Khutbat al-Hajah allati kana Rasul Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم yuallimuha ashabahu
- Author died
- 1420 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Maʿārif
Khutbat al-Hajah allati kana Rasul Allah ﷺ yuallimuha ashabahu (The Sermon of Need That the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Taught His Companions) is a hadith treatise by the Syrian hadith scholar Nasir al-Din al-Albani (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE) documenting the text, transmission routes, and rulings concerning the introductory sermon (khutbat al-hajah) taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ .
Background and Purpose
The impetus for writing the treatise arose during the contract of al-Albani's second marriage, several months after the death of his first wife, Umm 'Abd al-Rahman . A friend offered to deliver the wedding address, noting its beneficial impact on past occasions . Upon reviewing the draft, al-Albani refined it by removing weak narrations, substituting authentic ones, and prefixing it with the Prophetic khutbat al-hajah after tracking its transmissions and variations across hadith compilations . He then resolved to compile his findings into a focused booklet as a personal reminder and a benefit for others .
Structure and Content
The treatise is organized into an introduction, two main chapters, and a conclusion :
- Introduction: Recounts the background of the compilation .
- Chapter One: Presents the text of the sermon, beginning with praise of Allah, seeking His aid and forgiveness, seeking refuge from the evils of the self and bad deeds, and the declaration of faith (shahadah), followed by three Quranic verses (Surat Al 'Imran: 102, Surat al-Nisa': 1, and Surat al-Ahzab: 70–71), the phrase amma ba'd, and the speaker's stated need .
- Chapter Two: Provides the hadith documentation (takhrij) and evaluation of chains of transmission reported from six Companions—Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, Nubayt ibn Sharit, and 'A'ishah—as well as the Successor Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri .
- Conclusion: Discusses the legal and practical scope of the sermon .
Scope and Legal Application
Al-Albani demonstrates that khutbat al-hajah is not exclusive to marriage contracts, contrary to common assumption, but serves as the recommended opening for all speeches, Friday sermons, academic lessons, and writings . To support its general application, he cites early scholarly practice, such as Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi opening Mushkil al-Athar with it, as well as its extensive use by Ibn Taymiyyah in his writings . He also references al-Sindi's glosses on the Sunan of al-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah, citing al-Shafi'i's view that delivering a sermon is recommended at the start of all contracts prior to transactions or marriage .
Publication
The work was published in Damascus by al-Maktab al-Islami, reaching a fourth edition in 1400 AH . It was subsequently issued by Maktabat al-Ma'arif in Riyadh in a 48-page pocket edition (1421 AH / 2000 CE) .
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