Today as I listened to the Friday khutbah at An-Nadhah Mosque delivered by a young imam, I had a glimpse of many in the congregation who fell asleep or perhaps used the time to catch a nap. I had wondered for a long time now how to help the imam(s) deliver their khutbah in a manner that is captivating and interactive so that the congregation "is with the khutbah" and is not sleeping through it.
Sometime ago, when I attended Friday prayer at a mosque in Atlanta, USA, the Afro-American imam engaged his congregation by asking them questions that were spontaneously replied by some members and supported by many others with their Jamaican "Ya Man ..." expression of agreement. Initially I was taken aback with such interactivity since at home (in Singapore), we were told to maintain silence when the imam or khatib delivers the khutbah. I once mentioned to a brother that perhaps we should encourage our imam to engage his congregation by asking them to finish off or complete the verse of the Quran that he is reciting to stimulate some degree of interaction, rather than total and complete silence on the part of the congregation, and in a sense deliver a one-way monologue.
I am aware of the Hadith that reminds us to listen attentively to the khutbah and not speak a word, even to reprimand someone else who is talking, failing which the reward of the Friday prayer is lost. But listen attentively requires some effort - to concentrate and keep awake, and I am concern that it is now becoming a norm for congregation to fall asleep or catch a nap during the khutbah. Hence the intent of the khutbah would not be achieved, and the message that the imam wishes to share did not really reach the congregation.
Is someone who is asleep during and throughout the khutbah tantamount to "talking to his other self" and not within the "khutbah circle" or the "sermon space" to deserve the reward of the Friday prayer? What about those who are not asleep but sms-ing (or texting) on their handphones, or dreaming of other worldly yearnings during the khutbah? I asked myself (and in a sense while I was analysing, risk myself at the edge of the "khutbah circle", too).
But are those who fell asleep to be faulted if we continue with the practice of reading the khutbah or rather the prepared text, instead of delivering the khutbah? How do we make our imam(s) deliver from the prepared text but without reading it? Or better still, how do we develop them so that they are able to internalise the essence of the prepared text yet deliver it straight from their heart? Surely an imam who communicates from his heart will invigorate the congregation and gravitates them to his khutbah.
I fear the prospect of one who gives nothing to it will get nothing from it.
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7 comments:
At the risk of sounding unconstructively cynical, I would like to add that I do not think the answer lies simply in having interaction during a khutbah. I can see much folly that would flow therefrom. At the very least, it would descend into a Q&A session.
However, I believe that there are more things that could be done to spruce up our khutbahs. Use technology to display graphics on the big-screen TVs to illustrate points in the khutbah. Or simply flash the text of the khutbah via powerpoint - reading helps keep one awake. Whilst at it, have alternate languages of the khutbahs displayed as well.
Also, I find that khutbahs are often written in formal, newsreader drone-tone. The khutbah writers may need to keep in mind that they are writing speeches to be heard, not papers to be read - this would make a lot of difference, I believe.
Salam,
Agreed. Been thinking about it too..Maybe more visual effects.Hmmm..berapa ramai ya mereka yang menghadiri solat Jumaat tu berkongsi sama ngan keluarga mereka tentang khutbah Jumaat?
Faza
Dr, back in 2000..behalf of Masjid Al-Falah. We requester Office of Musti for fatwa ig we could use screen to publish the gist of khutbah in malay if the khutbah in english and vice versa. But the answer is no.
Secondly, do you know there's a hadith which Rasulullah during his khutbah, once ordered a sahabah to stand up to pray tahiyyah masjid?
Dear Mudpie, faza the grey and Abah Yasir: Thank you for your generous comments. When I attended the Friday prayer at An-Nadhah on that day, the messages or essence of the khutbah were projected on the white screen positioned at the very front of the prayer hall, in both English and Malay, one after the other. But I do agree that there is much to be desired with the khutbah delivery.
Abah Yasir, you may wish to check the latest on this matter (projection of the gist of the khutbah onto the screen) with the Office of the Mufti.
We may need a multi-prong approach including simple strategies such as not having lunch before Friday prayer, lest much energy will be dispensed for digestion, and not enough for the brain.
Once again many thanks for visiting onemoreknowing.
They say that an end-product that one has had direct involvement would compel a higher sense of ownership.
Maybe Muis could allow the khatibs more "creative latitude" in this respect.
Maybe we should look at providing cheap makan AFTER khutbahs - like the free food at the sikh temples concept.
Also, i continue to be perturbed at how women are squeezed out of Friday prayers at mosques. We are throwing away a golden opportunity for da'wah there.
Salam,
Abah Yasir mentioned about the hadith Rasulullah s.a.w. told a companion to perform solat tahiyatul masjid while he was on the mimbar. But that does not constitute and interactive mode. The companion simply perform the solat without answering 'Yea.. bro!" :)
Anyway, I think we should follow the Prophet's way for he is the best orator. The Prophet said in a hadith that among the sign of a clever person, he will shorten the khutbah and lengthen the solat.
We do the other way round. We lengthen the khutbah, and shorten the solat. hmmm.. now why do our jemaah fall asleep? no prize for the correct guess.
A short khutbah should contain just one message. One elaboration, and delivered with punch (not necessarily shouting). A short khutbah should not exceed 10 minutes for both first and second khutbah.
The tendency is for us to pack as many info we want in a khutbah. And when delivered in a monotone artifical projection, coupled with a heavy lunch before, with a comfortable pillar behind, now that is the recipe for zzzzzzzzz.
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