Khutba (خطبة)

It has been some time since my last update. A lot of things have happened. I started attending the local mosque which fortunately is very close to where I currently live, I get well along with the people there. I’m new in the muslim group so far, among those meeting for Friday prayers. There are a few immigrant people in the group who don’t know Arabic, so the imam thought it might be good to have someone talk a little about the Khutba topic also in Swedish. He asked me. You read that right. Imagine my reaction. Me… doing Khutba? Mashallah! I must have made an impression for them to ask this from me. And so quickly after joining them. They wouldn’t just ask any person, right? So… last Friday, (the 10th of December), I held my first Khutba!

The topic was about Umar Ibn al-Khattab, رضي الله عنه. It was basically a summary of the topic that the imam was discussing in Arabic, to give those not knowledgeable in Arabic an idea. I have decided to share the Khutba here with you…

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
I will tell you a little bit about a very special man. Umar Ibn al-Khattab. رضي الله عنه. He was born in Makkah. He was not a Muslim from the beginning since he was an opponent of Islam. A big and strong man who everyone feared.

One day Umar took his sword and went out to kill the Prophet Muhammad,صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. On the way to do this, he met a friend. When Umar told him about his plans, the friend told Umar that both his sister Fatima and her husband had accepted Islam. Umar went to his sister’s house, and found her there, reading from the Qur’an. She did not give up her faith. He asked his sister to show him what she was reading; and the words of the Qur’an had a fast effect on him. He made a decision and went directly to the house of the Prophet, to accept his new faith… Islam, alhamdulillah.

Umar, who had previously been a strong opponent, openly showed his acceptance of Islam. He gathered the Muslims, prayed his prayers in Kaba, and helped the Prophet. He was seen as an honest and fair man. No one would be treated differently. After Abu Bakr, he was chosen as the next Caliph and leader of Islam.

A very poor Muslim woman had no money to buy food or warm clothes for her children. One night her children were hungry and she had no food to feed them. She did not know what to do. She put some stones in a pan of water on the fire. She thought the children would calm down if they thought their mother was cooking for them. Umar who was out walking, heard their cries and asked the mother kindly: “Why are your children crying?” She replied: “They are hungry and I have no food to give them. But if they sleep, maybe Allah sends us something in the morning.” The poor mother did not know she was talking to Umar, the great Caliph. She thought that the Caliph was not doing justice to his people and had forgotten them. Umar left. He returned to the woman with food and told her to go to the Caliph the next day to complain and tell him what she thinks about him when people are gathered. She agreed. The next day she went to him and when she understood that the man who had helped her was indeed the Caliph, she became afraid. He reassured her, “no no, do not be afraid, I will not hurt you. I’m the one who should be afraid. How can I stand before Allah on the Day of Judgment if I do not help a mother and her children?”

In the year 644, Umar was attacked in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina and died of his injuries. Umar was a respected leader. His role in shaping the early Islamic community is now widely accepted.”

A short summary about him… I think it went fairly well, although I was a bit nervous for my first time, to stand in front of the gathering for something as important as this.

سورة يونس ١٠٧
وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Surah Yunus 10:107
if He do design some benefit for thee, there is none can keep back His favour: He causeth it to reach whomsoever of His servants He pleaseth. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Me doing Khutba… I never imagined it. Allah has put a great trust in me. All I can say is alhamdulillah.

سورة الإسراء ٥٤
رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ

Surah Al-Israa 17:54
It is your Lord that knoweth you best

My warmest wishes and the best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.