New Age Islam
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Islamic Society ( 9 Sept 2021, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Who is the Superpower? Satan or the Mosque-Secretary

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam

10 September

A Fictitious Story Showing a Parallel Reality Concerning Masajid, Secretaries, and Imams

Important Points:

1.    Satan succeeded in deceiving Hazrat Adam peace be upon him.

2.    In terms of deception, Secretary outperforms Satan.

3.    When asked not to dance, Secretary expels Imam Sahib.

4.    Secretary humiliates Imam Sahib.

5.    Imam Sahib vows that he would not raise his unborn child a Maulvi.

6.    Satan praises Secretary.

7.    The Muslim community have neglected the respect and care for Imams.


Once upon a time, a Satan met a mosque secretary. During the conversation, the two had to argue about who has more power; Satan or the mosque secretary?

Satan said: “I succeeded in deceiving the father of all human beings, Adam (peace be upon him), and driving him out of Paradise. This is my strength”.

“What's the big deal about this”, remarked the Secretary? “We also use propaganda to oust the Prophet's (peace be upon him) representative [Nayib-e-Rasool] from the mosque”.

Satan stated, “I bother people, seduce them, and assist them in becoming misled.”

 “You are the Satan who makes Muslims sleep during Fajr prayers whereas We don't even let them sleep peacefully,” the secretary remarked.

“We have appointed seventy devils behind a Maulvi,” Satan stated.

Secretary: “Your flaw has been discovered. You, seventy devils, have been assigned to deceive only one cleric!!! Hey, it only takes one of our secretaries to enrage seventy clergies.”

Satan fell silent and was unable to respond.

The Secretary smiled and danced gleefully lifting up his Pajamas. When his mosque's Imam saw him, he barred him from dancing.

The secretary said to the Imam, “Will you forbid me?! I am more knowledgeable than you. I have defeated the devil.

Also, listen! “You are no longer required at our mosque now. You lack the manners to converse with the elders (Mosque board members). Take your belongings and valuables and get out of the mosque now.”

When the poor Imam Sahib emerged from the mosque with his belongings, he determined that he would not make his unborn kid a Maulvi or an Imam of a mosque so that he would not be subjected to such humiliation.

“You have surpassed my talent!!” the devil exclaimed to the secretary when he saw all of this and said, “You must be superior to us. We strive to keep children from receiving religious education once they are born, but you did a fantastic job setting it up before they were born? Wow, you truly have a lot of talent in this area!!!”

Note: This text is intended only for tyrants and oppressors, as well as uneducated and unscrupulous secretaries and members of mosques. It is a sad fact that most secretaries and board members of mosques currently behave in the same manner with Imams.

Message Taken From the Story

This was a fictional story. However, when we consider the state of our neighbourhood mosques, their committee members, and imams, it is evident that our Muslim community is suffering a moral decline. It is worth noting that the imams of our mosques work for a pittance. Their incomes are about 5,000, 7,000, or 10,000, even in today's inflationary environment. To manage their family and raise their children, they have to put in a lot of effort. Regardless, they serve the Muslim community. Most crucially, according to some reports, imams are being harassed and insulted. The imams who lead the prayers and undertake the duty of reform are humiliated by the committee members for minor issues, and their wages are withheld as a result. They are compelled to withdraw from their imamate duties. This occurs frequently in a variety of settings. We Muslims merely go to mosques to perform prayers and return without concern about the status of the Imams. We have long neglected to appreciate and care for imams in order to improve their living situations. As a result, it is our responsibility to create a sense of respect and care for Imams within our Muslim community and assess the injustices perpetrated against such Imams..

The Imams are also requested to be conscious of their position and status in society. They aren't merely Imams of prayers. Rather, their actions, morality, and character have an impact on others.  It is not their responsibility to merely lead prayers; they should also refrain from acting in a manner that is disrespectful to their dignity and standing. They have been entrusted by Islam with the task of rectifying people's actions and beliefs and this can only be accomplished if they are practically good and righteous. Their obligations are equally as vital as their importance and greatness. While their good and noble morals and activities benefit society, even the smallest slip of their tongue can become a cause of mischief and evil for countless people. This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The Imam is the guarantor”. This means that the Imam is not only the guarantor of his followers’ prayers, that is, the accuracy of his followers’ prayers is dependent on the soundness of his prayers; it also means that the Imam is the guarantor of his followers’ practical lives, and if any follower chooses a good path taking inspiration from the Imam, the Imam too will be rewarded in the divine court. However, if a person despises Islam and the mosque as a result of his misdeeds, the Imam will be held accountable. It is significant, however, that both the Imams and the following play their respective responsibilities. Their approach has the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement of our social system.


A regular Columnist with, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is a Classical Islamic scholar and English-Arabic-Urdu Translator.

