DUSHANBE, May 11, 2014, Asia-Plus — The Islamic Center is conducting training courses for imam-khatibs
Imam-khatibs of mosques in Dushanbe are the first to take the training course, the chairman of Tajikistan”s Islamic Scholar”s Council (Shuroi Ulamo), Saidmukarram Abduqodirzoda, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
We will recall that the center for training imam-khatibs was officially opened in Tajikistan on September 20, 2012. Speaking at the inaugurating ceremony, Saidmukarram Abduqodirzoda noted that the main objective of establishing the center for training imam-khatibs is in stirring religious thought within youth, propagating real Islam full of kindness, morality and love, and fostering the spirit of peace and patriotism in the youth.
Atovullo Qosimov, who graduated from the Russian Islamic Institute in Kazan, was appointed director of the center for training imam-khatibs.
In Sunni Islam, an imam khatib is a leader, often the leader of prayers in the mosque, and the Muslim community. This compound title is merely a common combination of two elementary offices: leader (imam) of the congregational prayer, which in larger mosques is performed at the times of all daily prayers; and preacher (khatib) of the sermon or khutba at the required congregational prayer on Friday. Although either duty can be performed by anyone who is regarded as qualified by the congregation, at most well-established mosques imam khatib is a permanent (part-time or full-time) position.
Meanwhile, an official source at the Committee on Religious Affairs and regulation of National Traditions and Rituals under the Government of Tajikistan says the attestation of imam-khatibs. The government has organized attestations of imams, quizzing them of their knowledge of Islamic principles since 2007.
