We are small muslim community over here in having 2 mosques. Majority of muslims goes to big mosque run by arab brothers. They do friday prayers in arab style with one azan and no separate arabic khutbah.
The other mosque is run by a pakistani brother doing friday prayer with 2 azan and separate arabic khutbah. Very few muslims come to this mosque for 5 daily prayers and friday prayer.
For the sake of unity and brotherhood can we invite brothers from other mosque to do friday prayers with their (arab) style once or twice a month. They are ready to come but dont agree to do friday prayer with seperate arabic khutbah. They say they will make speech in english and will use arabic during it.
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Your intention and quest for unity and increased brotherhood is indeed very noble. In this day and age, we should try our best to unite the Muslim Ummah and set aside petty differences for the sake of unity. However, for this to happen, both parties have to agree to concede on the trifling issues without compromising on the fundamental issues. If both parties are willing to work together to create unity, it can be accomplished. If one party merely wants the other party to accept all of their conditions, unity will not be achieved. A good example of this is the very case about which you have asked.
The Khutbah must be delivered in Arabic as it was the Sunnah of Rasūlullah صلى الله عليه و سلم and his beloved companions رضى الله عنهم throughout the ages, despite the vast number of non-Arabs amongst their midst. This is a fundamental issue; thus, one cannot compromise on this issue. However, if the Arab brothers want to give a talk or speech in English, they can easily achieve the same objective by delivering the talk before the Adhān and Khutbah. This is the normal practice of our elders and it fulfills both the dissemination of knowledge in the language of the local people while fulfilling the requisites of the Jumu‘ah Khutbah being in Arabic. In this manner, both groups will be satisfied and the objective of unity will be achieved.
In regards to giving two Adhāns, an easy way to achieve unity is to have one of your local Musallīs give the first Adhān before the English talk begins or before the Khatīb arrives to the Masjid. Thereafter, he can give the second Adhān before the Khatīb begins his Arabic Khutbah.
If the Arab brothers are not willing to work toward such a conciliation, then it shows that they are not in reality interested in establishing unity but rather want to force their views and interpretations on others which is the fruit of intolerance and bigotry. It would then be futile to waste one’s time in trying to unite with them, as this will entail sacrificing one’s fundamental beliefs and practices. Such an act will then not be considered as an act of unity but one of subordination. Unity is praiseworthy only when it is in following the Sharī‘ah and beloved Sunnah of Rasūlullah صلى الله عليه و سلم . Unity in other than this is misguidance and transgression.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam u Alaikum
Ml. Yusuf bin Yaqub,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah