Fatima.Mernessi_The-Forgotten-Queens-of-Islam-EN

74 Sovereignty in Islam
an unalterable element of Muslim ritual, celebrated in the mosque
on very precise occasions: the Friday religious service, services for
the great feasts, and finally special services for unexpected, troubling
cosmic events such as drought or an eclipse. In principle prayer
precedes the khutba, although on Friday the order is reversed. The
khutba, a sermon, is verbal, while prayer is primarily gestural,
with each gesture accompanied by ritual words which intensify
the symbolic meaning of each movement. The khutba contains
invocations of Allah and his prophets, a reading of Koranic verses,
and finally du'a' li-al-mu'minin (prayers on behalf of the faithful).
It is the latter which concludes with mention of the ruling sovereign
and asking God's help for him in the performance of his duty. The
naming of the reigning sovereign, which constitutes both a sort of
publicity for the sovereign whose name is mentioned (especially in
times of political troubles) and a renewal of recognition of him and
loyalty to him (in times of peace), is accompanied by prayers and
intercessions to Allah to assure the sovereign support and a long
life. The prosperity and security of the faithful depend on the
sovereign's good management of the affairs of state. Therefore,
wishing him long life and praying for him during the Friday sermon
strengthens the idea so dear to Islam of a complete harmony
between Heaven and earth, the spiritual and the material, the leader
and the led. The Friday khutba, the central religious ritual of the
system, expresses its very essence - namely, the fact that religion
is political, and politics is religion. It is always supposed to be
spoken in Arabic, although there are exceptions to this rule in non-
Arabic speaking Muslim countries. The ritual unfolds according to
a precise convention:
It is commendable (sunna) for the khatib to be on a pulpit or an
elevated place; to salute the audience when directing himself towards
them; to sit down until the 'adhan is pronounced by the mu'adhdhinf
to lean on a bow, a sword or a staff; to direct himself straightaway
to his audience; to pray (du'a') on behalf of the Muslims; and to
make his khutba short. 9
The Friday religious ritual is so important that it is the subject of
a special chapter (kitab) in all the works offiqh. 10
In order to understand its importance, its traditional roots in
memory, and the aesthetic emotion that it engenders, we have to
go back to the famous first sermons delivered by the Prophet himself
in the world's first mosque in Medina - a mosque whose grandeur