📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
The Friday Khutba occupies a central communicative and instructional function in Muslim communities worldwide, and its linguistic medium carries significant sociolinguistic implications for community cohesion, religious understanding, and the prestige of Arabic. This study examines the sociolinguistic dimensions of Arabic use in Friday Khutba delivery across selected mosques in Lagos State, investigating patterns of language choice, code-switching between Arabic and Yoruba or English, and congregation attitudes towards the Arabic components of the sermon. The research adopts a qualitative sociolinguistic approach, combining systematic observation, audio recording, and transcription of Friday sermons from fifteen mosques in Lagos Island, Alimosho, and Ikorodu local government areas over a twelve-week period. Post-sermon questionnaires are administered to 300 congregants to assess comprehension and attitudes. Findings indicate that while Arabic Quranic quotations and du'a passages are maintained across all mosques, the explanatory body of the sermon is delivered predominantly in Yoruba or English, with significant variation by mosque type, imam educational background, and congregation demographics. Congregation comprehension of the Arabic portions is low but attitudinal reverence towards Arabic remains high. The study highlights tensions between linguistic accessibility and the perceived sanctity of Arabic in Nigerian Muslim worship. Keywords: Arabic, Friday Khutba, code-switching, sociolinguistics, Lagos mosques.
Need Complete Chapters of the Above Topic?
Get high-quality, Zero-AI research materials with current citations.
Request via WhatsApp 💬