﷽
This morning I happened to have a conversation with a friend at Middle Ground after our Qur’ān class (Understanding the Qur’ān) in which I accidentally left the camera running but it was an auspicious mishap as it allowed me to record a candid conversation about a phenomena that’s been on my mind for sometime, what I call “the TED-Talkification of the Minbar”.
Allāh tells us in the Qur’ān that the Friday prayer (Jumu’ah) and its subsequent prayer, are a remembrace:
“O believers! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, then proceed with haste to the remembrance of Allah and leave off all business.” – Qur’ān 62: 9
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ۚ
But instead of getting a reminder that is centered on remembering our Lord, we often get motivational speeches or life hacks. My friend commented that this trend and attitude of turning sacred sermons into self-help talks is due to the khaṭībs being young and that while that may have something to do with it I also believe that this is also partially directed and informed by boards who want “relevant” imāms, never seeming to stop and consider that the Qur’ān and the Sunnah are always relevant. And while I do acknowledge that there is room for critique when it comes to the delivery of a sermon this too is an issue I lay at the feet of our masājid and other religious institutions due to the fact that they will allow virtually anyone to give a khuṭbah, never giving a thought to the necessary training that ought to go into being a khatib; something far more than just having good intentions. When you consider the tremendous influence social media has on people and how they might mistake a khuṭbah for a motivational talk or present/substitute religious guidance as life hacks it’s not hard to see how we’ve arrived at this phenomena.
This video was an exerpt from Episode 41 of the Middle Ground Podcast. You can watch that full video here:
