a captive audience, they should take advantage of the time a bit to get a little more into the community.

Wallaahu a’lam. I agree shorter is better, but I understand why others might differ with this.

Siraaj

abdullah

I heard that in one khutbah the prophet sallahualayhiwassalaam said the khutbatul hajah and 1 ayah and then prayed.

ayesha

…2 weeks prepartion time for khutbah’s!!….yea that would be a extra nice and long time….unlike the really short time the khateebs get here(in a gulf country)…they are informed of the topic jus 2 days before…yet they come up with amazing khutbah’s mashAllah……BarakAllahufeehum…
May Allah make it easy for every daee his daawah….

adimeforyourtime

nice and i think everyone must agree 100% with this issue and remedy. please post your progress in your community and inshallah it may inspire us even more.

here’s a question i have had on my mind for a while now: is the character of the person delivering the khutbah important?

the youth take over sometimes and gain instant popularity for their fresh approach and their clear accent-free words. but while those words may be fantastic, i couldn’t concentrate on them because i know… about the reputations of these same youths outside of the masajid. whatever that is, is between them and Allah. but i cannot help but cringe a little bit when others are offering profuse praise for the speech without an inkling about anything else. MOST DEFINITELY not all youths are ‘bad’ and especially those who choose to be involved in the community are few and precious. i am speaking from a personal experience. so my question is: are the words and the man to be considered separately?

obviously we should make dua for each other. i’m sure if we were to start considering flaws, no one could stand on the pulpit free of sin. but .. i don’t know. is our sole purpose to listen to good speeches?? maybe we should establish ways to create good role models and well rounded, well spoken ‘heroes’ of the community who also give khutbahs in their spare time.

i apologize if this is off topic. just couldn’t think of a better place to ask.

http://muslimahjourney.wordpress.com Holly Garza

aslaamu alaikum Great question you pose-however some of the “worst” people have become some of the best Religious followers not only in Islam but other Religions as well. They become truly good to better people.

Do you mean a reputation that is current? Or do you mean an alleged rep, or something that is clearly known by the persons actions around everyone?

adimeforyourtime

wa alaikum assalaam

I agree with you. But I meant it’s a current reputation. Like some people know the person’s habits, others just know him by his awesome khutbahs and community work. The dual identities sadden me. Bad khutbahs are a problem, but I think our youth need some serious help. They are in a difficult place. Teaching them how to give khutbahs is one thing, teaching them to walk the walk is another.

shahgul

Though we are all sinners, it is better for if the khateeb is not known to be of bad character.
The words nasiha also means sincerity in arabic.

http://www.livingislam.org/nasiha.html

In Urdu we say: Naseehat bay amal bay asar
Translated: Nasihah without practice is without effect

Ad

A feedback survey sounds like a brilliant idea…

So many people I know would relate to this.
Sometimes we switch off… sometimes we cringe… and sometimes blood boils.

One particular Imam, during a Khutbah, kept addressing the Brothers only…. brothers this, brothers that…
My sister’s exact words were:
“I have such a close relationship with Allah.. but when I listen to this, my blood boils. Do we not exist? And all he ever talks about is anger, punishment…. where is the love of Allah that I know?
I come away feeling so angry, and feel like going against everything he says.”
My sister is the most sincerely religous person i know.

http://www.muslimmatters.org/author/haytham Haytham

Yup yup… I dont know of anybody who didnt suffer from this syndrome :)

As for the survey, here is a link to a survey that was used in SW Houston masajid a while ago http://bit.ly/77B95M feel free to cut and paste it if you wish :)

As for addressing the brothers only… I guarantee you that he, the speaker, is affected by an overseas Khateeb… where in his original language (like in Arabic) the He is general for both the males and females… but that is not an excuse…

This is exactly what I mean when I said… disconnected from the environment that we live in!

Great point.. thanks for sharing :)
http://muslimahjourney.wordpress.com Holly Garza

I agree-so many people and sites are now only focusing on the Wrath and anger of Allah. I know of his mercy, blessings, and gifts to us. Of course I am not saying we shouldn’t know of the wrath but so many people are misguiding others-even as we speak. =(

Imtiaz

Assalaam u alaikum

I agree. A change in the approach to Friday Khutbahs is defnitely needed.

