Imams go back to school for sermon training

Awqaf has launched special instruction to help imams deliver their Friday sermons with more persuasion, though some doubt the worth of the courses.

ABU DHABI // Imams in the capital are receiving special training to make their Friday sermons more engaging and persuasive.

The first round of courses last month played a vital role in upgrading the performances of the preachers, according to Mohammed al Mazrouie, the director of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf).

The specialist course focussed on the history and art of public speaking, the psychological and educational qualifications of the preacher and other factors which influence the character of the speaker.

The success of last month's course means the training will now be rolled out across the country.

One course tutor, who is also a counsellor at Awqaf, said the main goal was to make the sermons have a greater effect by improving the quality of their delivery.

"The goal is to help imams be more charismatic and receive more interaction from the audience," said the tutor, who did not wish to be identified.

"We are not saying that the imams did not have experience from before, because they are not hired until they pass an exam, but we do this as a reminder, and as a form of skills renewal."

Although Awqaf has offered training courses for imams in the past, this is the first time it has offered a specialised course in preaching.

Some imams have rejected the programme, however, claiming there is no need for preparation because the sermon is unified and distributed weekly by Awqaf.

However, the tutor said it was "not about the text. It is about the performance. The speaker should be convinced of what he is saying so he can convince others."

His part of the course focused on using correct Arabic language. "If the speaker makes a linguistic mistake, he loses his credibility. So we stressed that they should revise grammar and read the speech a couple of times before presenting it."

He said that the authority was in the process of launching a section next month especially for training mosque preachers and checking in on their performances.

Abdulbaset al Mezyad, the preacher of Saad bin abi Waqas mosque, said every person needed to learn from those who were more experienced. He was not asked to take the course, but said imams should be trained to be courageous. "The first thing the preacher should have is an honest neyya [intention] for Allah."

Even though the imam could not add or change anything in the content of the speech, he said, practice was essential.

Imam Mahmoud, also a preacher in the capital, disagreed. "Imams don't become imams until they take many tests and until the authority is convinced that they are qualified," he said.

"I've been an imam for the past 30 years, and I gave my first khutba {speech} when I was in 11th grade, so why would I need such a course?" asked Imam Mahmoud, who also did not receive a request to take last month's course.

Even some of those hearing the sermons need some convincing. "I did not notice any improvement," said Mohammed al Daqqaq, a 27-year-old marketing executive from Jordan.

He has been attending Friday sermons for the past three years, and said he did not notice a difference last week.

"The sermon is too short and the imams are not in the mood. How will they improve if they are reading from a paper? How will they be creative if they cannot choose their own topics?" Mr al Daqqaq asked.

He said if the preacher chooses a topic of his own, he would likely be more passionate about the sermon. "The sermons are also becoming very short," he said.

He referred to the well-known Imam Hassan Hafnawi as one of the best in the city because he gives relevant examples of the teachings, "which is useful because sometimes you need it."