Does the Jumu’ah Khutbah Have to Be in Arabic?
Question
Does a Jumu’ah khutbah have to be in Arabic, or does at least a portion of it have to be Arabic? If the khatib begins with:
إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره ونعوذ بالله من شر انفسنا ومن سيئات اعمالنا من يهده الله فلا مضل له ومن يضلل فلا هادي له واشهد ان لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له واشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله اما بعد
and then gives the remainder of the khutbah in English, does this Arabic introduction suffice?
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma’in.
There is a genuine difference of opinion among the jurists concerning whether the Jumu’ah khutbah must be delivered in Arabic. The disagreement arises partly because the madhhabs differ concerning what constitutes the khutbah itself, what elements are obligatory within it, and whether Arabic is a condition.
1. The Hanafi School
The Hanafi school is comparatively flexible regarding the language of the khutbah.
According to the relied-upon Hanafi position, Arabic is not a condition for the validity of the khutbah. Abu Hanifah permitted the khutbah to be delivered in a language other than Arabic even when the khatib was capable of Arabic.
Abu Yusuf and Muhammad were more restrictive and held that another language may be used when the person is unable to deliver it in Arabic.
Therefore, according to the position of Abu Hanifah, an English khutbah is valid even without requiring a particular Arabic portion.
Nevertheless, delivering the established praises, Quranic verses, salawat, and other prescribed elements in Arabic while explaining and admonishing the congregation in English is preferable.
2. The Maliki School
The Maliki school takes a stricter position regarding Arabic. The khutbah is ordinarily required to be delivered in Arabic when the khatib is capable of doing so.
If the congregation does not understand Arabic, however, this creates an important practical issue because one of the principal objectives of the khutbah is admonition and instruction.
For this reason, many contemporary arrangements preserve the Arabic khutbah while providing translation, explanation, or a separate lesson in the language understood by the congregation.
3. The Shafi’i School
The Shafi’i school distinguishes between the essential integrals of the khutbah and additional speech used for teaching and admonition.
Among the integrals of the two khutbahs are:
- praising Allah
- sending salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ
- advising the congregation to have taqwa
- reciting a verse of the Quran
- making dua for the believers in the second khutbah
In the relied-upon Shafi’i position, the required integrals are performed in Arabic when the khatib is capable of Arabic.
The explanation, teaching, and admonition beyond these integrals may be delivered in the language understood by the congregation.
This is important for the question because merely reciting the opening:
إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه…
does not necessarily satisfy all of the Shafi’i integrals.
It contains praise of Allah and the shahadah, but the required elements of the khutbah must still be examined individually. For example, the Shafi’i requirements concerning salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ, the exhortation to taqwa, Quranic recitation, and the dua of the second khutbah are not all fulfilled merely by reciting Khutbat al-Hajah.
4. The Hanbali School
The Hanbali school also generally requires the essential khutbah to be delivered in Arabic when the khatib is capable of doing so.
The Hanbalis identify required components of the khutbah including praise of Allah, salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ, recitation of Quran, and admonition.
If the khatib is unable to use Arabic, the jurists discuss concessions according to his ability.
5. Must the Entire Khutbah Therefore Be Arabic?
No single answer represents all four madhhabs.
According to the Hanafi position, the khutbah may validly be delivered in English, particularly according to Abu Hanifah’s view.
According to the Shafi’i approach, the essential Arabic integrals can be delivered in Arabic while the substantive explanation and teaching are delivered in English. This is a particularly practical approach for Muslim communities in English-speaking countries.
The Maliki and Hanbali schools are generally stricter concerning Arabic.
It is therefore incorrect to say categorically that a Jumu’ah khutbah delivered substantially in English is automatically invalid.
6. Does Khutbat al-Hajah at the Beginning Suffice?
The opening quoted in the question is the well-known Khutbat al-Hajah, and reciting it is good and established.
However, if someone is specifically attempting to satisfy the requirements of a madhhab that requires certain khutbah integrals in Arabic, Khutbat al-Hajah alone should not simply be assumed to satisfy everything required.
A simple and safer practice is for the khatib to include the required Arabic components throughout the two khutbahs, such as:
الحمد لله
praise of Allah,
والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله
salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ,
an explicit exhortation to taqwa,
at least one appropriate Quranic verse,
and the required dua in the second khutbah.
The main sermon, explanation, reminders, and practical teaching may then be given in English according to the scholarly position permitting this arrangement.
7. The Purpose of the Khutbah
Allah says:
“O you who believe, when the call is made for prayer on Friday, proceed to the remembrance of Allah.”
Quran 62:9
The khutbah is both an act of worship and a means of reminding, teaching, and admonishing the congregation. Delivering a long sermon entirely in Arabic to a congregation that understands none of it can undermine the communicative purpose of the khutbah.
At the same time, because the khutbah is an act of worship with prescribed characteristics, its established Arabic elements should be preserved according to the madhhab being followed.
8. Relevant Usul Principle
A relevant principle is:
ما كان من باب العبادات المحضة فالاصل فيه التوقيف
“In matters of purely devotional worship, the basis is adherence to what has been prescribed.”
At the same time, the means by which the congregation understands the admonition are not necessarily themselves fixed acts of worship. This is why jurists distinguished between the prescribed components of the khutbah and the language used to explain and teach.
Final Ruling
There is a recognized disagreement among the four madhhabs concerning the use of languages other than Arabic in the Jumu’ah khutbah.
According to the Hanafi school, there is considerable allowance for a non-Arabic khutbah. The Shafi’i school requires the essential integrals to be in Arabic for someone capable of Arabic, while allowing the explanatory portion to be delivered in the congregation’s language. The Maliki and Hanbali schools are generally stricter regarding Arabic.
The opening “Inna al-hamda lillah…” by itself should not be relied upon as the only Arabic portion if the intention is to satisfy a madhhab that requires the essential elements of the khutbah in Arabic, because it does not necessarily contain all of those required elements.
A sound practice in an English-speaking congregation is therefore to preserve the required Arabic elements, including praise of Allah, salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ, exhortation to taqwa, Quranic recitation, and the appropriate dua, while delivering the main admonition and explanation in English.
And Allah knows best.