COLOMBO : President of the All-Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama , ACJU, Sheikh Rizwe Mufti’s Jumma sermon on Friday, June 12 shifted from Dua to Badua during his discourse .
Following his traditional sermon, the Mufti started blaming the board of the Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque for holding their post beyond the period. of their tenure.
Usually , Jumma sermons are meant to spell out the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Hadiths -!teachings of the holy prophet.
On hearing , the sudden shifting of the sermon from Islamic teachings to affairs of the mosque had upset the members of the congregation followed by a spate of complaints made to the board of. trustees as to why these unwarranted statements were made by this scholar from the pulpit and requested the board to take immediate action against such statements .
Responding to the complaints, the board of trustees of the mosque had made the following statement : The Board of Trustees of Kollupitiya Jummah Masjid feels it necessary to address an incident that took place during the Jumu’ah sermon on Friday 12th June conducted by Sheikh Rizwe Mufti.
In the interest of inclusivity and giving an opportunity to other qualified moulavis, the Board recently submitted a respectful written request to Sheikh Rizwe Mufti, kindly asking him to allow other moulavis the opportunity to deliver Jumu’ah sermons on Friday. This request was prompted by the fact that he has regularly occupied the 2ad week Jumu’ah slot of every month on a recurring basis. Our intention was sincere, humble, and solely in the best interests of the congregation.
Regrettably, rather than responding through the appropriate channels or engaging with us privately, Sheikh Rizwe Mufti chose to use the Jumu’ah sermon, a sacred platform intended exclusively for the spiritual upliftment and guidance of the community, to publicly criticize the Board of Trustees. During the sermon, he made remarks questioning the legitimacy of our tenure, alleging that our term has expired and that we are unlawfully holding office. He also raised various internal administrative matters of the Masjid that fall entirely outside the scope of a Jumu’ah sermon.
We are deeply saddened that, rather than addressing this matter through respectful private dialogue, a public religious platform was used to air grievances and criticize the Board of Trustees. The mimbar of a Masjid is a sacred trust and should never be used as a forum for personal disputes, administrative disagreements, or matters that risk causing division within the community. We urge that all matters of this nature be addressed with the decorum, mutual respect and spirit of consultation that our faith teaches us. While we respect every scholar and value their contribution to the community, the same respect should be extended to those entrusted with the responsibility of managing and safeguarding the affairs of the Masjid.
Despite today’s unfortunate events, the Board remains committed to serving the House of Allah with sincerity, integrity, and dedication. We will continue to act in the best interests of the congregation and uphold the principles of consultation, respect, and unity that Islam teaches.
We pray that Allah (S.W.T.) guides us all to uphold good character, wisdom, humility, and mutual respect in both our words and actions, and to preserve the unity and harmony of our community .”
