❖ Blaming the Clerics vs. Public Responsibility
Unfortunately, religious scholars (commonly referred to as “mullahs”) are often blamed for various social issues. However, these clerics are generally appointed by the same public that later turns against them. People themselves choose them to lead prayers in their mosques and pay them salaries. Whether knowingly or due to carelessness, we entrust unqualified individuals with our faith, honor, and children’s upbringing, and then complain when problems arise.
❖ Common Practices and Oversights
Typically, for the sake of collecting charity under the banner of a madrasa, a low-paid Qari is appointed.Neither the mosque’s management nor the parents who send their children to him verify:
✔ Is he a qualified Qari?
✔ Has he graduated from a reputable institution?
✔ Is his character clean and trustworthy?
✔ Has he ever been involved in criminal behavior?
The committee is often only interested in finding someone with a beard who recites well, and in return, provides him lodging in the city.
This is where misfortune begins—well-intentioned parents send their children to such individuals for Qur’an learning without proper scrutiny.
❖ Proposed Solutions:
✔ Institutional Oversight:Community members should manage institutions collaboratively with qualified teachers from reputable madrasas, treating it as a religious duty.
✔ Fair Compensation for Imams:
Imams should receive adequate salaries, and mosques should select qualified scholars after consulting authentic religious seminaries.
✔ Standards for Appointment:
Imams should be at least an Alim or Mufti. It is inappropriate to appoint someone just for being a Hafiz, which is common practice.
✔ Marital Status Requirement:
A mosque’s Imam or teacher, especially when interacting with young children, should ideally be married, as no one is immune from satanic temptations.
✔ Spiritual Training & Sermons:
The Imam should be affiliated with a spiritual mentor (Shaykh) and conduct weekly reformative lectures in the mosque.
✔ Parental Responsibility:
Before enrolling their children, parents must verify whether the madrasa is registered and affiliated with a recognized board.
✔ Teacher Evaluation:
Parents should assess the teacher’s ethics, educational background, and personal lifestyle.
✔ Due Diligence in Religious Education:
Just as parents thoroughly research secular schools before admission, they should apply the same diligence in choosing a madrasa and Qur’an teacher.
✔ Avoiding Blind Trust:
In today’s times of widespread corruption, blind trust must be avoided, and due investigation is a must.
❖ Consequences of Collective Negligence
Due to widespread neglect, unfortunate incidents occasionally occur in mosques.Yet, some exploit these events to push their biased agendas, painting madrasas and clerics as inherently problematic.
For instance, when a tragic incident occurred in Lahore where a child was abused and hung on a mosque rooftop, liberal and secular platforms erupted with calls to ban madrasas and mosques.
Later, it was revealed the crime was committed by a barber, not a cleric—yet no apologies followed.
❖ A Call for Justice
Even if such a crime were committed by a cleric, is it just to condemn all madrasas and scholars?When indecency occurs in colleges or universities, do we demand their closure?
Quack doctors exploit patients too—yet medical colleges are never blamed or shut down due to one imposter.
❖ Global Perspective and Reality Check
Even in the West, where secular critics often look for role models, child abuse incidents are common.High-ranking priests in churches have been involved in such crimes, yet no one demands church closures.
Instead, the West implements preventive measures and educates parents, aiming for long-term reform.
❖ Wisdom Over Reaction
It is imperative that our nation, especially those influenced by the West, move from blame to reform.Rather than destructive criticism, constructive planning and proactive steps are the need of the hour—
so such tragic incidents do not repeat in the future.
