In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Dear brothers and sisters! I remember once walking into the Mosque five minutes before Zuhr, a normal habit of mine, and being stopped by one of the elders and jama’ah of the Mosque, who has a lot of love for me. He remarked, “Why are you coming late? Your only responsibility is to lead prayer, isn’t it?”
I took it with a pinch of salt, as this is exactly what our Islamic scholars trained us for, to absorb such comments with grace. But it did get me thinking: do people even know what an Imam’s actual roles are? I don’t think so. After all, even my own family often think I do nothing besides lead prayers and deliver a few talks (sermons and lectures).
On another occasion, I spoke to a colleague about struggling to manage my time with school responsibilities. His response caught me off guard: “Isn’t the time at school enough?” He’s a school teacher himself Subhanallah! but perhaps only a school headteacher truly understands how much work it takes to run a proficient and well-functioning system.
So, I’ve decided to put this short list together, with the hope that it will help people understand who their Imams really are. Maybe then, we’ll stop viewing them as just “the guy who leads prayer. Maybe one day I’ll write something about the role of a school headteacher In Shaa Allah. I suspect it won’t be any shorter than this one, though.
(A). Core Religious Duties
1. Be present and lead the daily prayers.
2. Prepare and deliver Jumu’ah sermons (Khutbahs).
3. Lead Eid prayers and Ramadan services (Tarawih, etc.).
4. Conduct marriage ceremonies and pre-marriage advice.
5. Lead janazah prayers and support bereaved families.
6. Answer Fiqh and day-to-day religious questions.
7. Perform Ruqyah and interpret dreams (where appropriate).
(B). Teaching and Education
8. Study, prepare, and teach Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, and various other subjects.
9. Develop and lead community learning programmes based on the Islamic calendar.
10. Oversee the school or teach within it.
11. Deliver weekly Qur’an and Hadith study.
12. Mentor and guide new Muslims (reverts).
(C). Youth Engagement
13. Organise youth programmes, talks, Questions and Answers sessions, trips, and activities.
14. Be a trusted presence in the lives of the youth, one they can turn to without fear.
15. Provide one-to-one support, mentoring, and offer youth counselling.
16. Help youth navigate doubts related to their religion.
17. Monitor youth trends and provide relevant guidance and support.
(D). Women’s Services
18. Organise and oversee sister’s programmes and courses.
19. Support mothers and sisters with family or marriage related matters.
20. Create safe and educational spaces for sisters.
(E). Tarbiyyah and Spiritual Growth
21. Run regular tarbiyyah (self-purification) sessions.
22. Monitor the spiritual state of the community.
23. Arrange gatherings for the elderly to support their spiritual and mental wellbeing.
24. Offer outreach to those distant from the religion.
25. Guide adolescents through the difficult period of their lives.
(F). Social and Welfare Support
26. Support in family disputes, divorces, domestic abuse, addictions.
27. Offer support for those dealing with mental health crises.
28. Write letters for housing, legal, or benefit needs.
29. Connect individuals in need with food banks or aid services.
30. Work with charities and relief efforts.
(G). Leadership and Representation
31. Be constantly available for everyone, for guidance, emergencies, advice, or just to listen.
32. Help shape the Mosque’s future strategy by supporting governance, vision, and long-term direction.
33. Manage Mosque media and engagement.
34. Organise fundraisers and numerous campaigns for ongoing and future projects.
35. Inspire and train future leaders from among the youth.
36. Help with conflict resolution and decision-making within the Mosque.
37. Promote unity, and transparency in the Mosque environment.
(H). Behind the Scenes
38. Constant research to prepare timely, relevant reminders and course content, along with strategic planning for the future.
39. Be available for all situations, and respond to constant calls, messages, and drop-ins.
40. Make heartfelt Du’as for the entire Mosque community.
In Summary and in short, a full-time Imam is:
• A prayer leader.
• A teacher.
• A counsellor.
• A director.
• A manager.
• A mentor.
• A spiritual father.
• A crisis worker.
• A public figure.
• A light for the community.
• And… A human being just like you, who has the same needs as anyone else, one who faces similar challenges as you, has good days and bad days, gets tired, makes mistakes, experiences relationship and financial challenges, and is constantly in a severe battle with himself and Shaitan.
~ For Allah’s sake, Support Your Imam Like You Support Your Family.
~ A Stronger Imam = A Stronger Community.
All perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Written by Imam Murtadha Muhammad Gusau, who is often seen as leading just a few prayers. Is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: [email protected]; or +2348038289761.
