Imaamat

Leading Salaah as an Imam or what is termed as Imaamat is a work that requires a lot of vigilance and patience. An Imam should know the problems of his locality and know how to remedy them. Moreover, he should expect criticism. So he should be patient. There is no one who has not been criticised. People have not spared Allah even. So, how can we expect that everyone should speak good of us.

An Imam should be a person who is serious in his behaviour because he should be a good example for others. It should not be that he is seen doing the opposite of what he speaks in the Masjid. The good behaviour of an Imam weighs heavier and has more effect than his speech in the Masjid. It is a silent Da'wat but it is very effective. For example, if an Imam is an honest person who performs his nawaafil well in the Masjid, he does his Tilaawat, Dua, Zikrullah, he does not have to speak much in order to convince the Musalli of his Masjid because he has already accomplished most of his mission just by his practice and his behaviour.

[English version of "Imaamat" – Al Jamiat – Vol.7 No.14]