One-day Workshop on
The Role of The Mosque, London (Part-1)
Dr. Mozammel Haque
One-day
Workshop on the Role of the Mosque was organised by the Islamic Cultural
Centre, London, in cooperation with the Masajid International Organisation,
Riyadh, on Saturday, 4th of June 2016, at the Conference Hall of the
Islamic Cultural Centre, London. The participants were from Mosques, Islamic
centres and Islamic organisations. They attended the workshop in one way or the
other as in the capacity of Imams, Directors, or may be responsible for any
aspect of education in Mosque, or in the Muslim community. “Our event today is
really very important; it is about the role, the purpose and the message of the
mosque and that most of you are either working in mosque, Islamic organisations
in one way or other as imams or directors, or may be responsible for any aspect
of education,” said Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, the Director General of the Islamic
Cultural Centre, London, in his inaugural speech.
Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan:
Inaugural Speech
While
speaking about the duties of the Mosque, Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “We all know
when Muslims come from anywhere, or go anywhere, the first thing they start to think
is about the place of worship which is called, in Islam, in Arabic, Masjid or mosque;
but of course, after living long times in the societies where the Muslim communities
lived; now there are many Mosques grown up in the societies. These Mosques have
various needs. These needs, of course, must be addressed by the Muslims and
that’s why mosques are to expand their duties and expand their role in the
societies.”
Duties
of the Mosque
“You
find some Mosques have only some course, for example, have courses on education;
some mosques have even general services; some mosques have also social
services, like marriage or whatever, arranging this, the marriage contract;
some mosques give some more concentration on the youth, the young generation
some of them; some mosques have classes on others,” mentioned Dr. al-Dubayan.
The
ICC chief mentioned that there are some criticisms about the role of Mosques.
He said, “Mosques have been also criticised by Muslims and by others also. Sometimes,
the Mosques were criticised for lack of some duties; it is said, the message
missing in this mosque about the new generation; about the societies itself. True
mosques have been playing the role that is we need from them; or just they open
their doors for everybody to pray.”
Mosque of the first generation of Islam
Speaking
about the activities of Mosque in the early days of Islam, Dr. al-Dubayan said,
“We all remember, of course, in the early days of Islam, the first generation,
the Mosques were playing at that time as places for worship; as schools. All
the great scholars of Islam were studied in these mosques in the history of
Islam. And usually those who had problems used to go to Mosque. Think of the Prophetic
Mosque (peace be upon him) in the Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Muslim community
started to go there; they used to sit in the Mosque, to meet delegation; and also
act sometimes as judges; the mosque was acted as a court at that time. Of
course, in the new modern society, we have many organisations, many ministries who
have taken lots of these duties in the modern times. But the mosques still have
subjects to be discussed.”
Purpose & Partner of this Workshop
Speaking
about the purpose of this workshop on the Role of the Mosque and the partners
in this Workshop, Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “What is the main purpose of this
workshop today? Why we are called and invited here today? You are invited here
today to discuss; we would like to hear from you your contribution. Dear
brothers and sisters it is important that we actually try to form vision about
how our mosques want to work to be. Your contributions today would be really
very very important.”
“Our
partner in this Workshop today is the Riyadh-based Masajid International
organisations, affiliate of Muslim World League, Makkah al-Mukarramah. It’s a
new organisation actually founded only a few years ago and their works focus
only on masajid, on mosques. We here, at the Islamic Cultural Centre, of course,
do a lot of things; it is also our duty to highlight this area which we wanted
to be highlighted,” said Dr. Al-Dubayan about the Masajid International
Organisation.
Aims
of this Workshop
Speaking
about the aims and objectives of the Masajid International Organisation, Dr.
Al-Dubayan mentioned, “The Masajid International Organisation aims to prepare documents
on mosques. This document will define the role and will give advice to Muslims
in the societies; will give advice to the Muslim rulers, leaders how the
mosques are supposed to operate; what duties they should perform the new
dimension; or new needs arisen out of new situation which now we need to take
in this discussion. So that is the main purpose of this workshop.”
Workshop throughout the world
Speaking
about this workshop, Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned that Masajid International
Organisation has been organising this type of Workshop throughout the world. He
said, “Workshop has been held in South America, North America; and there will
be another one in some counties in England, in India and of course here today.