One suggestion

The speaker should take 2-3 current events or articles from the local/national newspaper in that week and explain them from an islamic perspective and how Islam provides the solution to that particular situation.

Example : Gloabal Economic recession
Islamic Angle : Prohibition of interest, Islamic Economic principles, Preventing attachment to the world

Woman raped
Islamic Angle : Wisdom of Islam encouraging lowering the gaze, preventing intermingling, getting married etc

Government corruption
Islamic Angle : Principles of accountability, justice, responsibility. Examples of governance from Islamic civilisations.

I feel that this would make the talk much more informative, while emphasising the applicability of Islam for all times and situations. This increases ones Imaan.

Jazakallah
Imtiaz

shahgul

Imtiaz wrote:

Woman raped:
“Islamic Angle : Wisdom of Islam encouraging lowering the gaze, preventing intermingling, getting married etc”

Firstly, rape is not necessarily the result of intermingling. It is a crime of power, and happens in segregated societies and non-segregated societies. Women in remote villages of certain countries are not raped because they go to the night club too often. They are raped to settle a score between men, due to family rivalries and because they are poor and defenseless. The same applies to ethnic cleansing and war. The perpetrators are married men too.

That kind of advice in the US would itself create an island. Come on, you know that you might behave like that in the masjid, but when you go out to work or school, you have to intermingle, & look women in the eye when you talk to them. It is not so easy to get married either, because your parents are looking for the right ethnicity and the parents of eligible Muslimahs are looking for Doctors.

The advice should be about how to behave, in spite of having to interact with women. What to do if marriage is not an option at the time.

Ibn Masood

I once had to sit through a khutbah about making hijrah and why staying in this country is destroying our kids.

No comment…

http://hydtechblog.com IsmailBhai

did you gain any wisdom from it?
Ahmed

Right…and was the khateeb living and working in this mysterious country himself?

http://hydtechblog.com IsmailBhai

maybe he has the niyyah. don’t judge.

Ahmed

True. JazechAllah khair.

http://yo@yo.com shirtman

This is very important, along with the needs for Muslim Chaplains in univerities.
http://withmydreams.wordpress.com Dania

SubhanAllah, very true. jazakAllahu khairun for bringing it up..

Once, shaykh Abdurrahman Hijazi gave a small talk at our local masjid. He was saying that usually the Friday khutbah is the only time the youth, and many people come to the masjid. They come — and the khateeb is only speaking in arabic, and when he speaks in english, it doesn’t really make sense.

Personally I find this a big issue in our community subhanAllah, i mean, i really respect our elder Imam, but sometimes, when they go on for a good hour and you see peoples heads drop, what is the point? In our masjid, we have 2 khutbahs, the first usually given by the imam, mostly in arabic, i enjoy them, they are powerful, but sometimes i leave and forget everything he said, because they are usually irrelevant. I mean going on for an hour about how the ummah is in a bad state, isn’t really going to change anyone, we need topics on how to be the next Umar’s and the next Abu Bakrs.. bringing something up that everyone knows about is usually the best khutbahs ever!

The second khutbah, is usually the jam packed one, the khateeb speaks in english, he is younger, and he’s talks are shorter. This khutbah– usually, you can leave with something new to think about.

So the point shaykh Hijazi had was that, giving the khutbahs that are lengthy and in arabic aren’t helping us out, the youth. If we come to the masjid, and know its going to be another ‘boring’ 50 min talk– in a language i yet need to learn… this is a major issue in our communities

I think we can still stick with our respected Imams, but find young people who can give inspiring short khutbahs, allowing the youth and everyone else to want to come the next Friday. But in the end, it doesn’t really end up to be the age issue, its the topic issue and how it is sent out to the people.

wallahu ta’ala ‘alam
http://www.muslimmatters.org/author/haytham Haytham

I think my point about investing in the High School and College students is already in the works.. Check out this website Khutbahcorner.com sponsored by our brothers and sisters in Crescent Youth in Houston, Texas.

I spoke with them earlier and they told me that the site is not complete yet… but they (some of the freshmen and junior college students) are working on it on a daily bases to have it complete by the up coming semester if not sooner inshaAllah.

