Sanctity of Mosques and Muslims
Fights,
Abuses And Disrespect To The Mosques Is Increasing
Main
Points:
1. Often
sectarian differences result in clashes in mosques.
2. Sometimes
Muslims fight over the appointment of an imam.
3. Sometimes,
imam and muezzin quarrel over petty issues.
4. Kolkata's
Nakhoda Mosque witnessed fight between deputy imam and mutawallis.
5. Allegation
of rape in mosque compound was also made.
-----
By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
21 November
2022
Mosques are
sacred places in Islam and every Muslim has his duty to preserve the sanctity
of mosques. Worldly issues cannot be discussed and even speaking in a high
volume is considered a disrespect to the mosque.
Mosques are
places of worship and so discussing sectarian issues in mosques are against the
Islamic principles. Generally, God fearing and pious Muslims preserve the
sanctity of mosques.
But over
the years, it has been observed that unpleasant incidents occur in mosque
compounds. Muslims sometimes quarrel over sectarian issues. They prefer an imam
of their own sect which is opposed by the opposite sect. This leads to
unsavoury situation in the mosque. The difference of opinion leads to squabbles
and fights. Abuses fly in the air.
Sometimes,
Muslims belonging to opposite sects try to capture the mosque to make it a
centre of their own sect. This leads to a fight in which members from both the
sects get injured fi Sabilillah ( in the path of God) .
Nakhoda Mosque, Kolkata
----
One glaring
example of fights and other immoral acts in the mosque compound was witnessed
in the famous Nakhoda Masjid in Kolkata. A fight erupted between the deputy
imam Maulana Md Shafique and the team of Mutawalli and Muezzin on
2nd September in the mosque. The deputy imam allegedly used filthy language
against the Mutawalli and the muezzin who is a hafiz-e-Quran. The incident was
the culmination of a series of squabbles and unsavoury incidents in the
mosques. The bone of contention was the Nikah and Talaq fees
which is distributed among the two deputy imams and Mutawalli and Muezzin.
Recently, the Nikah fee was hiked to Rs 3500 from Rs 2700. But the share
of the Mutawalli and muezzin was not increased proportionately. The Muezzin
and Mutawalli demanded that their share should be increased but the
deputy imams rejected their demand. Therefore, the muezzin and Mutawalli
refused to accept their share. The deputy imam said that if they do not accept
the amount, it will not be paid later.
During this
period, the Mutawalli and Muezzin proposed the decoration of the
office of the deputy imam which was next to the office of the Mutawalli inside
the mosque. But under the pretext of decorating the office, they demolished the
wall dividing the two offices. The deputy imam expressed his indignation a the
demolition of the parting wall as he had not approved of it. He asked the
Mutawalli to rebuild the, wall but they did not comply with the request. So the
deputy imam one day hired some labourers to rebuild the wall. The Mutawalli and
the muezzin opposed the reconstruction of the wall. This led to fights and
hurling of abuses. The deputy imam allegedly used force against the Mutawalli
and Muezzin and also abused them in filthy language. The incident went viral on
social media and the Muslims f West Bengal witnessed the shameful and
embarrassing episode unfolding in a mosque complex.
Earlier in
May, the deputy Imam Maulana Md Shafique had allegedly hurled the microphone on
the Muezzin after the Fajr prayer saying the Muezzin always lowered the volume.
This had created quite a flutter among the devotees.
As the
incident of fight and abuses spread among the public, some representatives of
Muslims took strong exception to it and formed a committee to inquire into the
roots of the controversy. The committee talked to all the parties concerned and
made some recommendations for permanent settlement of the dispute. During the
consultations, it also came to light that some people had also alleged that the
muezzin had raped a woman on the terrace of the mosque and that the Mutawalli
Iqbal had dragged the muezzin down. But the Mutawalli denied it and the
allegation was dismissed due to lack of witnesses and circumstantial evidence.
The deputy
imam is said to be close to the ruling party of the state and so he allegedly
shows aggressive behaviour against his opponents. He loses temper so often and
misbehaves with whoever does not toe his line. Though he has apologised to the
Mutawalli and Muezzin, the incidents are a blot on the community. That the
deputy imams deny his subordinates their rights and refuse to pay their fare
share from the Nikah and Talaq fees is a demonstration of their
hypocrisy. They say from the pulpit that Huquq ul Ibad (rights of
people) should be honoured but they di not practice what they preach.
The Nakhoda
Mosque is one of the oldest mosques of the state and is central to the
religious life of the Muslims in the state. Announcements of sightings of the
new moon are made from here and so Muslims of the state keep a close watch on
the happenings in this mosque. The behaviour of the deputy imam of Nakhoda
mosque has caused embarrassment and anxiety among the Muslims and they hope
that such incidents will not occur in this mosque and other mosques in future.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/sanctity-mosques-muslims/d/128444