The practice of two sermons goes back to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the early caliphs.
Some jurists (Hanafis, Shafi‘is, Hanbalis) consider the second sermon sunnah mu’akkadah (emphasized sunnah), while others see it as integral to the khutbah’s validity.
If you listen closely, Khutba Sania sounds like this (a common version): khutba sania juma
“Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad, wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid…”
What it means in plain English:
While this article focuses on Sunni practice, it is worth noting that Shia (Jafari) jurisprudence also has a two-sermon structure for Friday prayers, though the content (often including praise of Ali and the Ahlul Bayt) differs linguistically. The Sunni Khutba Sania described above is universally used in Makkah, Madinah, Cairo, Istanbul, and Delhi.
Strictly speaking, the Khutba Sania must be in Arabic according to the majority of scholars (Hanafi, Shafi’i, Hanbali) because it contains specific fixed prayers (Salawat and Dua). However, the first sermon may be delivered in the local language for understanding. If an Imam skips the Arabic second sermon entirely and jumps straight into the prayer, the Jumu’ah may be invalid according to these schools. The practice of two sermons goes back to
When the Imam stands to deliver the Khutba Sania, the angels descend, and the pens of good deeds begin writing for those who listen. Here is why this short minute of supplication is spiritually potent:
In Islamic tradition, the Friday (Juma) prayer consists of two sermons (khutbatayn) delivered by the khatib (preacher) before the two rak‘ats of prayer. If you listen closely, Khutba Sania sounds like
The word Sania comes from Arabic thāniya (ثانية) meaning “second.”