LIKE TO FORGET TIME

By: Ahmad Syahrin Thoriq

Very often I get complaints from congregations who complain that the Friday sermon is very long or that there are preachers during the lecture, the duration is too long. 

Even though there is actually no set time standard for the duration of the khutbah, cult, study or general study, usually the preacher or preacher already understands that everything has a threat. 

If Kultum, which is an acronym for a seven-minute lecture, is delayed by 15 minutes, that is still normal and common, but when it lasts for more than half an hour, it is certain that the congregation will be nervous. 

Friday sermons are the same, the standards between regions are indeed different. But what is clear is that sermons in offices or in company mosques that strictly regulate employee time cannot be equated with village mosques, which are generally more free. 

And preachers sometimes forget to equip themselves with sufficient knowledge about the problems of da'wah jurisprudence or at least want to get to know the field of da'wah. The material in the theory in the book should be harmonized with the dynamic and different realities in society. 

And this is exacerbated by the fact that among preachers' illnesses, when they talk, they tend to forget the time. The material spreads everywhere. 

If that's the case, the study is crisp and the content is dense with knowledge, maybe it won't have too much of an impact, but if it's just idle chatter, then the congregation will end up feeling sad too. 

Usually one relies on his watch to gauge the duration of how long he has been talking. But it turned out to be the case after he spoke, the preacher forgot at what minute he started to open the mic.

Finally, what happened again, the sermon turned into a lecture, the cult turned into a study that lasted nearly an hour. 

If this is the case, it's a pity for the congregation, even if they get the knowledge they have, they grumble. In the end, what happened was that many were allergic to religious lectures.

 Likewise when it comes to hearing Friday sermons, the choice is to come last and go home the earliest. 

For me personally, as soon as I start holding the mic I will immediately swipe my cellphone to turn on the stopwatch, or recording media. So that I can confirm how many minutes I spoke. Even to the count of seconds if necessary. 

And before that, I also confirmed that the takmir or jama'ah were valid through several sources: sermons, cults, studies or any lectures here, how long does it usually take? 

I'll make sure beforehand that if I'm not familiar with the customs of the mosque or the local taklim assembly. One informant is not enough, because usually someone gives an answer according to their personal opinion. "Well, it's up to the teacher."

Even though his "alah" could have turned out to be the "ouch" of another jama'ah. And I started to make it a tradition that it's better to save time with solid material, rather than linger, anyway, what the congregation remembers is that it's impossible to get a lot of material. 

What else does this have to do with the Friday sermon, in particular there was a recommendation from the Prophet that the khatibs not be too lengthy in conveying their sermons. Rasulullah shallallahu'alaihi wassalam said:

إِنَّ طُولَ صَلاَةِ الرَّجُلِ وَقِصَـرَ خُطْبَتِهِ مَئِنَّةٌ مِنْ فِقْهِهِ فَأَطِيلُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَاقْصُرُوا الْخُطْبَةَ وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْبَيَانِ لَسِحْرًا. 

"Verily, the length of a person's prayer and the shortness of his sermon are a sign of a person's understanding of his religion. Therefore, lengthen the prayer and shorten the sermon." (HR. Muslim)

In another hadith, companion Amar bin Yasir radhiyallahu'anhu said:

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ نَهَى أَنْ نُطِيلَ الْخُطْبَةَ

"Verily, the Messenger of Allah forbade us from lengthening the Khutbah." (Narrated by Ahmad)

That's why my sermons are known to be among the most concise and fast. Sometimes when I give a sermon and the imam also fits, the prayer doesn't last too long, we've finished praying in another place and then iqamat. 

And I have never received any complaints from the takmir, let alone the jama'ah, because the Friday prayers are fast. In fact, if I pay attention, many people smile happily. 

Once I asked one of the congregation the reason why they liked my short khutbah, he answered shyly: "Because after the Friday prayer, there is still time to lay down tadz. Hehehe."

Ah you are jama'ah sometimes...