We are having today in London to collect these inputs from Muslims as many as
we can. Then finally all these inputs will become one document.”
“It would
be very important for everybody; it would be useful for every organisation, for
every mosque; it would be useful for those who manage mosque; it would be
useful also for those who are in the level of management in the mosque. We have
some complications. We know; some people like to run mosque in an old-fashined
way. It is very plain simple way which does not meet the needs of the
societies. There are also those who want to take the whole mosque like to be
school. There are also those who have different opinions about this. So we need
today from everybody all your advices, all your inputs, all what you think
mosque should do in the societies, in the UK today. This is very very important,”
said Dr. Al-Dubayan.
What
People think about Mosque
Speaking
about people and mosque, Dr. Al-Dubayan mentioned about different opinions of
different people about the mosque. He said, “I am sure when we are talking
about mosque we talk about people. There are people who think mosque should
only be a place for worship; there are those who think mosque should really be open
for an organisation or for everything; which is, of course, practically not
possible.”
Recollecting
his memory when he first came to run this Centre, Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned; “I
remember when I came to this place I almost found it has been doing many many
things, different things, starting from circumcision for boys, funeral services
etc; (some of them have been stopped long time ago); but when we see this we notice
that there are these views that where they think Islamic centre should not do
everything. Schools or kindergartens – are this the role of the mosques? Or the
mosques should take another dimension.”
Information Age
Speaking
about the modern time, modern age, the information age, when information is
available everywhere, Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “Of course, we know in modern
times we have new things. Now we are attending in the real beginning of the
information age. Now we have information from everywhere; where we have no
borders of information around the world. We expect lots of changes in the
societies, not only in the Muslim societies but everywhere in the world. Many
countries in the world ready to plan for change; start to plan for change in social
life based on the information now exploding around us. Internet is now playing
a big important role in our life. It will also play a more and more role in the
life of the new generation. You have seen your children, your daughters, yours
sons now are spending, in a way or another, some time during the day hours;
have also spent in this new technological devices, enter into communication
with other people; with us living here or may be in another part of the world.”
Need to Revise for the future of Mosque
Under
the circumstances, when so much changes have been taking place, especially in
the information world, Muslim world has to think about the future of their
organisation, future of their Mosques as well as future of the country.
Speaking about the future of Mosques, Dr. Al-Dubayan said, “Now we need to
revise our duties; to revise for the future of Islamic organisations, for the
future of mosques in this country. I hope what we will get from you today will
be, Insha Allah, written; will be formed in a way beneficial, not only for the Muslims
in the UK, but also for all Muslims everywhere. InshaAllah when other Muslims
in other countries have their inputs, that would be useful for us; find it
suitable in this society. And, of course, there are differences in the cities,
in the countries in the regulations and in the nature itself. May be, there is
a need in London which is not necessary in New Delhi, India or may be, in the
United States or in South America or in the Middle East. There are different
trends and we think mosque should always try to meet the need of the society;
not to try to play the role out of imagination; role which does not exist in
reality itself.”
The ICC Chief expressed his thanks to all those brothers and
sisters who came out of their homes on this Saturday weekend to attend and
participate in this workshop for the benefit of the community. He prayed to
Allah the Almighty to bless them all and said that somebody has to do this job
so that everybody can enjoy better life and all these atrocities around the
world may be stopped Insha Allah.
Themes of the Workshop
This
particular workshop is going to be interactive to your opinions and your
intentions in term of the role of the mosque. This is organised by the Islamic Cultural
Centre, London in cooperation with the Masajid International Organisation
Riyadh. There are five main themes; first of all, determining the issues and
challenges regarding the mosque, focusing on universal guidelines in
administering the Mosque.
Session
two: preparing some of the guidelines, justice and practical rulings regarding
the Mosque; and also discussing interactively the social and juridical role of
the mosque.
The
fourth point is about the opinions of the Muslims about the role of the masajids
and the issues that are faced by the mosques and the final theme would be to
reflecting on the new challenges that the imams may encounter in playing their
role in the mosque with specific reference to the western context.
Dr.
Ahmed Al-Dubayan in his introductory speech said we will divide you into five
groups; each group will have only we have sisters they are sitting there in
group to discuss about the first point; the first point would be juristic and
practical rulings regarding the mosque. [To be continued]
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