Nowadays, most committee members have only one sentence on their tongues: "We want someone older, we want someone experienced." Someone should ask them, "Sir! Where does experience come from? Is a ten-year experience certificate handed over to a scholar the moment they receive their graduation degree from the Madrasa?" A poor soul spends his youth among books, studying Fiqh, Hadith, and Tafsir, staying awake at night, and taking exams. Then, when he enters the practical field after graduation, he is told, "You are new, you don't have experience!" Sir! If he doesn't have experience, who will give him experience? If every mosque wants someone with fifteen to twenty years of experience beforehand, where should the new graduates go? Who will give them a chance? And the strange thing is that the committee wants an experienced Imam, but when the salary for an experienced Imam is mentioned, the committee's budget suddenly becomes poor! They want an Imam who leads the five daily prayers, leads Friday prayers, leads Tarawih, leads funerals, performs marriages, teaches the Quran to children, explains religious issues, mediates household disputes, visits the sick, shares in people's sorrows, stays awake at night during Ramadan, leads Eid prayers, goes to the graveyard with the deceased, offers condolences, supervises the mosque, takes care of the loudspeaker, looks after cleanliness issues, handles electricity and water accounts, and if possible, fulfills every demand of the committee. But when it comes to the salary, it is said, "Sir! The condition of the mosque is before you." The question is, is the condition of the mosque the committee's responsibility or just a compulsion remembered at the time of the Imam's salary? If the mosque's expenses have increased, are the Imam's needs protected from inflation? Flour, lentils, vegetables, clothes, rent, electricity, children's education, medical treatment, travel—have all these become free for the Imam?
Another issue is that at the time of appointment, it is said that it's just about leading prayers and teaching Quran to children, but after a few days, the list of responsibilities keeps growing. Sometimes look after cleanliness, sometimes look after donations, sometimes check if the mosque fan is broken, sometimes pay the electricity bill, sometimes Fatiha at someone's house, sometimes a marriage somewhere, sometimes a funeral, sometimes a committee meeting, sometimes hosting guests—is this an appointment or an all-rounder package? And then if the Imam excuses himself from any task, it is immediately said, "Sir does not cooperate!" Cooperation should definitely be there, but there is a difference between cooperation and permanent additional responsibility....................
The issue of the teacher is no less than this. The teacher is told that the children's results must be excellent, children should memorize lessons, their character should be correct, they should be punctual in prayers, parents should be happy, attendance should be full, manage the class, and give special attention to weak children. But resources and support for the teacher? In most places, zero! Then if the annual result is bad, the finger is first pointed at the teacher. Has anyone ever asked how many students a teacher had? What was the domestic situation of each student? What environment were the parents providing at home? How many tasks other than teaching were given to the teacher? Another injustice is that the teacher is kept on the same salary for years; inflation keeps rising, responsibilities keep increasing, but the salary stays the same, as if inflation stops at the teacher's door instead of the committee's house! And if the teacher talks about increasing the salary, it is immediately said, "Sir! The intention should be of service, not money." Exactly! The intention should be of service, but when buying groceries from a shopkeeper, the full price must be paid; the electricity bill must be paid in full; the house rent must be paid in full; but when it comes to the scholar's salary, suddenly the philosophy of service begins. Service does not mean that the basic rights of the servant should be abolished...............
Then look at the housing issue. In some places, the Imam is given a room that calling it a residence would be an insult to the word residence, and it is said, "Sir! It's free housing, what else do you want?" Brother! Free housing does not mean that a person should not even be given a livable space. Then what about water, electricity, medical treatment, travel, books, clothing, children's expenses? And the biggest issue is job security. The Imam served for years, built relationships with the mosque people, taught children, participated in funerals, stood by in joy and sorrow, then one day the opinion of a few people in the committee changed and it was said, "Now we want a new Imam." No proper notice, no clear reason, no consultation, no respect—just pick up your belongings and leave! The question is, if there is the authority to remove the Imam, shouldn't there at least be a respectful way to remove him? And if the committee wants loyalty from the Imam, the Imam should also get basic protection from the institution....................
Then at the time of appointment, it is said that we are like a family, but if a disagreement occurs, immediately "You are an employee, you must obey us." If he is an employee, then give him employee rights; if it's a family, then keep a family-like attitude. Family in times of need and employee at the time of accounting—how long will this double standard last? And look at this newly graduated youth who knocks on the door of a mosque today. He has a degree, knowledge, passion, and a desire to serve, but the committee says his age is too young. He goes to another place; they say there's no experience. At a third place, the voice is not that good. At a fourth place, "You don't know how to deal with the public yet." Brother! Dealing with the public is not an innate talent but is learned by entering the field. Confidence on the pulpit also comes with time, teaching experience comes by standing in the class, and maturity in leading prayers comes from continuous practice. If every youth is turned away from the door, how will the next generation of experienced scholars be produced? We must certainly see whether a person is capable or not, but making age synonymous with capability and experience synonymous with competence is not correct. Try attaching a youth with a senior scholar, give him training, keep him on probation, give responsibility step by step; if he proves capable, move him forward; if there is a weakness, correct it. Why does the committee only want a "ready-made" scholar? Is the job of the institution only to buy "ready-made" humans or to prepare humans as well? And finally, a question to every committee, every mosque administration, and every responsible person: if you want the best Imam, the best teacher, the best orator, someone experienced, well-mannered, punctual, sympathetic to the public, a mentor for children, then give him respect too, give him a proper salary, give the salary on time, give him the right to rest, give him leave, give him proper housing, give him a path for progress, and above all, consider him a human being. Because remember! The Imam and the teacher of the mosque are not the cheapest employees of the institution but are human beings responsible for the religious training of the Ummah. Take service from him, he will not refuse, but do not take advantage of his helplessness. Want loyalty from him, but do not usurp his rights; ask for experience from him, but also give new people the opportunity to gain experience. Otherwise, we will keep complaining every year that good scholars are not found, while the reality will be that good scholars were present, but we did not give them a chance.