There are calls by some expatriates and Saudis alike for the Friday sermon, the Khutba, to be translated in some mosques for the benefit of non-Arabic speaking Muslims or, indeed for it to be given in a particular foreign language. There is a great deal of logic to these calls. A third of the population in the Kingdom is non-Saudi. Yes, that figure includes other Arabic speakers. But it is estimated that there are well over three million Muslims in the country whose Arabic is at best rudimentary or who cannot speak more than about 10 words in the language. Leaving aside the issue of whether something should be done about the Arabic language skills of those working here, the fact is that when they go to Friday prayers — and many of them do so every single week — they do not understand a word of what the imam is saying. His words fall on deaf ears. In a mosque where only one or two people do not understand what is being preached, that has to be tolerated. Their friends or family can tell them what was said later on. But in mosques where the majority — sometimes the overwhelming majority — have not the faintest idea of what the sermon is about, that is unacceptable. The Holy Qur'an was given in Arabic but Islam is not for Arabic-speakers alone. It is for all humanity. The question then is how to address the matter. Should sermons be translated or should they be given altogether in other languages? Translating could be done, but there are problems. The sermon is prepared but not usually written beforehand. Providing a written translation to give to worshippers at the time is not an option. It can be translated afterwards, but probably would not be handed out till the following Friday. Not exactly a useful solution. Similarly, is it realistic to expect an imam to stop at every other sentence, when he is in full flow, so that someone can translate? It would be much more logical to have the sermon given entirely in a foreign language — in Urdu, Malayalam, Tagalog, Turkish, Dari, Bengali, Malay or even English. There are one or two mosques in the country where this already happens, but it is hardly enough. There should be many more. What is wrong with a particular mosque being known for having the Friday sermon in Malayalam or Tagalog? The fact that local Saudis would not then understand the Khutba would not be a problem. In most of all the other mosques, the sermon will be in Arabic. The Khutba, as has been said elsewhere, was established to bring Muslims together for midday prayers, to bring them to a deeper understanding of the faith and to apply it to current issues of the day. If it is in a language that the majority of worshippers do not understand, it cannot do that. Allowing expatriates to hear it in their own language is a matter of generosity — generosity of spirit. It does not necessarily have to happen in a particular mosque every Friday — it could be just the first Friday of the month. The Kingdom is big enough and welcoming enough to share the language of the Khutba with those many foreigners who live and work here but do not sufficiently understand Arabic. __
