Khutbah
Khutbah (Arabic: خطبة, khuṭbah; Persian: خطبه, khotbeh; Turkish: hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.
Other religious oratory and occasions of preaching are described as dars (a lesson) or waz (an admonition), and their formats differ accordingly.
[1] The khutbah originates from the practice of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, who used to deliver words of exhortation, instruction, or command at gatherings for worship in the mosque, which consisted of the courtyard of his house in Medina.
[6] According to the four accepted Sunni schools of jurisprudence, it is a requirement for the khutbah to be delivered completely in classical Arabic.
[7] In the modern era however, preaching in vernacular languages, while often retaining certain Arabic expressions, has become common in contemporary and non-traditional circles.
[clarification needed][3] Traditionally, as instructed in classical Islamic legal treatises, Friday congregational prayers in which sermons were delivered were restricted to urban centers and normally to one major mosque in each city.
These mosques were distinguished by their central location, large dimensions, monumental architecture, symbolic furnishings indicative of its exalted stature, and, the most demonstrative of all, the minbar (ritual pulpit).
[1] In contemporary times, Friday congregational prayers with sermons are common in mosques of all sizes and conditions, and not just restricted to a few central locations.
[1] Sermons on special occasions generally contain features that are relevant to the celebrations (e.g. Eid) or the natural phenomena for which they are delivered (e.g. Kusuf and Khusuf).
Usually the verse 9 of Sūra At-Tahrim (Quran 66:09) is also recited and a special prayer called "Muḥammad's du'a"ʾ is said.
[13][14] In a number of countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, there is a central religious authority supervised by the government which issues a weekly sermon to be read in all mosques under its jurisdiction.
