Friday Khutba of Tokyo Camii “Our Prophet (saw), the Mosque, and Prayer”

Honorable Muslims!
One of the fundamental principles of our sublime religion, Islam, is prayer. Prayer is not merely a set of prescribed movements; it is a roadmap that guides our lives and keeps us steadfast upon the straight path. Indeed, when we begin our prayer, we recite the opening takbir (takbir al-iftitah), affirming that there is no deity except Allah. In the standing position (qiyam), we declare our resolve to stand for truth against falsehood and our refusal to consent to oppression or wrongdoing. In the recitation (qiraat), we proclaim the Qur’an and affirm our commitment to applying its timeless message to every aspect of our lives. In the bowing (ruku), we demonstrate that we will bow to none but Allah. In the prostration (sajdah), we attain the peace and joy of closeness to our Lord. In the salutation (salam), we convey the assurance that neither our hands nor our words will cause harm to anyone.

Esteemed Muslims!
The Messenger of Allah (saw) regarded prayer as a shield. He began his day with the Fajr prayer witnessed by the angels, saying, “Whoever prays the morning prayer is under the protection of Allah.”¹ He considered neglecting a single obligatory prayer equivalent to losing the world and all within it, warning, “Whoever does not pray the Asr prayer, it is as if they have lost their family and wealth.”² The Messenger of Allah (saw) would begin his day with the blessings of the Fajr prayer and conclude it with the tranquility of the ‘Isha prayer. He said, “If people knew the reward for the Fajr and ‘Isha prayers, they would come to the mosque even if they had to crawl.”⁴

Dear Believers!
In the life of our beloved Prophet (saw), prayer was the act of worship that kept the servant’s connection with Allah alive, and mosques were the sacred places where this worship was brought to life. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “If you see a person consistently going to the masjid to pray, bear witness to their faith!”

Therefore, in accordance with the command of our Almighty Lord,
وَأْمُرْ اَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلٰوةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَاۜ لَا نَسْـَٔلُكَ رِزْقاًۜ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَۜ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوٰى
“Bid your people to pray and be diligent in ˹observing˺ it. We do not ask you to provide. It is We Who provide for you. And the ultimate outcome is ˹only˺ for ˹the people of˺ righteousness.”⁵ , let us nurture our families in the practice of prayer with gentle words, a smiling countenance, and patient perseverance. Let us not prevent our children or our employees from praying out of concern for livelihood. Let us remember that the Messenger of Allah (saw) would awaken his daughter Fatima (ra) and his son-in-law Ali (ra) for the Fajr prayer as he was leaving for the masjid. Let us never forget that our Prophet (saw), even in the final moments of his life, emphasized: “Pay careful attention to prayer!”⁶

I would like to conclude this Friday’s khutbah with Verse 45 of Surah al-‘Ankabut: “Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do.”⁷

[1] Muslim, Masajid, 262.
[2] Bukhari, Mawaqit al-Salat, 14.
[3] Bukhari, Adhan, 9.
[4] Tirmidhi, Iman, 8.
[5] Ta-Ha, 20/132.
[6] Ibn Majah, Jana’iz, 64.
[7] Ankabut, 29/45.

Friday Khutba of Tokyo Camii “Our Prophet (saw), the Mosque, and Prayer” PDF