A while back, I decided to change up mosques for Friday prayer due to a lack of inspiration. Essentially, I’ve spent the past two years trying to find one that had something to offer but alas, it seems recycled material is what passes for a good khutba (sermon) these days. I even started a pet project of tagging each khutba with a few key words to see how often the same topics are discussed over and over again. Some day I’ll share the results.
But last Friday, I went back to the mosque that I once abandoned simply because I was short on time and it remains the most geographically-convenient mosque.
And I was surprised.
To start with, I was half-expecting the khutba to be about swine flu since it has hit Jordan recently. I expected to hear about the divine wisdom of forbidding the consumption of swine and how the current pandemic may be Godly retribution of some sort.
Instead it was a khutba about, believe it or not, brain drain.
The imam started through storytelling, a rare art these days in religious sermons. He described a young man who was an orphan and quite intelligent, who was offered a scholarship to study in the US. He was eventually offered American citizenship and he turned it down to go back to his country. Upon returning he went through a sequence of never-ending hassles and obstacles that ranged from ministries rejecting his degree, to experiencing an environment of bad work ethics, to the lack of fields requiring his high-level education, to losing out on job opportunities due to the presence of wasta (nepotism), etc.
Eventually the young man returns to the US where he finds a decent job (at NASA no less) and takes up the American passport.
The story, whether fiction or not, highlights the vast array of similar stories we’ve all heard or even personally experienced. To be honest, at this point I’ll take any story that is remotely contemporary, speaks to my issues and does not involve what someone did 1,000 years ago.
Surprisingly, the imam moved from story to non-fiction, unloading a bucket-full of facts about the lack of investment in our youth, in science, in research and in worth ethics. He dissected the factors that contribute to the vast number of young Arabs who prefer to move abroad to study, work and live. He offered statistic after statistic, and for what would be the first time, he talked for 5 minutes about Israel, but not in the enemy-combatant context, rather in pointing out a regional comparison of how much “we” invest in research and development and how much “they” invest.
I wish I could remember some of the other statistics but suffice to say the man had obviously done his research, even going so far as to quote various credible Web sites and encouraging people to “Google it”.
He didn’t blame a single entity; usually a specific Arab government – but rather the entire Arab world as being responsible for contributing to the brain drain environment. Moreover, he integrated Islamic texts on work ethics, investments in science and research, and sustaining the younger generation to demonstrate the Islamic obligation of working ethically and creating a scientific society that enables the youth to prosper.
This may have not been the greatest khutba ever told but in comparison, it may be the best I’ve heard in a long time and it warranted an attempt at articulating it in a post.
To sweeten the deal, I was actually impressed that during the actual prayer, an imam, for once, recognized that it was 35 degrees outside (probably even hotter inside) and stuck to reading two of the shortest verses in the Quran (surat al-ikhlas and al-kafirun) instead of supplicating till half the crowd passed out.
Brain drain out of all topics …that was a good read 😀
This is great news. I mean, someone actually talking about redirecting society to improve, rather than just blaming the zionists and crusaders. It really is encouraging.
Good Stuff i was very happy to read this article.
Good going Naseem
I am impressed. Sad it took two years to find him. Now invite all your friends!
Interesting, This is how Friday khotba should be!
It would be ideal to hear an interesting khutba every week but it can be difficult for someone to churn out a decent sermon every week.
Lately I tend to turn up just as the khutba is about to finish
Hmm, Brain Drain! that’s not a usual Khutba issue, I would usre want to listen to such ones. I really hate those repeated lessons on each occasion we have, and we have so many!
“To sweeten the deal, I was actually impressed that during the actual prayer, an imam, for once, recognized that it was 35 degrees outside (probably even hotter inside) and stuck to reading two of the shortest verses in the Quran (surat al-ikhlas and al-kafirun) instead of supplicating till half the crowd passed out.”
lol 35 degrees 2al .. dont come to riyadh ever
Your so lucky nas. I wish that Imam would come to the mosque near our home.
