1] Is it prescribed for the khateeb to say “Aqoolu qawli haadha wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say these words of mine and I ask Allah for forgiveness)?

1]
''Friday Prayers'' :
@
At the end of the Friday khutbah the khateeb says,"Aqoolu qawli haadha
wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say these words of mine and Iask Allah for
forgiveness). Is there any basis for this in Islam? Is there anything
wrong with that? We prayed in one ofthe mosques and at the end of the
khutbah the khateeb said, "I say these words of mine and I ask Allah
for forgiveness for me and you and for all the Muslims." When the
prayer was over, one of the congregation of the mosque objected to
that and said: "This is an innovation that is said in the khutbah."
Then he said: "It is not only your words, you quoted Qur'aanic verses
and hadeeths, and the words of the Salaf, so how could you say that
these are your words?".
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with the khateeb saying at the end of his
speech, "Aqoolu haadha wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say thisand I ask Allah
for forgiveness)" or "Aqoolu qawli haadha wa astaghfir-Allaah (I say
these words of mine and Iask Allah for forgiveness)",whether this is
the first orsecond Friday khutbah or any other kind of speech. These
are words that are narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and from the khateebs among his Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them).
Ibn Hibbaan (3828) narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave
a speech on theday of the conquest of Makkah. He praised and glorified
Allah then he said: "To proceed: O people, Allah has taken away from
you the pride in ancestry of Jaahiliyyah. O people, people are of two
types, the righteous and pious one who is dearto his Lord and the
wretched evildoer who is worthless before his Lord." Then he recited
the verse (interpretation of the meaning): "O mankind! We have created
you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes,
that you may knowone another. Verily, the most honourable of you with
Allaah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the
Muttaqoon (the pious.See V.2:2)]. Verily, Allaah isAll-Knowing,
All-Aware" [al-Hujuraat 49:13]. Then he said: "Aqoolu haadha wa
astaghfir-Allaah (I say this and I ask Allah for forgiveness)."
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot in his
Tahqeeq, and by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2803. The
biographers narrated thatThaabit ibn Qays ibn Shammaas, the khateeb of
the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with him) said it in the presence of
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Ibn Ishaaq
said in the report of the delegation of Banu Tameem and their boasting
in front of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah upon him): The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah upon him) said to
Thaabit ibn Qays ibn al-Shammaas, the brotherof Banu al-Haarith ibn
al-Khazraj: Get up and answer the man's speech. Thaabit got up and
said: Praise be to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and
established His rule therein, and His knowledge encompasses His
Throne; nothing existsbut by His bounty. By His power He made us kings
and chose the best of His creation as a Messenger, who is the most
honourable in lineage, themost sincere in speech, and the noblest in
ancestry, and sent down to him His Book and entrusted him (to guide)
His creation. He was Allah's choice from amongthe worlds. Then He
summoned men to believe in him, and the emigrants (Muhaajireen) from
his people and his kinsmen believed in Allah's Messenger; the most
honourable of men in lineage, the highest in dignity, and the best in
deeds. The first of creationto answer and respond to Allah when the
Messengercalled them were ourselves. We are Allah's helpers and the
assistants of His Messenger, and we will fight men until they believe
in Allah. He who believes in Allah and His Messenger has protected his
life and property from us; and he who disbelieves we will fight for
the sake of Allah unceasingly and killing him will be a small matterto
us. These are my wordsand I seek Allah's forgiveness for myself andthe
believers, both men and women. Peace be upon you.
End quote from al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hishaam, 2/562;
al-Seerahby Ibn Katheer, 4/79.
These words were also narrated from Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Ali (may
Allah be pleased with them) in their khutbahs, and some contemporary
scholars use them in their khutbahs such as Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may
Allah have mercy on him).
As for the objection to thekhateeb mentioning things that are not his
own words, such as verses, hadeeths and reports, this objection is not
valid, because what these words refer to is everything that the
khateeb said in his khutbah,
:->