In there About Us section they wrote:

Khutbahcorner.com is a wonderful and useful tool developed by the Muslim youth for the Muslim youth. KCâ€™s mission is to provide structured material to help the young aspiring khutab prepare and deliver thorough and effective khutbahs. Whether youâ€™re on the run and need a last minute miracle, or youâ€™re planning on preparing months in advance, Khutbah Corner can provide you with the resources that you need. KC provides documented khutbahs prepared by qualified individuals. KC guarantees that the material you find here is not sleep-worthy, but rather modified and …. continue reading here
http://muslimahjourney.wordpress.com Holly Garza

Asalaamu alaikum I find this to be very true and a problem.

I dislike when a speaker is on the podium telling us we “need to love Allah” in that very monotone High school worn out science Teacher voice…Really? WHY? I know why I do, but if I have a guest or I’m a youth, or I know a teen who is worried about being teased for lack of drug use, gang affiliation, or zina, how is this motivation?

How can we show others the love of Islam and Allah?

I usually do express myself very clearly, but, I am not a scholar or Khateeb and do NOT want to EVER misguide anyone so I can only go so far. However I agree, we need more Siraaj Wahaj, Yaser Birjas, Suheib Webb, and Nouman Ali Khan’s to name a very small few real quick of the top of my head.

Ahmed

I dislike when a speaker is on the podium telling us we â€œneed to love Allahâ€ in that very monotone High school worn out science Teacher voiceâ€¦Really? WHY? I know why I do, but if I have a guest or Iâ€™m a youth, or I know a teen who is worried about being teased for lack of drug use, gang affiliation, or zina, how is this motivation?

Again, so true. Relevance, relevance, relevance! Basic public speaking guidelines! Is your audience going to be able to relate to your message? Don’t just tell someone they need to do such and such, tell them why. Perhaps in the days of old we could hope that the majority of people would simply do as they were told but I’m afraid, for better or for worse, that is no longer the case.

Sameerah

Salam,

Great post Haytham. JazakAllahu Khayr

I think we all should copy this article and send it to our friends and families, facebook it, tweet it etc. The more we get people to read this, inshaallah the more change we can bring about.

I m going to talk to our little sisters youth group in the Masjid and to some aunties and see what we can get done.

Thanks MuslimMatters for posting this article.

http://muslimahjourney.wordpress.com Holly Garza

very good Idea!

omarabq

Great Article!! Great insights into the dilemna facing muslim communiities all over the world (not only the West). I think Haytham suggestions if implemented will transform Muslim communities for the better. JazakAllahu Khair!!!
QasYm

I wish we had boring English khutbahs where I live. Heck, I wish we had English khutbahs where I live. 10 mosques and 0 English khutbahs in 1 town.

We need to revive the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) where the khutbah is very short and brief. His (saw) salah used to be longer than the khutbah. Nowadays, you have an hour long khutbah followed by Surah Kauthar and Ikhlaas.
http://www.prisonplanet.com Yusuf

All praise is due Allah, Master of the Day of Judgment

Beneficial Post Mashallah

Delivery advice: Speak with conviction. If you donâ€™t believe what you say how do you expect those that are listening to you.

Khutbah Subjects:

1.
ALLAH <——————— PLEASE TALK ABOUT OUR CREATOR HE LOVES US
He has 99 names, Say one and come up with three examples in a humanâ€™s life, Appreciation and Thankfulness to Him. What do you hear in a Church………" JESUS LOVES YOU ". Which Khateeb have you heard say …. "ALLAH LOVES YOU"

2.
Salat. Remind them this is what you are judged on first come that day.
Fear That Day. Use the Remembrance of Death as a motif in All speeches

And Allah knows best
http://nihalkhan.blogspot.com Nihal Khan

Very well put. Haytham :)

http://nihalkhan.blogspot.com Nihal Khan

lol, what?? comon now

Sincerity

So I went For Jumah as I heard alot of stuff about that Hateeb.

Khutbah was in english and Khateeb was pretty young however it was sOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LONG..SubhanAllah he was talking for good hour and half and honestly speaking his tone was very inappropriate (as if he is accusing everyone of running after materialism etc etc)….

