Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
❖ Question
Should the khutbah be short or long?
❖ Answer
It is recommended (mustaḥabb) to keep the khutbah short so that the listeners do not become weary or lose focus.
◈ Evidence from Ḥadīth
ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
((إن طول صلاة الرجل وقصر خطبته مئنة من فقهه، فأطيلوا الصلاة وأقصروا الخطبة، وإن من البيان لسحرا))
“Lengthening the prayer and shortening the khutbah is a sign of a man’s understanding (of religion). So lengthen the prayer and shorten the khutbah. Indeed, some speech has the effect of magic.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 869)
✅ Conclusion
✿ The Sunnah is to keep the khutbah short and concise, while keeping the prayer longer.
✿ A short khutbah reflects the knowledge, wisdom, and fiqh of the khatīb.
