One major factor that has ignited the debate is the rise and fall of Brotherhood in Egypt, and the expulsion from power of its leader Mohamed Mursi by army general Abdulfattah Al Sisi. Being rooted in political Islam, Brotherhood has its supporters among imams and as a result, the political developments in Egypt found their way to Friday sermons, with unhealthy consequences. As the faithful who attend Friday prayers have their own political views, some of them objected to the contents of sermons. A classic example is an incident in a Riyadh mosque where supporters and opponents of Brotherhood almost came to blows. A video capturing those scenes went viral on Youtube.
Scholars say that politics and Islam are inseparable. During Prophet Mohammed’s (peace be upon him) time, mosque was the centre of Islamic life and politics were openly discussed during sermons. But Arab Spring has complicated the issue, as it has divided Muslims and as a result, mosques, instead of becoming a unifying force, are sometimes contributing to divisions among Muslims.
According to Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi, whose Friday sermons are famous for their political content, there is nothing wrong about discussing politics in the pulpit. Answering a question in his personal website about whether it’s advisable to talk about politics in Friday sermons, he says: “It’s not absolutely forbidden; it’s not absolutely allowed.” He adds that while discussing politics, the imam should not use names, delve into details or speak ill of people. According to him, imams have a right to express views even if they run against the views of governments. “Mosques are meant to follow and spread the message of Shariah, not to support specific government policies.”
Other scholars strongly disagree with him. Writing on the website of Think Tank Center for Studies, Dr Mohamed Al Ahmari, an expert, says that mosques must keep away from politics.
“During prophet’s time, there were no ministries, no parliament, no squares and the only place to express one’s views was the mosque. Today the situation is totally different as everybody knows,” he says. He also argues that it’s difficult to draw a line between religion and politics, because what is acceptable to some may not be acceptable to others.
In the Gulf, including Qatar, imams avoid sermons that cause divisions, although individual imams could deviate from the official line and express their own views that could differ from the views of the congregation. The Muslim world today is unbelievably diverse and positions are hardening and sectarianism is deepening, with Shias and Sunnis drawing draggers against each other in some Muslim countries. “In such a charged atmosphere, the support for one group by an imam can cause divisions in the congregation, which will result in an erosion of faith in the clergy by the ordinary people. Also, I think this is a phenomenon prevalent more in Arab countries. In non-Arab countries, imams seldom talk about politics in their Friday sermons and focus more on teaching religion,” says an Asian Muslim who didn’t want to be identified.
According to one commentator, since many Arab countries don’t have parliaments, they are using mosques to spread political messages.
As Arab Spring continues, with more blood spilling on the streets, the relation between mosque and politics will be discussed more openly and virulently. It’s a healthy debate and the outcome will only help Muslims to come up with a solution.
The Peninsula
