November 23, 2001
Presenting Islam to Non-Muslims – The Role of the Masjid
Section: WRITINGS | 597 reads
The Jumu’ah Khutbah: Its nature and uses
Speech is a powerful instrument of social change in a community.
In Islam, speech is an integral part of the Din.
Jumu’ah prayers offer Muslims a unique and powerful vehicle for social contact and communication.
The expression Khutbah is simply Arabic for a public speech.
Jumu’ah Khutbah is a gift God gave the Muslims to use every week for purposes of education, motivation, mobilization, social reform and community building.
It is a social, political, organizational, communication and educational instrument of extraordinary power and flexibility.
It was for this purpose that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used it.
It was also for this purpose, that his successors – Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Uthman and ‘Ali – used it after him.
At the same time, the Jumu’ah Khutbah is also an act of worship – an ‘Ibadah - which explains why it is such a powerful instrument of social change and community building in the hands of the Muslims.
Therefore, while preparing for the Open Houses for mosques, Muslims need to use the Jumu’ah Khutbah:
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To educate their communities in all aspects of what these Open Houses entail and how to go about organizing them in the most effective manner.
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To motivate their communities to reach out to the non-Muslims in their area as neighbors and as fellow human beings.
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To impress upon Muslims the importance of introducing non-Muslims to Islam and Muslims.
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To explain to Muslims and to train them about how to conduct themselves with non-Muslims during the Open House and in general.
The Qur’an teaches the Muslims, that in their conversations, even in their arguments and disputes with non-Muslims, Muslims must be non-combative, nonconfrontational, non-argumentative and low-key. They must be conciliatory and inclusive and always try to take the high road.
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To educate and train Muslims about how to conduct themselves with new Muslims.
New Muslims are new to the game. And they are pure and clean like a new-born baby. Almighty Allah forgave them all their sins the moment they embraced Islam.
As a result, we need to treat them with full understanding and acceptance, with a great deal of tact and respect, and with endless patience at many of the things that they may not know about the Islamic way of doing things.
Mosque Premises
Mosques are an index to the Muslim community. They are also the visible face of Islam. As a result, they should be kept in better condition than Muslim homes and offices.
Muslims must not forget that among all the wonderful things Allah gave to the Muslims, one of the greatest perhaps is the gift of cleanliness.
A Muslim’s whole life is firmly rooted in the Qur’anic concept of cleanliness called Taharah.
Muslims routinely wash themselves after they answer the calls of nature.
They routinely wash their hands and brush their teeth and rinse their mouths for salah - prayers.
They keep their houses and places of worship clean for prayers.
The Qur’an tells us that Allah loves those who are concerned about cleanliness.
It is important that mosques and their premises also adhere to the same strict principles of cleanliness. They need to be sparkling, neatly organized and well maintained at all times.
It is all the more important because Muslims take off their shoes for prayers; and they make wudu’ - ablution – on the premises.
Therefore, the Muslim communities must prepare their mosque premises in advance for the Open House.
They must make sure that the premises look visually pleasing and attractive.
They must deodorize the place to eliminate odors caused by food, socks, shoes and such.
They must then lay out chairs and tables for guests and speakers in a manner that maximizes convenience, flexibility, access, attractiveness and personal interaction.
It is always a good idea to have a nice bouquet of flowers on the stage.
It is also important to make sure that the microphones and other electronic equipment and devices are set up, tested and ready to go well before the actual event is scheduled to begin. There should be no tinkering with electronic gadgetry during the function.
It is also important to provide light self-serve refreshments. Americans love American food, which is really a euphemism for Italian, Mexican, Chinese and every other kind of food, provided it is not heavily spiced.
So, beyond chips and dips, Sambosas are a good idea. Baklava will fly while Gulab Jaman may not. Vegetables and fruits, beside being pleasing to the eye, are both healthy and popular.
In everything you do, try and understand the true nature of Islamic culture and do your best to follow it. Let me identify what I consider to be some of the key characteristics of Islamic culture from this point of view.
Next Article: Dr. Pasha’s All-Day Islamic Camp and Community Clean-up at Oldham – 1
Previous Article: What Are We Doing With These Words Anyway?
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