We have to find a middle path between boring elders to overly dramatic youth,
shakir

whats wrong with accent. as long as people understand you then its fine. people are different and if you cant respect that then that is your fault.

http://muslimahjourney.wordpress.com Holly Garza

aslaamu alaikum you missed the point-he said the accent in itself is NOT a problem it’s the thickness and not relating to the audience and not delivering it with passion, love, and desire to share.

Huddi

making du’a that the Khutbah ends, thats hilarious…LOL

http://www.muslimmatters.org/author/haytham Haytham

:) true story i promise haha

Muslimah

AsSalaamu Aalaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu,

Jazakha’Allah khayr Br. Haytham. Wonderful ideas masha’Allah. Will try ‘em out at our masjid and see how it goes insha’Allah :) Will keep you updated Insha’Allah :)

BarakAllahu feek

PS. I love how MM put a retweet option. Definitely RTing it to benefit others Insha’Allah!
ASAWB

The survey idea is ingenious Haytham!
http://muslimmatters.org/author/amatullah Amatullah

I think I’m from one of those few blessed communities that has an awesome khutbah/khateeb in the masajid I attend…alhamdulillah. I don’t remember the last “bad” khutbah i heard.

Nonetheless, a khutbah revolution led by the next generation is needed!

jazaak Allahu khayran.
http://www.organicmuslimah.blogspot.com Organica

I like. Two thumbs up!
Mehreen

Great article Haytham, and completely relevant to us as well.
demha99

Jazak Allah Khair Haytham i figured this might have been another “marriage” article but i saw the word Jummah so i read it :P

I would have to say your on the money here. I can fully relate with what is being said. My brother and others i know hate, yes hate going to jummah because they see it as a waste of time. The Khutbas are irrelevant and boring and they usually don’t stick to a topic. I think that just because your a Sheikh doesn’t necessary make you a good Khateeb. I once asked for feedback about the jummah khutba and got almost 5 different topics all together, one of the youth said ” the sheikh lost me but i know he was talking about Musa” . For some reason lots of Khutba’s are copy and paste repeated one’s, One for every holiday or occasion of the year so it doesn’t help boost iman at all. I really enjoyed a recent Khutba that talked about Hajj but tackled lots of current issues that we face in US.

No hate towards our beloved imams and sheikhs in our communities that came from overseas but i think its time that we recognize that it isn’t the uncles and aunties that will be around in 20 years it will be the younger generation that will carry the torch of Islam. In the Quran Allah says meaning ” we have not sent messengers except with there native tongue” We frequently see that the imported Imams cater towards the elders of the community when indeed the youth are the one’s at loss.

Insha Allah the more we talk about these issues and the more initiatives we put in place the better we will get.
shahgul

Dear son Haytham,

I belong to the generation of the ‘uncles’ and let me surprise you, I feel the same way too! If those khutbas are difficult for you to understand in the first few rows, try getting a word or two in in the back rows when the women are chattering.

Your problem will, however not be solved till you wrest the masajid away from the 50+ crowd. Those uncles are so fond of the sound of their own voices, and on such a power trip in the masajid, do you think they are going to care what the public opinion is?

Right now, in Houston, the old guard is at each others neck, trying to decide who will deliver Friday’s khutba.
We are, however, luckier in Houston. In smaller town, all the khateebs are MD’s. Guess why? Because they hold the purse strings. My worst Khutba experience was, when one of these MD spoke the ‘B’ word in the Juma khutba. The congregation could not control the ‘collective gasp’ , but that was all we could manage. He was financing most of the masjid expenses.

May Allah help our children fix what we broke, Ameen.

http://www.muslimmatters.org/author/haytham Haytham

Subhan Allah….

I can only imagine how bad it is for my sisters. May Allah make it easy on them.. Ameen.

Yes I agree that smaller towns suffer even more since there arent much of knowledgeable people around to give the khutbahs… but sister… what is the solution to this? How can we stop this cycle of doom from continuing… that is my ultimate question!

shahgul

I personally believe that the masajid should be sensitive to the needs of those living in America. By this, I mean, that the leadership of masajid and the position of Imaam or Khateeb should be held only by knowledgeable people who either were born or grew up here.

Previously, masajid and islamic schools have partly been an immigration conduit. If brother can speak some Arabic and can recite the Quran, then he can become the Imam or teacher.
I am glad, after 911 this backdoor to immigration was closed.

