What makes an excellent imam

The necessary conditions to be available in a leader are directly connected to the nature of the Islamic government. Disregarding the general conditions like wisdom and proper management, two basic conditions, i. Even after the demise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s. Mainly there were two controversial issues: 1- Since the Islamic government is a government of law, the person who governs should have a wide knowledge of law as it is referred to in traditions. It is necessary for the ruler as well as every one who takes charge of a post or occupies a job to acquire such knowledge; the only difference is that the leader should be the most knowledgeable.

Our Infallible Imams a. For example, to know how the angles are or what the characteristics of the Creator Allah are has nothing to do with the matter of leadership. Similarly, suppose someone knows everything about physics and has discovered all the natural forces or knows music well, he will neither be qualified to be a caliph nor be given priority — over those who are just and knowledgeable in Islamic law — to occupy the office of leader.

Therefore, what is really related to the caliphate — which was the matter of discussion and talk during the era of the Noble Prophet s. This fact is admitted by the reason as well because the Islamic government is a government of law and not a government of desires or a dictatorship. If the leader is not acquainted with law, he will not be competent to govern people.

In this way the jurists themselves will be the real rulers and, therefore, the power should officially be given to them and not to those who are compelled to follow jurists as they do not know the law. A just mujtahid chosen by the honored experts — who are the representatives of the whole country [in the Assembly of Experts] — is just enough. When the people vote for the experts in order that they appoint a just mujtahid to rule them and those experts, then, has really assigned somebody to the leadership post, the leadership of such a person would be accepted by the people.

In the early days of Islam, the ideal Islamic government ruled twice: first at the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s. They were the only two examples that the immaterial values dominated.

In other words, they were governments of justice in which the rulers had never violated the law. During those two periods, a government of law was in control and perhaps we will never find another government of law with such qualities all over the world. It happened in the government of the early Islam.

During his rule which was extended to include the Arab Peninsula, Egypt, Iran and many other areas, while it was he who was assigning judges, an individual from Yemen — living under the control of this very government — brought a lawsuit against the Imam a. When Imam a. As a leader, he must lead by example and earn the trust of his followers and of society.

Finally, the imam is the bridge between or intermediary between God, or the divine, and his followers. In order to fulfill this task, the imam must have God consciousness, or be in direct communication with Allah. An imam then passes this divine, spiritual guidance and grace to the followers of Islam. By Chron Contributor Updated July 08, What Are the Biblical Qualifications for a Pastor?

References Al-Islam. Related Articles. Unfortunately it is common nowadays for families to fall into petty disputes, and the Imam has the potential to be a perfect mediator as he is impartial, respected, and can advise from an Islamic point of view which no Muslim can refute.

Aside from disputes within a family, the Imam can also advise and assist on issues affecting individuals and the local community, such as antisocial behaviour, financial problems, racism, alcohol abuse and so on. Whenever the Prophet heard that someone was ill, he would rush to visit them Muslim or non-Muslim , pray for them and show that he was there in their time of need.

We do not see enough of such compassion in today's society. Everyone is too busy doing their own thing to go and visit people who are ill, see if they need anything, etc.

InshaAllah if Imams regularly visit ill people in their community, this will not only be a great form of da"wah, but it will also set an example for other Muslims to follow. The Imam should organise his congregation in a way that makes it possible for members of the community to take on this responsibility too. This does not include youngsters under the age of 18 who are in custodial care. Imams should visit prisons at least once a week especially in those prisons where an Imam is not already appointed to counsel Muslim prisoners, help with their rehabilitation, and ensure that they are not abandoned by fellow Muslims on their release.

The Imam should organise an "open day" at the Mosque at least once a year, have regular interfaith forums, invite school children to the mosque as part of their Religious Education classes, produce literature which can be distributed to non-Muslims, etc. The Imam is a representative of the Muslims in his community and so he has a responsibility to inform non-Muslims of who we really are, as well as making Muslims aware of the responsibility they have - each as a walking, talking advert for Islam.

Above all, the Imam is a role model for the Muslims in his community. No human being is perfect, but it is imperative that the Imam does not come across as having double-standards. Imams will always be good role models for the youth and elderly in their community as long as they practice what they preach.

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Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Authors: zainab quadri. July 13, AM. Recommended articles. First of all: What is an Imam and who should be an Imam? Ideally he should be a fully-qualified Islamic scholar and a role model for his congregation.