Yesterday, I was present for the "khutbah" (sermon) before Friday prayers at Noor-ul-Islam mosque on Yarwood Street in Bury. I was there by kind agreement of Imam Hassanat, a gifted Muslim preacher, whom I met a few months ago through a mutual acquaintance, and I was made welcome. Noor-ul-Islam is one of seven Sunni mosques in Bury, and follows the Sufi way, a more mystical interpretation of the Muslim faith.
I have been present at Friday prayers on at least one occasion before (at a Shi'a mosque). I do not actively take part in the prayers, however, local Muslim leaders have allowed me to be present and observe. In this case, I was present for the preliminary "khutbah" which corresponds to a Christian Sunday morning sermon.
For those not familiar with Friday prayers, this is the main weekly gathering of Muslims early on Friday afternoon to perform the prescribed prayer ritual together at one of the set times of prayer. At this time of year in this part of the world, Friday prayers start at about 1.23pm. On this occcasion, the preliminary "khutbah" began at 1pm and lasted about 23 minutes.
Iman Hassanat delivered his sermon sitting down, clothed in traditional dress including a turban. He began in Arabic, reciting the text from the Quran which formed the basis for what he went on to say.
Here is the Quranic text recited and preached on this occasion:
"Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with good, and the person who was your enemy becomes like an intimate friend. But none will attain it except those who persevere, and none will attain it except the very fortunate." (The Quran, Surah 41, ayat 34 & 35)
This was followed by the address itself, given in English, but interspersed with Urdu, which appeared to repeat major points for those more conversant in that language. Besides those of Pakistani heritage, there appeared to be African heritage Muslims and possibly one other "white British" person present. At the start of the sermon there were maybe 25 men present, but as it continued the congregation swelled, and, by the end, there were well over 100 men present. (There is a separate hall downstairs in the same building for women who have the service live streamed.)
The message was delivered in a pleasant, conversational manner with measured confidence. Imam Hassanat is a good speaker, relates to his audience well, and appears to understand well the circumstances of his hearers.
The essence of the message is that good is greater than evil, and that, following completion of the month of Ramadan, his hearers should take every opportunity to continue the acts of goodness practised during the month of fasting. Good acts have the power to "delete" bad acts. Specifically referenced were the practice of prayer, and the wearing of the hijab. Also, the Ramadam paradigm of not grabbing and eating should continue now that the fasting month is over. Other themes included the fact that we shall stand alone before God's judgment seat, and the reality of heaven and hell. Also, God provides a small amount of "dunya" (the world), enough to sustain us, while we are created not for worldly pursuits but to worship him. Imam Hassanat writes, "It is a central belief of Islam that any Muslims can undo his misdeeds by sincere repentance and carrying out good deeds without returning to his previous state intentionally."
In some ways, the moral exhortations of the sermon overlapped with themes in Christian preaching, such as the Christian theme of turning from lust (desiring what God has not given - not necessarily sexual) to do God's will. However, the Christian Bible emphases our powerlessness to "undo" our sin by our own good deeds. It is only through Christ, our Advocate who stands alongside us before God the Judge, that we can have sins forgiven, and by the indwelling Spirit of God that we are enabled to do good deeds to glorify God.
The sermon concluded and the service moved to the communal ritual prayer, at which point I respectfully slipped out.
(Before publishing this post, I ran it past Imam Hassanat, and made some changes accordingly. I would like to express my gratitude to him. Needless to say, that does not imply his agreement with everything I have written above!)
Glory to God alone! Soli Deo Gloria!
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