In translating the Khutbah from Arabic into a language understandable to some of the attendance so that they may benefit from the Khutbah

Q: In our Islamic Center located in a European country, we perform the Jumu`ah (Friday) and the congregational Salahs (Prayers) in the Masjid (mosque). About one hundred of the Non-Arab Muslims regularly visit the Masjid. They constitute about one-fifth of the worshippers and the rest are Arabs. Since our Khatibs (preachers) do not have any command of the foreign language of our country and their accent is too poor, we agreed for general benefit to assign a translator to give a simultaneous interpretation to the Khutbah (sermon). This interpretation is lively transmitted to the non-Arab worshippers via wireless transmitters. Do you see this act as permissible, and brings a Shar`y interest and does not constitute a Bid`ah (innovation) in religion? Is this act legally regarded as a kind of the forbidden Laghw (idle talk) with regards to the translator who is one of the worshippers attending the Jumu'ah Prayer? What about those using the transmitters as they sometimes need to move it? And is there anything wrong in allocating a place in the back of the Masjid for the non-Arabs (Part No. 7; Page No. 141) to avoid disturbing the Arab worshippers by the sound penetrating from their wireless transmitters, which would result in depriving them from the first rows? We hope to receive your answer as soon as you can, as this issue happens every Friday.

A: There is nothing wrong in translating the Khutbah from Arabic into a language understandable to some of the attendance so that they may benefit from the Khutbah, yet this should be done without incurring noise to the other attendance.May Allah grant us success. May peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions!