Imam W. D. Mohammed(ra): 12-19-82 Taleem Los Angeles, Ca

"This day is especially a day where the prayer is preceded by a lecture or khutbah as we call it, a speech.  It is a speech containing intelligent instructions from the Quran, it is done in a very dignified, scholarly way.  So it is a lecture, more so, than a sermon.  That is if we keep the form of that particular service. It is more a lecture than a sermon.  Although, we know a sermon can be a lecture too. Many people give sermons that are very excellent lectures.  But when most of us hear the word sermon we think of preaching and playing on the buttons of the emotionalism. 

The religion of Al-Islam really forbids us from doing that.  We are not allowed to play on the buttons of the emotionalism more than we play on the notes of intelligence. We are to appeal to people’s intelligence, appeal to their rational good senses.  And we are not forbidden to include emotional expressions or to appeal to the emotions of the people, but if our lecture, our talk carries more emotionalism than appealing to their good senses that it is unIslamic."  Imam W. D. Mohammed(ra)