The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments of the UAE (Awqaf) has discussed the support system for mosque management and laid down a plan for an advanced electronic system that can be updated regularly.
The discussions came during an expanded workshop headed by Dr Mohammed Mater al Kaabi, Awqafs Chairman, and attended by all Awqaf executive directors, department managers and managers of all branches across the UAE.
The system would integrate information about all mosque employees in addition to information pertaining to each mosque including location, date of construction, assets, systems, date of maintenance, preaching lessons, lectures and lecturers.
The workshop also discussed Friday sermons, khateebs'* qualifications as well as evaluation of khutbah (Friday sermon) topics and ideas to keep pace with the present requirements and future aspirations. It addressed as well the evaluation of khateebs' performance so as to provide training courses to those who need further qualification. The courses would cover the Arabic language, quality of performance, presentation and enriching khateebs' religious and worldly knowledge. The evaluation process would also include Quran tutors, administrators, Quran memorisation centres and the Imam al Jamai initiative that oversees a number of mosques.
During the workshop, participants were also briefed by the Awqaf's engineering department on the developments achieved in the construction of the model memorisation centres in each of the emirates, Imams' accommodation attached to mosques and new Awqaf branches with unified designs.
An initiative to fund new Quran memorisation centres was launched in July. At the time, HE Khaled Mohammed Saif al Neyadi, Awqaf's Executive Director for Waqf Affairs shared that more than 42,000 students are currently studying at Quran memorisation centres across the UAE. "Each of the new centres is designed to comprise 10 classes that will accommodate 250 male and female students. Each will also contain a prayer room, a nursery, attached administrative building and multi-purpose hall," al Neyadi said.
In conjunction with the education initiative nine books about Quranic sciences were issued, including two books for children, two books for the preliminary stage, three books for the memorisation stage and two books for the licensing stage.
Seven locations in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, the Western Region, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah have been set aside for the building of the centres, including for a 10-storey waqf building in Ajman which will cost AED 40 million. "Awqaf intends to construct a new memorisation centre in each of the emirates. To that effect, contracts have been signed with the consultant and the contractor in Ajman, Ras al Khaimah and Fujairah. Execution works for two centres in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain have started. Meanwhile, the execution contract for one centre in Umm Al Quwain will be awarded soon," al Neyadi said at the time.
*A khateeb delivers the sermon at the mosque on Friday. It is usually the imam, the person leading the worship, but can be someone else.