Friday Sermons Can Play a Big Role in the Transformation of the Muslim Society
Mosques
Should Be Made A Centre of Moral and Social Reform
Main
Points:
1. Mosques hold a
special rather central place in the collective life of Muslims.
2. In modern
times, however, mosques have been reduced only to the status of a place of
worship where the Muslims go to offer the Friday prayers.
3. The imams today
are not equipped with modern knowledge to provide with necessary information or
advice to the Muslims.
4. Mosques can
play a constructive role in the Muslim society and the Friday sermons can be an
effective medium for propagating moral and social values.
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By New
Age Islam Staff Writer
28 May 2022
File Photo: Oldest Mosque of India, The Cheramaan Juma Mosque
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Mosques
hold a special rather central place in the collective life of Muslims. In the
initial period of Islam mosques were not only places of worship but also
centres of learning. Important decisions regarding the Ummah were taken from
the mosque. The holy prophet pbuh imparted moral and religious education from
the pulpit of the mosques.
In modern
times, however, mosques have been reduced only to the status of a place of
worship where the Muslims go to offer the Friday prayers. A minority of Muslims
visit the mosques for offering five times prayers.
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Also
Read: More and More Islamic Countries Monitor Friday
Sermons to Prevent Extremism
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Because of
the limited use of mosques, it has lost its central character in the Muslim
society. The majority of the imams or preachers in mosques have elementary
knowledge of Islam which is though sufficient for them in fulfilling their duty
as an imam, is not sufficient for them in guiding the Muslim community in the
challenging global milieu when Muslims are faced with myriad problems.
If the
mosques need to be the centres of collective Muslim society, the imams or
preachers who hold an important position in the Muslim society too need to be
well qualified not only in religious education but also well aware of the
political and social affairs of the country so that they can form an
independent opinion and guide the Muslim community accordingly.
Since the
mosques are seen only as a place of worship, the imams and preachers are not
required to be highly qualified since they are only required to lead five time
prayers. They need to follow the decisions of the managing committee or act to
the diktats of the Mutawalli of the mosque.
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Also
Read: Friday Sermons to
Educate Muslims on the Issues of Social Importance and Radical Elements
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The worse,
the mosques have become centres of sectarian ideology. The Friday sermons are
mostly centred round sectarian issues which divide the Muslims along sectarian
lines or spread hate among Muslims against other sects.
Most of the
time, the preacher raises marginal, inconsequential issues in their Friday
sermons. The issues they generally discuss are whether the holy prophet pbuh
was Nur (light) or Bashar (human being), or should one say Ameen
loudly or softly after Surah Fateha.
Since these
issues and some others are sectarian in nature, the Muslims are divided on
sectarian lines. The fundamental issues of economic development, character
building, struggle against social evils like dowry custom, drug addiction,
gambling etc are ignored.
In modern
social condition poverty and unemployment are the main concerns for Muslims
particularly but the mosques are not able to provide consultation to the
Muslims for career development. The example of the prophet pbuh making an axe
for an unemployed man so that he could cut wood from the forest and sell it for
livelihood has been forgotten.
The imams
today are not equipped with modern knowledge to provide with necessary
information or advice to the Muslims.
Mostly the
mosques have been used for propagating a particular ideology for a long time in
the sub-continent. In Bangladesh, mosques had attached libraries. This could
have revolutionised the Bangladesh Muslim society if the libraries had books on
science, competitive material for jobs, career counselling and similar subjects
but unfortunately the libraries had literature of a particular sectarian
ideology which promoted extremism and sectarianism among the Muslims of
Bangladesh. After Shaikh Hasina came to power, these libraries were closed.
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Since
Friday sermons are an effective opportunity to propagate an ideology, the
Muslim sectarian organisations use this platform to spread their ideology among
the Muslims. They know that the Muslims do not buy books or magazines and so
through books they cannot spread their ideology. The majority of Muslims gather
in mosques for Friday prayer and need to listen to the half hour sermon before
the prayers. This half hour becomes very important for the imams or preachers.
During their half hour sermon in Urdu or other local language, they can spread
their ideology or spread hate against other sects.
Ideally,
the Friday sermons should be based in the message of the Quran in unity,
education, brotherhood, rights of neighbours, on the need to do research and
promote inquiry. But instead, the sermons before Friday prayers are based on
sectarian ideology.
The Islamic
organisations realised the importance of mosques and the power of Friday
sermons and used this to spread their extremist ideology the world over. These
extremist organisations trained imams and preachers in their ideology and
planted them in mosques in Europe where they preached extremist and separatist
ideas among the Muslims presenting the host countries as enemy territory.
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This led to
the growth of militantism and extremism in the European Muslim society. The
European and American governments had to impose curbs and start surveillance to
keep a tab on mosques. In France, the government conducted a nationwide inquiry
on mosques and religious organisations and hundreds of mosques were closed on
charges of spreading extremist ideas from the pulpit.
Not only
Europe, a number of Islamic countries started monitoring Friday sermons in
mosques. Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are some of the
Muslim countries where Friday sermons are monitored. The imams in some
countries are suggested topics for sermons or given complete sermons which
alone they can deliver.
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Also
Read: Importance of Friday Sermon: Why does it have to be
in Arabic
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This
situation has arisen because of the irresponsible behaviour of preachers.
India,
Friday sermons do not promote extremism but spread sectarian hatred. There are
only few mosques where imams discuss truly Islamic issues.
It is also
a fact all the imams are not orators but still they think it their right to
deliver a speech or sermon. For them. Imarat-e-Shariah, Bihar has compiled a
collection of sermons meant for Fridays. Instead of delivering incoherent and
meaningless sermons, such imams should read out the sermons from the collection.
In short,
mosques can play a constructive role in the Muslim society and the Friday
sermons can be an effective medium for propagating moral and social values and
for creating opportunities for economic and social development of the Muslim
youth and social harmony in the country.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/friday-sermons-transformation-muslim-society/d/127114
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