Then he paused. He looked at the faces: Abu Faisal with his white beard, the Nigerian brothers in their embroidered caps, the teenagers slouched against the back wall.
“Imam,” Adam had said, twisting his hands. “I’ve been coming to Jummah for three years. I know the khutbah sounds beautiful. But… what are you saying ? I just zone out until the two rak’ahs.” jummah khutbah in english and arabic pdf
He had accepted the role of Imam at the small downtown masjid six months ago. The community was diverse: born-Muslims from Pakistan and Egypt, new converts from Texas, and Nigerian brothers who worked at the 24-hour gas station. Every Friday, they stood shoulder to shoulder. But the khutbah — the sermon — was always in Arabic. Then he paused
“ Brothers and sisters in Islam ,” Omar said in clear English. “ The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ‘The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.’ But how can we teach it if we do not first understand it? Today, I will say the khutbah in Arabic, as our tradition asks. But line by line, I will also say its meaning in your language. So that no one leaves this masjid without knowing what Allah has sent down for them. ” “I’ve been coming to Jummah for three years
Omar read from the PDF. Arabic verse, then English meaning. Arabic hadith, then English explanation. He spoke about mercy, about keeping ties of kinship, about the boy who helped his mother with dishes. The Arabic flowed like water from a spring. The English landed like bricks building a home.
Halfway through, an elderly Bengali auntie in the front row wiped a tear. She leaned to her daughter and whispered, “ For twenty years, I only moved my lips. Today, I finally understood. ” After the prayer, the line to shake Omar’s hand stretched to the wudu area.