Taiwo Jimoh 
Daaru Sa’adah Islamic Centre, have trained no fewer than three hundred Imams on what is responsibilities and duties of Imams over the weekend, at AjaseIpo in Kwara State. The conference drew participations from over 300 Imams in Ajase-Ipo town and other neighbouring communities, who commended the initiative as impactful.
Themed: ‘Sound Imam, Sound Jama’ah’, the conference was held on Sunday, 29th September, 2024, at the Ajase-Ipo Central Mosque, Ajase-Ipo.
The Imams were urged to consider Imamship as a job with huge responsibilities, not a mere title. Speaking at the conference, Prof. Abdulrazzaq Abdulmajeed Alaro urged the Imams to see their position as a job with huge responsibilities.
The Professor of Islamic Law, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, who spoke on the topic ‘Responsibilities and Duties of Imams’, cautioned against the culture of seeing Imamship as a mere title with ceremonial functions.
“Imamship is beyond being a title; it’s a job with huge responsibilities. The Imam has spiritual, social and economic duties,” he said. “When an Imam understands his status as an office rather than taking it as a title, it says it all.
When you understand that you are occupying a position of responsibility, you will have a better understanding of your roles and duties as an Imam.
“But most unfortunately, the majority of Imams in our environment do not see it that way. Even the way we express it in our local language, we see Imamship as a title. That’s why we see people celebrating their emergence as Imam, picking a date for turbaning. “Beyond all these, Imamship is a huge responsibility.
If we can see it as such, our challenges will be solved. Let every Imam see his office as that of duties and responsibilities, rather than being a title meant for ceremonial functions alone.”
Prof. Alaro said the spiritual role, especially leading prayers, is the foremost for all Imams, noting no other engagement should distract them from it. “It is bad for an Imam not to monitor the time of solat. An Imam must not be so engaged to the extent of not having the time to lead solat.
Some persons are appointed Imams for communities they do not dwell in. This is because they see it as a title. “Though the Shari’a does not prevent the Imam from fending for himself and working even in government institutions.
But it’s bad for weeks, months to pass without the Imam leading solat in the mosque.” In his submission, the Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Dr. Ridwan Jamiu, described the mosque as a multi-purpose centre.
According to him, there is more the mosque can do to the society than prayer. Speaking on the topic, ‘The Mosque as a Multipurpose Centre of Excellence’, the Imam said the mosque should play a leading role in bringing relief to people in this period of economic downturn in the country. “The mosque is not just a place where we come together to worship Allah, and to pray.
There is more that the mosque can do to society than the prayer. Even though the prayer is the most important thing, the mosque is meant to serve people’s lives socially, economically, intellectually, psychologically and so on.
“The mosque is meant to be a multipurpose centre. It is an educational centre where you learn about your deen, about your life. A mosque is an economic and empowerment centre where people can go for zakat. So for poor people, their needs can be met at the mosque.
The mosque is also meant to be a social centre whereby when we have strangers who are stranded, they should be able to go to the mosque, and the Imam will find solutions to their needs. “The mosque is also meant to be a place of fellowship. We meet one another; we love one another; we check up on one another, to promote peace and harmony.”
On his part, Amir Qamardeen Ajala, who is one of the discussants at the conference, charged the Muslim community to cater for the welfare of the Imams. “Our Imams must be catered for. Those who are well-to-do in the Muslim community should make this their responsibility. Look at our Christian counterparts; they take good care of their pastors.”
Amir Ajala said the conference is a train-the-trainer programme, adding once the Imams are trained, they will be able to discharge their duties effectively and pass the right message to the jam’ah (congregation). “If we look at our community today, a lot of people that are being called Imams got the position because of their family ties.
Some of them are not well grounded for the position, especially when it comes to fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) on solat, and inheritance, among others.
Imams are leaders of the masjid, and they must be acquainted with what Allah wants and what His Prophet wants,” he noted. Earlier in his goodwill message, the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Alebiosu urged the Imams to pay attention to the presentations of the various lecturers, expressing confidence they would go home rich in knowledge and insights.
