Etiquettes of Delivering the Khutbah
Two Khutbahs of Jumu’ah:
❀ There are two khutbahs on Friday, and one should sit for a short while between them. Jabir bin Samurah (RA) says:
كانت للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم خطبتان يجلس بينهما
“The Noble Prophet ﷺ used to deliver two khutbahs and would sit between them.”
The Khutbah should be delivered standing:
❀ Once during the sermon, a caravan of merchants arrived from the evening, and people went towards it. Upon this, Allah Almighty said:
وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا
❀ Our Master Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يخطب قائما ، ثم يجلس ، ثم يقوم فيخطب قائما ، فمن نبأك أنه كان يخطب جالسا فقد كذب ، فقد والله صليت معه أكثر من ألفي صلاة
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to stand and deliver the sermon (Jumu’ah), then sit down, then stand again and deliver the (second) sermon. So whoever tells you that you used to deliver the Friday sermon sitting, then indeed he has lied, by Allah! I have prayed with you more than two thousand prayers.”
❀ It is not permissible to deliver the sermon sitting without a valid Shariah excuse. Ka’b bin ‘Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said about the one who delivers the sermon sitting:
انظروا إلى هذا الخبيث يخطب قاعدا
“Look at this wicked one, delivering the sermon sitting.”
❀ Besides Friday and the two Eid prayers, it is permissible to deliver general admonition sitting. Abu Sa’id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sat on the pulpit and delivered the sermon while we were sitting around him.
❀ After the pulpit was made, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to deliver the Friday sermon from the pulpit.
Leaning on something during the sermon:
❀ It is Sunnah to lean on a staff or stick during the sermon. Sayyiduna Hukm bin Hazn al-Kalbi رضي الله عنه says: “We stayed with the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم for several days, during which we also attended Friday prayer, and he صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم stood leaning on a stick while delivering the sermon.”
Qualities of the preacher:
❀ Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه narrates: When the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم delivered the sermon, his eyes would become red, his voice would become loud, and he would become passionate. It was as if the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was warning us of an army that would attack us in the morning or evening.
Qualities of the Friday sermon:
❀ Before giving a sermon, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to recite the following khutbah:
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
“Indeed, all praise is due to Allah, we praise Him and seek His help. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomever He misguides, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His servant and Messenger. After praise and thanks! Surely the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the way of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. And the worst of affairs are those that are newly invented in the religion; every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance leads to the Hellfire.”
❀ And at the end of the khutbah, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would say these words:
أقول هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم
“This is what I had to say; now I ask Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you.”
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would recite from the Holy Quran during the khutbah and advise the people.
The khutbah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was moderate in length, and so was the prayer.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: A short prayer and a short khutbah are signs of a person’s wisdom.
Amarah ibn Ruybah, may Allah be pleased with him, saw Bishr ibn Marwan raising both hands during the khutbah on the pulpit and said: “May Allah destroy those two hands. I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, when giving the khutbah, only pointing with the index finger.”
Friday Sermon in Non-Arabic Languages:
Besides the prescribed sermon, religious rulings should be conveyed to the audience in their commonly spoken language. Some people have stipulated that the Friday sermon must necessarily be in Arabic. This condition contradicts the purpose of the sermon. The purpose of the sermon is to preach and advise and to educate people; that is why the sermon is called “reminder” in the Holy Quran. The Lord of the Worlds says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
“O you who believe! When the call is proclaimed for the prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah (the sermon and prayer).”
In this blessed verse, the sermon is called a reminder and advice, and preaching and advice can only happen when the listeners understand the speaker. That is why all the Prophets were sent to their own people in their language. The Almighty says:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ
“And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to make clear to them.”
Moreover, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) invited other nations in their own languages, as the Prophet instructed Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) to learn Hebrew, and Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) knew Persian and explained issues to Persian speakers in Persian.
❀ And Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both) explained issues to non-Arabs through a translator.
The purpose of sending the Prophets in the language of their people was to explain the divine rulings to the people, and this is exactly the purpose of the Friday sermon. Now, if the sermon is in a language that the listeners cannot understand, will it be possible to educate the people? As for the fact that there is no evidence from the early centuries that sermons were delivered in non-Arabic languages, the reason is that in the early centuries there was no need felt for it. Furthermore, even among the Hanafis, Arabic is not necessary for the sermon. In Fatawa Shami it is stated: The author did not impose the condition that the sermon must be in Arabic, because it has already been discussed in the chapter on the description of prayer that according to Imam Abu Hanifa this is not a condition, even if the listeners are capable of Arabic, unlike the other two Imams, because according to them it is a condition to be in Arabic, but if someone is unable in Arabic, then according to them too it is permissible in a non-Arabic language.
Common Speech Before the Friday Sermon:
Those who declared the sermon in a non-Arabic language forbidden, when they saw that the purpose of the sermon was not being fulfilled, instead of delivering the Friday sermon in a non-Arabic language, innovated a third sermon called a speech before the sermon, which is entirely an addition to Islam, and indeed explicitly against the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما reports:
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن التحلق قبل الصلاة يوم الجمعة
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade gathering before the Friday sermon.”
