| Ishan Ibrahim |
THE recent nationwide ‘Muzakarah Belia-Belia Masjid Senegara’, held among the country’s mosque youth members, have given rise to resolutions aimed at shaping the institution of the mosque into not only a place of worship and religious activities, but also a centre of knowledge and the sharing of ideas especially among the nation’s youth.
These resolutions were produced during a session yesterday partaken by mosque youth associations throughout the country.
The session officially launched by Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Mohd Yusof took place at Sultan Sharif Ali Mosque Kampong Sengkurong.
Six issues of importance were discussed during the session: ‘A Productive Mosque Youth Member’, ‘Firm Understanding of Islam and the Leadership of a Mosque Youth Member’, ‘The Role of a Mosque Youth Member in Social Ills Issue’, ‘Strategy of a Mosque Youth Member in Increasing the Attendance of Youths in Mosques’, ‘The Mosque as a Centre of Knowledge and Relevant Social Activities’, and the ‘Methodology of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) Dakwah via the Mosque and Apps’.
For the first issue of ‘A Productive Mosque Youth Member’, several concepts were recommended: The mosque youth member has to be a role model for other youths to emulate; a mosque youth association should have a clear vision and goals it must achieve for the success of the association; the mosque youth association should also have a coordinator or a relevant support system to ensure the movement remains relevant and productive; and finally, a collaboration with other youth associations should exist for the sharing and exchanging of ideas.
The second issue, ‘Firm Understanding of Islam and the Leadership of a Mosque Youth Member’ also produced several recommendations:
A mosque youth member should attend important knowledge events to widen their enlightenment; the youth should also attend courses on the understanding of ‘Aqidah Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah’; a youth committee member should attend government-approved Al-Quran reading courses to improve their literacy in Al-Quran; a youth leader should also be exposed to knowledge in the history of leadership in Islam as well as the role of responsibility.
The third issue ‘The Role of a Mosque Youth Member in Social Ills Issue’ recommended several activities, such as holding roadshows at popular shopping places to get closer to the youth communities; to show compassion and understanding to urge youths to move away from social ills; and to avail relevant mosque programmes to youths according to their age groups.
The ‘Strategy of a Mosque Youth Member in Increasing the Attendance of Youths in Mosques’ involves discipline in attending mass prayers in mosques. Among the suggestions brought up for this issue were that mosque youths associations should ask for the loosening of regulations in mosques to conduct mosque activities aligned with the best interests of today’s youth. The mosque’s surrounding environment should also be kept tidy and clean.
The fifth issue, ‘The Mosque as a Centre of Knowledge and Relevant Social Activities’, calls for the holding of more activities on Islamic skills such as in medicinal care and the practice of cupping; the utilisation of social media to promote the activities of the mosques; and for more graduates of Islamic higher institutions to share their knowledge among the country’s youth.
The last issue ‘Methodology of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) Dakwah via the Mosque and Apps’ recommends the formation of a group which will be involved in memorising Al-Quran, among other activities.
Other suggestions include steps to enhance the relationships between youths by organising travel groups to perform Umrah and Haj and the forming of a sporting or athletics club; for the mosque to serve as a centre of research equipped with a modern library, computers, Wi-Fi access and other facilities; to create mosque apps that incorporate mosque activities; and for the mosque to be a centre for those requiring assistance such as the poor and needy.
These resolutions are hoped to be put into effective implementation by next year.
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