Renowned Islamic scholar, Ustadh Dhikrullahi Shafii, has called for the adoption of a central Friday sermon across major mosques in the country.
This, he noted, will provide Muslims with a unified message and common direction on issues affecting the society.
He made the call at the 2nd Annual Imam’s Conference organised by Daarus-Sa’aadah Islamic Centre in Ajase-Ipo, Kwara State.
The event with the theme, ‘The Mosque, the Imam and Da’wah’, attracted scholars, imams, traditional rulers and worshippers across the country.
Shafii, who delivered the first lecture on ‘The Role of the Mosque in Building the Ideal Muslim,’ said the mosque is not limited to being a place of prayer.
According to him, Masjid is historically a centre for decision-making, social welfare, refuge and including treatment of the sick.
He noted that the three aspects of the theme had been largely neglected in contemporary Muslim communities, with negative consequences for the Ummah.
He described the Imam as the principal of the mosque whose role goes beyond delivering stories.
‘Rather, it requires deep grounding in Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh and global issues’, Shafii who is the Grand Mufti of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), said.
He emphasised that no single individual could master all branches of Islamic jurisprudence and advised Imams and scholars to specialise in particular fields while working together for the benefit of the community.
The mosque, he noted, must be repositioned to serve the Ummah fully, including the creation of committees to address the needs of children, women, the aged, marriage, naming ceremonies and conflict resolution.
He stressed that when properly utilised, mosques could once again produce pious leaders and scholars as they did in the early history of Islam.
Shafii further recommended that the conference should be extended to two or three days in order to deepen its impact, with a communiqué issued and adopted by mosques across the state for implementation.
In his paper on ‘Da’wah without Bitterness: Etiquette of Disagreement in Islam,’ Dr. Sirajudeen Bila Al-Asra urged scholars and preachers to adopt humility, patience and wisdom in propagating Islam and resolving disputes.
He cautioned against arrogance in preaching and reminded participants that Islam abhors bitterness in da’wah, adding that the strength of the message lies in its truth and delivery, not in hostility.
Founder and sponsor of the conference, Alhaja Rahmat Mojisola Salih, a Lagos-based businesswoman, said her motivation for the annual event was inspired by her grandmother who instilled in her the habit of dedicating part of her earnings to the service of the mosque.
She recalled her early days hawking bread and other items in the town as a primary school pupil and narrated how her grandmother taught her to buy brooms and soap for cleaning the mosque.
She explained that the annual Imam Conference was her way of sustaining that tradition of service and philanthropy, urging others to emulate the gesture to promote a safer and more dedicated society.
The Chief Imam of Ajase-Ipo, Shaykh Aliyu Taofeeq Atoloye, who chaired the occasion, said the programme has continued to have great impact on Islamic scholars and imams who used the gathering to exchange ideas and strengthen their knowledge.
He said this year’s theme opened a deeper understanding of the role of the mosque beyond worship, stressing that the institution must remain central to the moral and spiritual life of the Ummah.
In his goodwill message, the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Muhammed Yahya Atoloye, described the programme as a blessed exercise and recommended its extension to three days because of the immense benefits embedded in it.
He called for the sustainability of the initiative and urged that more people should key into it to strengthen the religious and social life of the community.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in his goodwill message, described the event as highly educative.
He appreciated the organisers for championing a noble cause aimed at equipping Imams and scholars with deeper religious knowledge for the advancement of Islam.