Friday khutbah in languages other than Arabic

Could you kindly detail what should be done by the congregation for
Juma prayers? Basically, we listen to a speech in our language then
Adhan, then four sunna salaat. After this the Imam devlivers the
khutba in Arabic. During his khutbha how should we sit? Then there is
a pause in the khutbha, what should be recited here?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The fuqaha' are unanimously agreed that it is better for the khutbah
to be in Arabic, but they differed as to whether that is
essential.There are three points ofview:
1-
That it is essential for it to be in Arabic for the one who is able to
do that, even if the listenersdo not know Arabic.
This is the view of the Maalikis and it is the well-known view of the Hanbalis.
See: al-Fawaakih al-Diwaani (1/306) and Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' (2/34).
2-
That it is essential for it to be in Arabic for the one who is able to
do that, unless none of the listeners know Arabic, in which case he
should give the khutbah in theirlanguage.
This is the correct view according to the Shaafa'is, and it is the
view of some of the Hanbalis.
See: al-Majmoo' by al-Nawawi (4/522).
3-
It is mustahabb for the khutbah to be in Arabic but it is not
essential, and the khateeb may deliver the khutbah in his own language
instead of Arabic. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and some of the
Shaafa'is.
See: Radd al-Muhtaar (1/543) and al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (19/180).
This third view is the correct one, and it is the view favoured by a
number of our contemporary scholars, because there is no clearevidence
to say that the khutbah must be in Arabic, and because the purpose of
the khutbah is to exhort, benefit and teach, which can only bedone by
using the language of the people present.
It says in a statement of the Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League:
The fairest opinion is that using Arabic when giving the khutbah on
Friday and at Eid in countries where it is not spoken is not a
condition of it being valid, but it is better to say the preliminaries
of the khutbah and any Qur'aanic verses quoted in Arabic, so as to get
non-Arabs used to hearing Arabic and the Qur'aan, which will make it
easier to learn it and read the Qur'aan in the language in which it
was revealed. Then the khateeb can follow that with exhortation in
theirlanguage which they understand. End quote.
Qiraaraat al-Majma' al-Fiqhi (p. 99) (fifth session, fifth statement).
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
There is no proof in the hadeeth to suggest that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stipulated that the Friday
khutbah should be in Arabic, rather he delivered the khutbah in Arabic
because it was his language and the language of his people. So the one
who addressed them and guided them and reminded them spoke in their
language that they understood. But he sent letters in Arabic to the
kings and rulers of nations, and he knew that they spoke languages
other than Arabic, and he knew thatthey would have them translated
into their languages so that they would know what was in them.
Based on this, it is permissible for the khateeb to deliver the
khutbah in a language where the people or the vast majority of its
inhabitants do not knowArabic to deliver the khutbah in Arabic then
translate it into the local language, so that they will understand
what he is advising and reminding them of, and they will benefit from
his khutbah.
He may also deliver the khutbah in the languageof his country, even if
it is not Arabic, and thus he will accomplish the guidance, teaching,
exhortation and reminder that are the purpose of the khutbah.
But it is better to deliver the khutbah in Arabic and then translate
it to the listeners, so as to combine the guidance ofthe Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his khutbahs and his
letters with achieving the aim of giving the khutbah, and so as to
avoid an area concerning which there is scholarly dispute. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (8/253).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Perhaps it is better, and Allaah knows best, to discuss this matter in
detail and say:
If the majority of people in the mosque are non-Arabic speakers who do
not understand Arabic, then there is nothing wrong with giving the
khutbah in a language other than Arabic, or delivering it inArabic
then translating it.
But if most of the peoplepresent know Arabic andunderstand it in
general,then it is better to stick to Arabic and not go against the
guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
especially since the salaf used to deliver khutbahs in mosques where
there were non-Arabs present,and it is not narrated that they used to
translate it, because Islam was prevalent and so was Arabic.
As for the evidence that it is permissible in cases of necessity;
there is some evidence to that effect in sharee'ah. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people,
in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them"
[Ibraaheem 14:4]
For example, when the Sahaabah invaded non-Arab lands such as Persia
and Byzantium, they did not fight them until they called them to Islam
via interpreters. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz (12/372).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The correct view with regard to this matter is that it is permissible
for the khateeb to deliver the khutbah in a language that the people
present understand, if the people present are not Arabs and do not
know Arabic. He may deliver the khutbah in their language, because
that is the means of explaining to them, and the purpose of the
khutbah is to explain thesacred limits of Allaah to His slaves, and
exhort them, and guide them. But the verses of Qur'aanshould be
recited in Arabic, then explained inthe language of the people.
The fact that he may give the khutbah in the language of the people is
indicated by the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people,
in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them"
[Ibraaheem 14:4].
Allaah stated that the means of conveying should be in the language
that the people addressed understand. Based on that, he may give the
khutbah in a language other than Arabic, but if he recites verses of
Qur'aan, they must be in Arabic, in which the Qur'aan was revealed,
then after that he may explain them to these people in their language.
End quote.
Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb .
See the answer to question no. 984 .
Secondly:
The format of Jumu'ah prayer should not be changed to what is
mentioned in the question, whereby thereare two khutbahs, one before
the adhaan in thepeople's language and another after the adhaan in
Arabic. Ratherthere should a khutbah either in the language ofthe
people or in Arabic then translated into the other language
straightaway whilst the khateeb is still on the minbar.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked
about translating the Friday khutbah into some other languages, after
Jumu'ah prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam, so that those who do not know
Arabic could benefit from it. He replied:
We do not agree with what has been mentioned, and there is no
justification for delivering another khutbah on Friday before or after
the prayer.
If the aim is to translate the khutbah to those who do not understand
Arabic, then the khutbahetc can be translated via the radio at times
other than Jumu'ah prayer. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (3/20).
We encourage all Muslims to learn Arabic, because it is the language
of the Qur'aan and through it they can understand Islam better, and
understand the meanings of the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Shaykh Rasheed Rida (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
We have stated more than once that knowledge of Arabic is obligatory
upon every Muslim, because understanding the religion, establishing
its rituals and fulfilling its obligations all depend on understanding
this language, and cannot bevalid without it. Although the Friday
khutbah does not absolutely have to be in Arabic, this ritual is of
great importance.
The non-Arabs who entered Islam in the early period hastened tolearn
Arabic in order to understand the Qur'aan and Sunnah and to form bonds
through the language without whichthe unity of the ummah cannot be
achieved. The Sahaabah used to address the people in Arabic in every
land that they conquered, and it was not long before the language of
the lands that they entered became Arabic, due to the influence of the
spirit of Islam, not for worldly gains or by forceof compulsion. If
they had thought that it was acceptable to leave the non-Arab nations
who entered their religion with their own languages, they would have
hastened to learn the languages of those nations and established the
religious obligations and acts of worship for them in those languages,
and Greek would have remained Greek, Persian would have remained
Persian, and so on.
The difference in languages that we see today among Muslims is one of
the most serious bad effects of politics. If the Ottoman and
Iranianstates do not try to spread Arabic in their realms, there will
come aday when they will regret that. We cannot rely on any religious
reform in India or elsewhere in the Muslim world, unless Arabic is
taught from the primary stage and is made the language of knowledge.
End quote.
Majallat al-Manaar (6/496).
Fourthly:
With regard to praying four Sunnah rak'ahs before Jumu'ah, there is no
Sunnah prayer before Jumu'ah. Rather it is prescribed to offer
voluntary prayers in general before it, without specifying any
particular number. This has been discussed
And Allaah knows best.

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