The Framework of Islamic Rhetoric: The Ritual of the KhuṬba and its Origin
The Framework of Islamic Rhetoric: The Ritual of the KhuṬba and its Origin
The Friday sermon in the mosque (which is not explicitly referred to in the Qur’an) has a structure that has been practiced at least since the beginning of the 8th century. Several scholars have pointed out that its structure with a two-part sermon as the basic element can be derived from the Jewish (or Judaeo-Christian) sabbath service with its supplications, Torah-reading and subsequent supplications. Sources indicate, however, that the Islamic ceremony may have been quite different in the first Islamic century. The word minbar originally designated the throne of a ruler and has many parallels in the ancient Middle East and Ethiopia from where the word actually comes. It can be argued that the Friday sermon in the beginning was a proclamation of the ruler seated on a throne, a custom which was discarded by circles opposed to the Umayyads.
Keywords: Jewish sabbath service, Judaeo-Christian influences, khutba, masjid, minbar, the Qur’an, throne, Umayyad
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