Question
A recent episode at our Musjid has made many brothers upset and disgruntled. Last Friday after Jumuah Salaat our imaam made a speech about the 27th Night of Ramadhaan when the Qur'aan will be completed in our Musjid. He added that we should bring our cheque books with us because there will be a fund-raiser for the extension of our Musjid. Last night, the 27th, after the completion of the Taraaweeh and before the Dua and Witr Salaat, a fund-raiser was started. Musallis were asked to pledge money towards the building of the new extension. On such an auspicious Night when we are supposed to engage in ibaadat and seek Allah's guidance, the imaam was pre-occupied with money-matter to the extent that he interrupted the normal Sunnat practice of the Dua and Witr. What is your comment on this sad state of affairs?
Answer
Brother, the predictions made by Ras ulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) must necessarily materialize. One such manifestation is what you have witnessed with the deviate imaam calling on the production of cheque books on the auspicious Night of the 27th when people are supposed to concentrate on pure ibaadat.
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that among the Signs of Qiyaamah is that "The dunya will be pursued with the amal of the Aakhirah." This is exactly what the errant imaam had done. He was utilizing the ibaadat of the 27th Night (which is an amal of the Aakhirah) as a fund-raising stunt for the acquisition of the dunya (money). It was incumbent on the musallis not to have contributed one cent in response to the baatil call of the Imaam. He polluted the sanctity of the Musjid and the Holy Night with his haraam call, and those who supported and answered his baatil call did likewise.
Voicing his fears regarding such miscreant imaams, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Verily, I fear for my Ummah the misleading imaams (Al-Aimma Mudhilleen)."
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- The Majlis Vol 21 No 08
- PDF page
- 5
Appears under MISCREANT IMAAM (approximate).