Ours just keeps shouting like a hooligan.
Wish there would be more intellectual imams like this.
That was a very uplifting post 🙂
I am happy to hear that these imams actually are out there – that is very encouraging.
That sounds really interesting and cool! Sort of reminds me of this one time I accompanied my religious cousin to a Christian youth sermon and the priest completely surprised me by talking about the importance of moving out of your parents’ house, how to go about getting a decent mortgage, etc. It was a practical and very thoughtful monologue, and you could tell by the faces in the crowd that almost everyone could relate to it in some way.
Quote of the day!
where is that mosque?
tab lateef
ya zalame,
Could you maybe interview this guy? I think the feedback has shown how rare this is, and how much it is needed. Obviously Muslims–not only in JO–are not really being helped out by their weekly khutbas. It would be interesting to learn more about this imam and his thought and approach to khidme/ministry.
–AD
sounds a lot like our Imam here … who is Jordanian by the way.
What mosque was this?
“To be honest, at this point I’ll take any story that is remotely contemporary, speaks to my issues and does not involve what someone did 1,000 years ago.”
This seems to be a universal complaint regarding jum3a khutbas worldwide. Are you familiar with those Baba Ali Ummah films youtube vids? This post reminds me of one of his vids where he addressed the irrelevence of khutbas inspired by hearing a khutab say things like when you see a dead goat on the side of the road it’s forbidden to eat it…..dude you’re in southern california!!! it was pretty funny.
My personal gripe about my new local friday prayers venue during the school year is that I wish it would be more girl-friendly. Unlike my previous school, the way it’s set up it’s as if it’s meant to discourage girls from going by holding them in such small spaces and not making formal announcements of time and place changes so that everyone is aware. I stopped going to my campus jum3as when the last time I went I was the one female there….it couldn’t be more uncomfortable.
Kudos for the imam who googled!
@hussein, kiki: this is masjid al-kathem in dayer ighbar
That is promising …
If more people got involved like he did, maybe the change would come a little faster … I am just saying!!
salam nas try the musque in jandaweel the imam is abu mousa i dont know if he is still there but try to look for him he is worth listening to ,the mousque is opposit zain on the other side.near by some small hotel i dont know the mousques name ,sorry,
I’m impressed!
Thanks for the plug for both the imam and the masjid. I can count on one hand how many khutbas I’ve attended in Amman in nearly 7 years; that is sad. Great topic, so relevant.
That was a great khutba, it’s a fictional khutba.. this ain’t true.. i barely believe what I’ve just read.. The Friday culture in aggressive stupid khutba with Almighty forces that will demolish enemies is over.. I should start going BACK to Friday prayers.. I WISH we have such INTELLIGENT, clever speeches instead of the nonsense we hear every week for ages..
It is time to have well-educated, well acknowledged with other life aspects preachers that talk to the current community.
It is a very nice article.
I am impressed too 🙂
Really?!
Thats pretty darn interesting.. now have him get his ass off that podium and work on it!
Interesting I havent heard a new khutba in a while
and i also feel i need to leave here before my brain melts into oblivion.
He actually said ‘Google it’? Haha.
I think that imams these days don’t focus on what they are preaching as much as how loud their tones are when they do.
So was his khutbeh last week as good as the one before?
I absolutely love it when a religious figure moves from the era when the book was introduced and actually addresses current events. It’s so much more inspiring – and it has the exact same pull that makes everyone check their blogs, twitter, facebook etc: SEEING WHAT’S NEW! What everyone things of everything that is currently happening.
I agree about the brain drain… i would probably enjoy a different lifestyle in Dubai or Jordan or a similar modern culture in the middle east, unfortunately i would move from management level to street begging and would have to give up my condo for a street corner because my field doesn’t exist there =(
Great post, great mosque topic, great all-around.