The Friday prayer is the main weekly religious assembly of the Muslim community. For many members of the community, the Friday prayer is often the main source of religious knowledge, spiritual counsel and community connection. Those leading the Friday prayer carry an immense responsibility and must fulfill their role with humility and love for the congregation.
The sermon is a very important aspect of the Friday prayer. Its primary purpose is to serve as a spiritual and religious reminder.
For leading the Friday prayer and delivering the sermon, the Manitoba Islamic Association relies on the volunteer efforts of a number of community members. The MIA also supports the community’s youth and provides them with opportunity to gain experience as khateebs. A special committee in the MIA is tasked with khateeb selection, training and scheduling.
Khateeb qualification
Friday khateebs must have the requisite knowledge and public speaking skills to give the sermon, khutba. This knowledge includes memorization of parts of the Quran, familiarity with the rules of Quran recitation and sufficient knowledge to deliver the sermon and lead the prayer. They must be able to deliver the khutba in clear concise English, while employing Arabic for Quranic quotations and formulaic invocations at the start and end of the khutba.
Diverse Congregation
The Muslim community in Manitoba is very diverse, representing a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, languages and cultures. In addition, Friday prayer is attended by men, women, seniors and children. It can be very challenging to deliver a message that appeals to all segments of the community. One should especially keep in mind the presence of young children and youth when selecting the topic of the sermon and in one’s choice of words. The Friday prayers are also sometimes attended by friends and visitors who are not Muslim.
Duration and Timing
The Friday prayer falls during the working hours of the day. Many members of the community use their lunch breaks to attend Friday prayer. The MIA is committed to making it easy for them to attend prayer. As a result, the duration of the Friday sermon should not exceed 20 minutes. The khateeb must start and end on time. Each khateeb will receive a reminder of the beginning and end times a few days in advance.
Topics and Delivery
The khutba should remind people of the eternal truths of Islam. It should encourage them to reconnect with Allah (swt) and to become more devoted to Him. More experienced senior khateebs can also address current events and general topics of interest to the community.
Topics that are divisive, areas of contention or disagreement in fiqh or aqeedah, ethno-centric comments, improper language, singling out a particular cultural or religious group are all inappropriate and unacceptable.
The message of the Friday sermon should reflect its name, Jum’a, which means ‘to bring together’. The Friday prayer should bring people together, physically and spiritually. Members of the congregation should leave the service feeling inspired and encouraged. They should not feel inclined to engage one another in argumentation and debate.
The sermon must be delivered in clear concise English.
Khateebs are encouraged to wear clothing that conveys the special status of the Friday prayer with humility and dignity. Attire that conveys sectarian affiliations or that is not culturally appropriate is discouraged. Business casual or formal attire is appropriate.
Legal Framework
The Manitoba Islamic Association is a Canadian charitable organization. It does not endorse political organization, parties and candidates.
Further, the MIA operates within and upholds the hate speech laws of Canada. The MIA does not tolerate speech that is racist, sexist, incites to violence or is discriminatory towards any identifiable group. All khateebs must abide by these requirements.
Our Values
In closing, the Friday prayers and sermon should reflect the Islamic values of the community, which include compassion, love, inclusion, tolerance, patience and respect. The community is grateful to the volunteer khateebs for their efforts and time.