Spread all around the globe, encompassing 24.1% population of the world, Muslim have become the fastest-growing religious group and now the bond is stronger than ever when they converge in University Al-Azhar Indonesia (UAI) on September 6, 2024 for the International Conference on Islamic Counselling, Workshop for Mosque Management and Imam Training and Halal Exhibition.
Held in the Auditorium (3rd floor) of UAI, the event aimed to address critical needs within Muslim communities worldwide, that is counselling, mosque management, becoming a capable Imam and promoting halal food industry. To tackle this issue, UAI collaborated with independent educational and training institution in United Kingdom, that is Imam for Training & Development Foundation (Imam Foundation) who generously sponsored the event. This program is also supported by Oke Oce, a social movement aim to create job and increase income for grassroots. UAI invited Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Thailand aswell to explain mosque management and SEAMEO SEAMOLEC to signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
As the event began, H. Muhammad Muchson M.A, Head of Da’wah Section of Al Azhar Islamic Boarding School Foundation (YPIA) to led the event as MC. In attendance, leaders of YPIA, UAI, Imam Foundation, Oke Oce, PSU and SEAMEO along with UAI lecturers and students gathered to witnessed what would be a grand program aswell as historic MoU and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signing that followed.
Shopping and Strolling in Halal Exhibition Stall
If the heart of UAI was filled with exciting Islamic knowledge and values, the feet or Lobby of UAI was packed with brimming vigor of Halal Exhibition stall that offered a variety option of high quality products curated by Oke Oce. The products ranged from beverages, food, snack, delivery service, beauty and wellness product that certainly satisfy the audience needs.
Opening Remarks From Respective Leaders
Prof. Dr. Ir. Asep Saefuddin, M.Sc, Rector of UAI, opened the event by remarking how crucial this program for Muslim all around the world and UAI students to learn upon, that is why UAI will eagerly support this program in the future.
For all university students here, you must become agent of good change. Hence, learn a lot from your seniors and this program, especially about Islamic heritage values.
Although Dr. Indra Cahya Uno, the Founder of Ok Oce wasn’t able to join the event, he echoed Prof. Asep sentiment via video taping.
This conference will nourished us with profound Islamic counselling values, mosque management and halal products sustainability that will greatly impacted the economy of Islamic community.
Afterwards, the CEO of Imam Foundation, Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ali Belaao conveyed his speech by appreciating the vast effort in organizing this program and touched upon the noble and massive work Imam Foundation have done to the Ummah.
Established in 2016, Imam Foundation have trained more than 6.200 Imam in 54 countries. One of the training programs strived to elevated their skills such by giving them courses in Islamic Finance and halal industries, modern IT and social media for Imam to spread Da’wah.
With the remarks and intentions put forth by respective leaders, the MoU and MoA signing now fully in motion.
MoU and MoA Signing
The MoA between UAI and Imam Foundation side represented by Imam Foundation CEO, Prof. Belaao. At the same time, MoU signing of UAI and PSU represented by the Dean of Islamic Sciences, PSU, Thailand, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Roflee Waeham. The MoU signing of UAI and SEAMEO SEAMOLEC signed by Director of SEAMEO SEAMOLEC, Dr. Wahyudi. All of UAI signing was represented and done by Prof. Asep as the Rector of UAI .
Afterwards, MoU signing between Imam Foundation and Ok Oce, alongwith MoU signing between Imam Foundation with PSU took place.
The end of MoU and MoA signing ushered us into one of the centerpieces.
International Conference on Islamic Counseling
As the curtain rise into its climax, Faisal Sundani, the Acting Head of Master Program of Educational Psychology of UAI led the conference as moderator and welcomed four Speakers to take the center stage, Prof. Belaao, Prof. Roflee, Dr. H. Imam Addaruqutni, M.A, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) and Dr. dr. Achmad Ushuluddin, M. Kes, Acting Head of Guidance and Counseling Department.
Prof. Belaao underscored the significant impact of Islam in counselling practices and he further emphasized how crucial it is for Muslim of finding peace and soul enlightment by believing to the one and only god, Allah SWT.
The longest oath in the Al-Qur’an is about the soul as Allah SWT stated in Surah Ash-Shams. One of the principle of Islamic counselling is to implement the tauhid in our souls, that is believing in Allah SWT as the one true God and Prophet Muhammad SAW as the Messenger. By believing that struggle is part of Allah plan, we test you in bad and good thing.
Prof. Belaao profound beliefs echoed by Dr. Ushuluddin who presented the substantial effect of community engagement and realizing faith as the locus to achieve balance of physical, mental and spiritual well-being of a person.
Islamic counselling and psychology emphasizes the need of faith and the balance of physical, mental and spiritual well-being, because humans are not only physical being, we are composed of nafs (soul) and ruh (spirit) aswell. In this regard, community engagement is instrumental to ensure our Muslim brothers and sisters well-being are balanced.
