Do I have to go to Friday prayer if I can't understand the khutbah?

Yes — Jumuʿah is an individual obligation on every adult, sane, resident Muslim man, and Allah commands, "When the call to prayer is made on the day of Jumuʿah, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade" (Quran 62:9). The Prophet ﷺ said, "Jumuʿah in congregation is an obligatory duty upon every Muslim except four: an owned slave, a woman, a child, and a sick person" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1067) — so it is not obligatory on women, children, the genuinely ill, or the traveller, though women may attend. Not understanding the Arabic khutbah does not excuse you from attending: sit quietly, listen, and benefit from the congregation, the Arabic you are gradually learning, and the Muslims you meet there. Many mosques deliver part of the khutbah in the local language or post translations, so ask the imam — and if you are still learning, use the time to build your connection with the community.

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