Education CommitteeJummuah Khutbah Survey Executive Summary

The Jummuah Khutbah survey conducted at IAR gathered 212 responses from the community including online and written responses. Questions asked related to general satisfaction with the Khutbahs, feedback on their length, as well as feedback on Khateebs' ability to deliver their message with clarity and a mastery of the English Language. Those who participated in the survey were also asked about their interest in seeing local and guest speakers other than the Imams.

From the responses received, 60% of participants rated the IAR Khutbahs as being "adequate," "good," or "outstanding." With that being said, about 40% of those surveyed said the khutba was too long. Also, 66% of those surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they would like to see guest Khateebs more often.

In the written sections of the survey, many participants reiterated that they would like shorter Khutbahs, and that they did not like repeated topics or "recycled" Khutbahs. Some specifically noted that they did not want Khutbahs in Arabic with English translations. Some Khutbah topics that community members asked to be covered were: topics for converts, older Prophets and stories from their lives, history of Islam, women's topics and their rights in Islam, fundamentals of Jummuah prayer, Tafseer, signs of the Day of Judgment, the afterlife, contemporary issues and adapting to American life, youth issues, interacting with non-Muslims, family issues, and how to make a marriage successful. Some of the speakers that participants asked to hear were: Nouman Ali Khan, Fiaz Fareed, Abdul Rahman Murhpy, Imam Suhaib Webb, Haroon Moghul.

The Security and Management committees gave their feedback on attendance and parking issues. They reported that attendance has fallen sharply in the first shift, so much so that the first and second shifts combined have fewer attendees than the third shift. In addition, the time between shifts is not sufficient to allow for people to leave and come for the next shift.

After compiling the results, it would benefit the community to shorten the Jummah Khutbah for the main shifts along with combining the first two shifts to alleviate the burden on Security and Management. It would also be beneficial to utilize more of the community's local speakers and invite guest speakers to deliver the Khutbah during this shift. Incorporating the suggested topics would help widen the subjects covered during Jummuah, as well as engage the community and provide a fulfilling spiritual experience at IAR.