The problem, however is not the now, we don’t have imams. The problem is we don’t have ‘quality imams’. Or probably the problem is we don’t have quality congregations.

One suggestion that is given often is, for our children to go learn the deen and become imams.
That is not so easy. With the masajid being such hotbeds of politics, anyone who fears Allah would never survive in that kind of environment. I am sorry to say, I have witnessed very unislamic behavior both from congregants and imams. Would you, Haytham, like to be the imam of a certain masjid in SE Houston? I would whip my son if he ever tried.

The question is should we first change the quality of imam, or the quality of congregation? Can a small band of strong Muslims pull the ummah up by its boot straps, or will the ummah have to change first?

I think the first is easier and more practical. I think, not only the young, but the knowledgeable and the local Muslims should band together and let them know what they think. You can vote by your feet. You don’t have to go to the masajid that are not relevent to you and you can take your donation dollars with you. I think someone should start a website to rate the masajid. They should be rated on a number of attributes, including quality of khutba, cleanliness, discipline, social services and sakeenah.
‘Abdil Kareem

Sometimes I wish we can take a basket of rotten tomatoes to the masjid so we can pelt the khateeb and boo him off the minbar.

Its a far less severe punishment than that for speaking about Allah without knowledge, lying about Allah and His Messenger (‘alayhis salaatu wasallam), misconstruing ayaat and ahadeeth and for just being a tall filthy glass of jaahil haywaan.

To all those who are content with these pathetic khutbahs, may Allah deal with you as you deserve. Especially those who come from countries where every khutbah is given its due respect and honor. That truly is a ni3ma.

shahgul

OK., I think this one got carried away. I don’t think we need to behave badly, specially with the khateebs.

Mushtaq

Assalaamu alaikum
May Allah reward and guide us all. Ameen. Insha Allah it is possible to develop great orators. Please take speech classes in college and join a Toast Masters Club in your area. Better yet start one at your Masjid.
In time we will become the ‘uncles and aunties’ with the same set of irritants that upset the youths of today.
Salaam
Fawwaz

Jazak Aalah khair br Haytham
very important topic and points
Beside that, khateeb should care more about his khutba and has to prepair for it very well. When Shaykh Ahmad Alshawy (one of the best khutaba in Saudi Arabia) was asked how do you prepare for your khutbah, he said for at least a week I make it ready and I open the topic in every Majlis to benefit from other about the same topic and after that I also keep reading and looking for any extra details or points to add them to the khutbah.
So the khateeb should do his best to make a good khutbah.
Here there is a good website that may help khutaba to prepare their khutab
http://www.alminbar.com/
Sarah A

Assalam `alaykum

Interesting study done on Khutbah just released by Shura Council from Los Angeles:
http://ispu.org/files/PDFs/ISPU%20-%20The_Muslim_Friday_Khutba.pdf

Jazakum Allahu khayr
http://www.muslimmatters.org/author/haytham Haytham

i just went through that document…. very very interesting .. i ll read it more in details after work today inshaAllah.

Thanks for sharing
maddman

Let it all out Haytham….
shahgul

I think, someone should also negotiate with the masajid to let one young, not necessarily upcoming khateeb deliver a khutba once a month. This would be just like the younger qaris coming on to relieve the major qari during taraweeh.

The khateeb should be selected from promising youngsters from the community. It would be a good idea to just consult with an adviser about the content of the khutba. Quality of delivery should not be an issue, as the protege is in training.
Nadia

Very viable solutions presented here, jazakallah khayr. I love the idea of a survey. What do you think about adding an option where attendees can write down some topics they would like to hear in future khutbahs? I think this would be beneficial for the khateeb, especially if some suggestions are related to what is currently happening in the community so the khateeb can center the khutbah around those and make it more relevant to the community. Also, I think this would give everyone a voice, including the sisters, who may not be on the Shura Board of a masjid and so do not have an avenue to give ideas for khutbah topics.
Umm Kamal

Well said, what about encouraging the older folks to take classes in public speaking too. We cannot neglect the facts that most of them have the knowledge and they are not going anywhere for sometime.

Haytham

About MuslimMatters

Awards

Social networks