Mawduat Khutbat al-Jumua
- Author died
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- Editions
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da'wah and Guidance - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Mawduat Khutbat al-Jumua (Themes of the Friday Sermon) is a treatise by Abd al-Rahman bin Mualla al-Luwayhiq addressing the methodology, structural components, and thematic guidelines of the Friday sermon in Islam.
Purpose and Scope
Al-Luwayhiq composed the work to emphasize that the Friday sermon (khutbat al-jumua) possesses immense potential to effect reform and transformation within the Muslim community when fulfilled according to its intended legal objectives. He argues that the central pillar of an impactful sermon is its topic, noting that even eloquent and emotionally passionate preachers often fail to benefit their congregations if the subject matter is neglected or poorly chosen. The treatise was designed to delineate the rules and parameters governing what should be delivered from the pulpit within the broader framework of guidelines concerning imams, preachers, and mosques.
Structure and Content
The book is organized into an introduction, two main research sections (mabhathani), and a concluding section (khatima):
- The Flow and Components of the Sermon (Siyaq al-Khutba wa-Ajzauha): Divided into nine subsections (matalib), this section covers the textual sequence and legal rulings of the sermon's elements, including the opening greeting of peace (al-salam), praising Allah (al-hamd wa-l-thana), sending blessings on the Prophet and testifying to his messengership, exhorting the audience to piety (al-wasiyya bi-taqwa Allah), reciting the Quran, supplication (al-dua), direct address by the preacher to the congregation, maintaining proper order and continuity between parts of the sermon, and scholarly weightings regarding the legal status of each element.
- Guidelines and Principles for Sermon Topics (Dawabit wa-Qawaid li-Mawduat Khutbat al-Jumua): Composed of ten subsections, this section sets practical standards for preachers, covering the judicious selection of topics, thorough preparation, thematic unity and coherence, keeping sermons concise and unburdened, taking into account the preacher's capabilities and the circumstances of the listeners, adopting constructive criticism and benevolent counsel, balancing opposing considerations, factual verification (al-tathabbut), and actively addressing the challenges facing the community.
Applied Study
The conclusion of the book consists of an applied study analyzing three published collections of Friday sermons by Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Sadi. In this section, the author catalogues the sermon titles across al-Sadi's collections, provides an overarching thematic analysis of their content, and examines an illustrative sample sermon in detail.
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