Question: Are there specific conditions for the Friday sermon (khutbah)?
Answer: The subject of the Friday sermon is to remind the people, as Allah, exalted is He, said, “O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on Friday, proceed to the remembrance of Allah” [Al-Jumu’ah: 9].
It is reported in Sahih Muslim from Umm Hisham that the Prophet—may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family—used to deliver the sermon with Surah Qaf.
Therefore, the topics that Muslims need should be addressed by the khateeb (the one delivering the sermon). However, it is a mistake, and a waging of war against the religion, to unify all khutbahs. For example, giving the same khutbah in Sa'dah, Taiz, and Al-Hudaydah is an error, O brothers. Standardising sermons which will eventually could shift toward political agendas if khutbahs are unified.
A virtuous man informed us, our former teacher who taught us English, Ustadh Ramadan, a virtuous man at the Islamic University. He said: One time we heard a preacher in Egypt delivering a sermon, saying, “Whoever goes to fight in Yemen or Algeria, it is as if he is among the companions of Badr.” Then he said: I took the khateeb, and I know he is a good man, and after the sermon ended, I told him, “What is this, my son, what is this?” He replied, “By Allah, it was sent to us by the Ministry of Awqaf (Religious Endowments).”
So beware, beware, dear brothers, of allowing misguided politics to interfere with religion. Subhan Allah! Indeed, a true manipulation—they used to say yesterday that religion should not interfere in politics, yet they want to involve politics in everything! Yesterday, they kept buzzing about democracy. Democracy—for whom? Who enjoys democracy? The French and the Americans enjoy it, but the people of the mosques do not enjoy democracy, even though democracy itself is disbelief.
Democracy, in essence, is disbelief: the rule of the people by the people. Whereas, the Lord of Might says: “Do they then seek the judgement of [the days of] ignorance? But who is better in judgement than Allah for a people who have firm faith” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 50).
He also says: “Legislation is not but for Allah” (Surah Yusuf: 40), and, “And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—then it is those who are the disbelievers” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 44).
So democracy is disbelief; let the present inform the absent. However, even with this, they have not applied democracy. I am certain that if they implemented democracy, then the da'wah (calling to Islam) would enter government offices, it would enter military camps, and the entire society would turn to the da'wah. But even a simple person is restricted, even in his mosque—not just here, but in all Islamic lands—he is restricted in his own mosque, and with this, they assign four or five spies in his mosque. And Allah is the One from whom help is sought.
Praise be to Allah, the truth will become clear. I advise the authorities in our country not to interfere with the da'wah, and, praise be to Allah, nothing has happened yet. But let them not emulate those misguided ones, and Allah is the One whose help is sought.
So we were discussing the Friday sermon. My son, the subject of the Friday sermon is remembrance of Allah, encouraging (toward good) and (cautioning against evil), addressing the current conditions. If you see people turning away from the religion and turning to worldly life, then encourage them toward the religion and make them lose attachment from the world.
If you see them idle, spending half the day smoking and wandering the streets, then encourage them to work, and remind them of the Prophet’s saying—may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him—“No Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a person or an animal or a bird eats from it, except that it is charity for him,” or words to that effect. If you see them indulging in usury, warn them against it, and address matters affecting society.