With the Islamic Counselling theme covered, Prof. Roflee covered the multi faceted role of mosque and mosque management in Thailand.
In Thailand, every mosques have Ahli Jawatankuasa or Mosque Committee that composed of Imam, Khatib, Bilal (Muadzin) and other members. They synergize to fulfilled Mosque roles as gatekeeper of tradition, center of social, economic and education activity, such as consiliator of dispute, waqaf management and TADIKA (pre-school for religious education).
Even though came from different country, Dr. Addaruqutni reaffirmed Prof. Roflee experiences by highlighted the unifying role mosque played in Prophet Muhammad SAW time and posed interesting issue that plagued mosques in Indonesia.
Prophet SAW built Saqifah or Mosque community to eradicate illiteracy, empower entepreneurship, arrange Islamic teaching, counselling, discussion of unifying politics. Nevertheless, now, mosques in Indonesia lack the togetherness and unity. This was the ramification of lack professionalism and organization in nowadays mosques.
The conference lit an interesting Question & Answer (Q&A) session on the hollow and non-existent role of women in mosque management, in which the speakers answered deftly. They expounded that it is a matter of culture difference, in the Middle East countries, women become a mosque committees is something that we can see everyday. On the contrary, in Indonesia, women are asked to become housewives, this could stemmed from socio-economic capacity of the family.
Then, the conference was closed with a certificate awarding by Prof. Asep as Rector of UAI towards the speakers and plaque awarding by Prof. Belaao as the CEO of Imam Foundation to the speakers and Prof. Asep.
With the certificate awarding came to a close, it ushered us to the last main events.
Workshop for Mosque Management and Imam Training
The workshop began by an opening of the moderator, M. Ihsan Nashihin S. Pd.I., M. Pd. Secretary of Islamic Guidance and Counseling Study Program of UAI, as he introduced the facilitators of the workshop. They are Prof. Belaao, Dr. KH. Zahrudin Sultoni, M.A, Chairperson of the Mosque Committee of Al-Azhar Kebayoran, Rizanoel Irvin Latif, Founder of Uqwah Muslim
Ecosystem and Prof. Dr. H. Nasaruddin Umar, MA, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque.
In his insightful speech, Prof. Belaao explained how sermon or khutbah is an exceptional weapon for Imam as khutbah or speech have shaped histories and to master khutbah is a paramount prerequisite for an Imam to grow.
The most important foundations in a Khutbah are the knowledge that we want to impart to the Ummah, rich vocabulary that able to paint a clear and rich message to the ummah and oratory performance that included body language to further strengthen your point.
With the knowledge of becoming an Imam have been covered, Dr. Sultoni expounded how the management of Al-Azhar Mosque has greatly forged civilization and became a hub of Islam growth by enlightening and developing Ummah.
Al-Azhar Mosque organized seminar to respond national and international issues that arised, we held da’wah and Islamic study that is free of charge for 8 month session. Finally, the Al-Azhar Boarding School and University Al-Azhar Indonesia, wherein the graduates have go on to become a major actor in numerous spectrum of Indonesia history and present.
Rizanoel Latief agreed with Dr. Sultoni notion on the positive impact of mosque and Rizanoel believed the benefit for society can be further explored with brave breakthrough and utilizing mosque underlying potential.
We have 242 millions of Muslim and 800.000 mosques in Indonesia, with proper digital marketing and literacy, we could developed an app for mosque that able to restore Mosque role like Prophet Muhammad SAW time. With it, we’ll be able to access Islamic counselling and training, ease and intensify communication between mosque council, crowdsource halal products that is not labeled yet alongwith fundraise and donate for mosque facilities.
Digital literacy have become a solution that is sought upon in which Prof. Nasaruddin used in Istiqlal Mosque and he proposed to combine it with a humanist and subtle mosque management approach, he assured it would be enriching for the Ummah and others as he already practiced in Istiqlal mosque.
When I met with President Jokowi to rebuild Istiqlal Mosque, I ask him to build 2 basement for cars to park. Why? After it was built, no more traffic jam when it’s Friday prayer, street food stall can sell their product with comfort and the Cathredal Church devout to are able to use this facility aswell. We used the same approach of Prophet SAW when he permitted the Jewsih Community to build synagogue beside Nabawi Mosque, that is compassion and tolerance.
After Prof. Nasaruddin end his excellent speech, all the facilitators took a final group picture to commemorate and signalled the end of a historic event for all parties.
That day, the Muslim brotherhood stomach, brain, soul and spirit have been brimmed and illuminated with the food and wisdom event have offered and we’ll wait for such day to come forth in the future, amin. (BR)