Language Of The Friday Sermon

July 10, 2024

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Question

Is it permissible to use local languages on mimbar (pulpit) for the Friday Sermon? If so quote relevant references.

Answer

The sermon is an essential part of the Friday prayer. Actually along with the worship, the Friday prayer provides the rulers of the state and their representatives an opportunity to communicate anything they like to the masses. It was only the local political agents of the state who were entrusted the responsibility to lead the Friday prayer. They would not only exhort the believers on the right, but also to discuss the political and administrative affairs. They could state the government policies on an issue or seek the view point of the audience. Though after the decline of Muslim rule and the abandoning the duty by the states the sermon is now merely said to fill the gap but the traces of the political aspects are still found in the contents of the sermon.

We know that the blessing sent on the four caliphs, the descendents of the prophet are nothing more than revised form of the earlier tradition where the leaders would defend their policies and exalt their predecessors. Initially every group would favor their own leaders and later some neutral persons decided against the past attitude and opted that all the groups should be praised. This is further corroborated by the fact that mostly the leaders also narrate a saying ascribed to the prophet that the head of the state is the shelter from the Almighty for the Muslims.

In the light of the above explanation we can say that the sermon should always be in the language of the audience. It was not held obligatory to be said in Arabic.

Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

Date: 2015-03-12