Imams should mirror the lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

Being an Imam is not just about having a good voice to recite Quran during  swala (congregational prayers), but also being able to provide leadershipon issues that affect Muslims in their societies

By Iddi Musyemi

Imams hardly go beyond what is considered their roles in the mosques. Their duties end with leading the prayers and performing other work as assigned by mosque committees.

The life and work of the Imam is usually hidden behind the perimeters of the mosque. That is the only place that Muslims recognize his ability to lead – only in the prayers.

Whether an Imam has other talents and abilities that he can share for the benefit of the community is hard to know, for he is never given an opportunity to exploit what he knows.

Can you imagine the Imam of your mosque going beyond what you consider to be his roles?

I don’t mean the Imam resigning from leading the prayers to join politics or other profession. Why can’t your Imam also be a community leader?

Like fish in the water, the Imam has limited himself to living in the mosques only.

 

“But our society has not allowed him to take his rightful position,” says Ustadh Yusuf Nasur an Imam of Jeddah Mosque and a community activist in Kibera’s Kambi area. “Imam has a big role to play in both leadership and other important issues.”

In Islam, says Ustadh Yusuf, an Imam is the mirror of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). “When we see an Imam we should see our beloved Prophet (PBUH).”

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was one composition of many things. He was the highest leader of Islam, the commander of Islam’s army, politician, spiritual leader and also someone whom the community would go to for counseling.

The Prophet has been reported in a hadith saying: “The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets.”

Ustadh Yusuf says that Imams are scholars at the level of the people and must benefit from the inheritance of our Prophet (SAW) in both spiritual leadership and community activism.

By right, says Ustadh Yusuf, it is Imams who should be on the forefront leading the community in various issues especially on matters of fighting oppression and corruption (dhulma and fassad).

There is nothing wrong with an Imam being an advocate of human rights especially at this times when youths are arrested for no reason at all but seating at maskani (places where youths hang-out).

“Oppression is not only a husband doing wrong to his wife,” states Ustadh Yusuf. “The fact that a youth will be arrested by the police and held in a police station waiting for a bribe or is imprisoned for idling at maskanis is also an oppression that Imams must fight against.”

But for an Imam to have his voice heard outside the mosque, he must first be accommodated in the mosque, argues Ustadh Yusuf.

He alludes that the prayer leaders are ignored in the mosque set up. Because mosques, and Madrassas, are run by know-it-all committees with the power to hire and fire, the authority of an Imam is limited to the roles assigned to him.

“The Imam should be the accounting officer of the mosque,” exhorts Ustadh Yusuf. “He should be a member in the committee if not its secretary general.”

Excluding Imams in the management of the mosque only feeds a self defeating cycle, lowering the qualities and standards of people employed to lead in prayers.

Ustadh Yusuf says: “Being an Imam is not just about having a good voice to recite Quran in Swala (congregational prayers), but it is also being able to provide leadership in other issues that affect Muslims in the mosque and outside.”

While it is not a must that the Imam be an authority on issues affecting the community, it is necessary for him to have some knowledge to understand the burning issues and give an authoritative solution according to Islam.

But this can only happen if Imams not only get involved in community activism but also if Islamic organisations invite them.

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem), argues Ustadh Yusuf, has a role to play in alleviating the plight of Imams and madrassa teachers in its capacity as a national body.

“Instead of Imams depending on individuals for a salary, Supkem should come up with an initiative to cater for the salaries of those who work in the mosques and madrassas.” He proposes something akin to civil service.

He has praises for the Imams of Mombasa through the Council for Imams and Preacher of Kenya (CIPK) who have gone out of their way to get involved in fighting drug abuse in their community.

“But Kenya Council of Imams and Ulamaa (KCIU) is inactive and this is how we fail!”

As the judiciary devolves some of its roles to alternative sources of justice including religious organizations, it will go a long way if Imams are prepared to act as arbitrators of conflicts among Muslims.

There will not be anything wrong for Imams to seat in county boards or Constituency Development Fund (CDF) boards in their capacities as long as they wouldn’t be compromised.

“We should be open minded in approaching different issues that affect the whole community,” advises Ustadh Yusuf referring to Imams.

It might do a great deal of good if the Muslim community were open-minded in letting in the Imams to the rest of their lives.

Source- The New Dawn.