J&K Waqf Board Pushes For Common Friday Sermons, Preachers’ Panel To Decide Topics
The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board has asked preachers at mosques under its purview to deliver a common Friday sermon, with a committee of religious scholars expected to decide topics in advance. The Board said the effort aims to bring uniformity to the khutbah, or Friday sermon, across the Union Territory.
At a virtual meeting on Sunday, Ishtiyaq Mohi-ud-Din, an Executive Magistrate at the Board, told hundreds of preachers from different districts that a directive had been issued about a month ago for a common khutba at all places of worship. 'One topic will be selected and the same topic will be highlighted,' he said, according to an account of the meeting.
He also sought suggestions from religious leaders on how to bring non-Waqf-affiliated mosques into the fold. 'That remains a huge chunk (of mosques) and suggestions (from the religious leaders) are sought on that,' Mr. Mohi-ud-Din said.
The Board said it would become the first region in the country to adopt such a mechanism for pre-deciding and approving topics for sermons at religious places. The claim could not be independently verified.
Friday sermons in J&K usually have two parts. In the first, a preacher addresses a contemporary issue; in the second, sermons delivered by Prophet Muhammad are recited. Congregational prayers follow, attended by large numbers of people.
Board chairperson Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, a senior BJP leader, said the change was intended for the greater good and would not alter the Khutba Rasool, the sermons of the Prophet. 'Sermons are about faith, society and the future of this place. There will be no changes in Khutba Rasool,' she said. 'However, for the greater good, the Imam and Khateebs will speak on issues in one voice, whether it is drugs, women, waywardness, women's issues etc.'
She said a committee of religious scholars would decide the topics. 'The chairperson and officials will have no role in it. The committee will decide what topics should be touched upon in the sermons,' Ms. Andrabi said.
Prominent religious scholars, including Abdul Rashid Dawoodi and Maulana R. H. Noorabadi, attended the meeting, the Board said.
The Waqf Board is a statutory body that manages Waqf properties, including mosques and shrines, in Jammu and Kashmir. Its move to standardise sermons marks a shift for a region where Friday sermons have often touched on global and local political developments.
The plan raises questions about how it will be implemented, especially in mosques not affiliated with the Waqf Board. The Board has sought suggestions from preachers on expanding the mechanism to such mosques, indicating that consultations are still under way.
Officials did not specify when the common sermon system would begin or how compliance would be monitored. The committee of preachers has also not been named. The Board said the topics would be chosen for the benefit of society.
In India, religious denominations have constitutional protection to manage their own religious affairs. Any arrangement involving sermons at places of worship is therefore likely to be watched closely by religious leaders and civil society. The Waqf Board has presented the proposal as a consultative step, with religious scholars in the lead.
The meeting comes amid broader discussions in J&K about the role of religious institutions in social issues such as drug abuse and women's welfare. The Board said the common sermon topics would address such concerns. Further details are expected after the committee of preachers finalises its approach.