Interrupting the Sermon:
❀ An Imam can leave the sermon in the middle if there is a necessity. Sayyiduna Abu Rafi’ah رضي الله عنه says: I reached the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم while he was delivering a sermon. I said, “O Messenger of Allah! I am a stranger, I have come to ask questions about religion because I do not know about religion.” The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم turned towards me, left the sermon, and came to me. Then an iron chair was brought and placed near me. He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم sat on it and began to teach me what Allah had taught him. Then he returned and completed the rest of the sermon.
Supplicating in the Sermon:
❀ A prayer can be made during the sermon if there is a need, for example, when a person requested a prayer for rain during the sermon, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prayed for it immediately.
Units of Friday Prayer:
❀ The obligatory prayer on Friday consists of two rak’ahs. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) states:
صلاة الجمعة ركعتان على لسان محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم
“The two rak’ahs of Friday have been made obligatory by the words of Muhammad (peace be upon him).”
The recitation in the Friday prayer should be done aloud. Sayyiduna Ibn Abi Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) led us in the Friday prayer, in the first rak’ah he recited Surah Al-Jumu’ah, and in the second rak’ah he recited Surah Al-Munafiqun, then he said: “I have heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) reciting these two Surahs in the Friday prayer.”
It is recommended to recite Surah Al-Jumu’ah in the first rak’ah and Surah Al-Munafiqun in the second rak’ah of the Friday prayer. Similarly, reciting Surah Al-A’la in the first rak’ah and Surah Al-Ghashiyah in the second rak’ah is also Sunnah.
Nawafil before the Obligatory Prayers:
❀ There is no fixed number of Sunnah prayers before the sermon; one may pray as many as they wish. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said without specifying a number:
من اغتسل ، ثم أتى الجمعة ، فصلى ما قدر له
“Whoever performs ghusl, then comes for Jumu’ah, and prays as much as is prescribed.”
When the sermon begins, only two brief rak’ahs should be prayed. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
إذا جاء أحدكم يوم الجمعة ، والإمام يخطب ، فليركع ركعتين وليتحر فيهما
“When any of you comes on the day of Jumu’ah and the Imam is delivering the sermon, he should (before sitting) perform two brief rak’ahs.”
Sunnah prayers after the obligatory prayers:
Both two rak’ahs and four rak’ahs after Jumu’ah prayer are established. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
إذا صلى أحدكم الجمعة فليصل بعدها أربعا
“When any of you performs the Jumu’ah prayer, let him pray four rak’ahs after it.”
Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: “We used to pray two rak’ahs after Jumu’ah with the Prophet, peace be upon him, in our homes.”
It is preferable to perform the Sunnah prayers after Jumu’ah at home.
Do not perform Sunnah prayers immediately after the obligatory prayers in the same place. Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded us not to combine the voluntary prayer with the obligatory prayer, but to separate them by dhikr or conversation or by changing the place.”
Who will benefit from Jumu’ah? :
Whoever completes one rak’ah of the Friday prayer, he has caught the Friday prayer. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
من أدرك ركعة من الجمعة فليصل إليها أخرى
“Whoever catches one rak’ah of the Friday prayer (has caught the Friday prayer), so he should perform the second rak’ah with it.”
Whoever is unable to perform Friday prayer for any reason should perform the complete Zuhr prayer. Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said:
إذا أدركت ركعة فأضف إليها أخرى
“If you catch one rak’ah of Friday prayer, then join it with the second rak’ah.”
And if a person misses the second rak’ah as well and joins it in bowing, prostration, or Tashahhud, then according to the correct opinion, he should perform four rak’ahs of Zuhr instead of Friday prayer.
❀ Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (RA) says:
إذا أدرك الرجل يوم الجمعة ركعة صلى إليها ركعة أخرى فإن وجدهم جلوسا صلى أربعا
“When a person catches one rak’ah on the day of Friday, he should perform the second rak’ah with it, but if he finds the people sitting in a gathering state, then he should perform four rak’ahs (Zuhr prayer).”
❀ And Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (RA) states:
“Whoever catches one rak’ah of Friday prayer, he should join it with the second rak’ah, and whoever misses both rak’ahs should perform four rak’ahs (Zuhr prayer).”
For further details, see Ahkam wa Masa’il
by Sheikh Abu al-Hasan Mubashir Ahmad Dalwi orally.
Praying Zuhr as a precaution with Jumu’ah is an innovation:
In places where the conditions of Jumu’ah according to Hanafi jurisprudence are not fulfilled, Hanafi scholars instruct people to pray Zuhr as a precaution after performing the Jumu’ah prayer, in case it is uncertain whether Jumu’ah has occurred or not. This method is not established from the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, the Companions, or the great Tabi‘in. This means that if the Jumu’ah prayer has been performed, then are the two calls to prayer (adhan), the sermon (khutbah), and all the arrangements for it in vain? There is no precedent for this in the Shariah, and this complicated situation arose because various conditions were imposed on Jumu’ah prayer without any textual evidence. Therefore, praying Zuhr along with Jumu’ah prayer is an innovation.
