"The whole point of a sermon is to understand and
spread the word of Allah, but it seems no one cares enough to delve into the
matter. People repeat verses or utter 'Ameen' without understanding what is
being said. It has become a formality that they just want to get over with.
That is not the purpose or way of preaching Islam," Indian expatriate
Hannah told Arab News.
The khutbah is used to preach about Islamic issues during
Friday prayer. The expatriate population in Saudi Arabia was 8.4 million as of
August 2010, compared to 18.7 million Saudis, according to General Statistics
Department of the Ministry of Economy and Planning.
“Most expatriates do not understand or speak Arabic. No one
thinks about these 8.4 million people who are hampered by language barriers. We
all want to learn about Islam, the difference is no one wants to walk that
extra mile and help us to connect with society,” Indian expatriate Hussein told
Arab News.
“At the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
mosques used to be full of knowledgeable and meaningful debates about Islam.
The purpose of the khutbah is defeated because most of us do not understand a
word but we go (to the mosque) because we are obliged to.”
Other countries in the Middle East where Arabic is the first
language have mosques that deliver Friday sermons in English. Shaista, a
Pakistani national, said: "When I lived in Dubai, our whole family and
children would make it a ritual duty to go to the mosque where the khutbah was
delivered in English every Friday. It was enlightening and taught us so much
more about Islam."
Middle Eastern society experienced profound changes in the
19th century due to the impact of European expansion. In time, ideas about
politics changed as technology advanced and a diverse culture was introduced.
Mixed marriages and foreign minds began to infiltrate Arab society.
Bangladeshis, Indians, Indonesians, Pakistanis, Filipinos
and Africans started to make their presence felt in the labor force. However,
Arabic is not the first language of any of these nationalities. English is a
common second language spoken by nurses, assistants and salesmen in contrast to
Arabic.
“Society should cater to others’ needs and instill a sense
of unity at the mosque, as the purpose of religion is to come together to share
the same beliefs and follow them. It is unfair to hear talk about equality and
brotherhood at the khutbah when none of the brothers cares to ensure his
expatriate brothers even understand what is being said. Islam is not limited to
one language,” said Mohammed, a Filipino.
Lubna, a local Saudi said: “We all know the best way to
preach Islam is through compassionate dialogue. If the Arabic khutbah has been
going on for centuries, we must adapt it to our culture so our Muslim brothers
and sisters in the country can also follow the message of Islam.”
Young male expatriates told Arab News most of them do not
understand the khutbah but nevertheless attend the Friday prayer because it is
an Islamic duty.
“Even though we don’t understand a word, I make sure I go to
listen to the khutbah because it’s obligatory and I do not want to miss out on
the rewards from Allah. There is no choice. If there was a choice of a few
mosques where they deliver the khutbah in Urdu, then it would be up to us to
go,” Indian expatriate Faisal said.
Saira, an Indian expatriate, said: “We have a lot of
non-Muslim friends who would be interested in listening to the words of Islam.
However, they are rather stumped by the fact that we do not have access to a
sermon in our language and I wish we had a few mosques specifically for us so
even if women hear the sermons at home through loudspeakers, they will gather
so much more knowledge and wisdom about."