Follow Up: Realistic Imam Qualifications?

In our video from the Conversations in Masjid Leadership series, we highlighted how to Find the Right Imam for your community.

A bit tongue in cheek, we made an unrealistic laundry list of qualifications that communities (unrealistically) ask for. But was our list really much of an exaggeration? Here’s a list of requested qualifications that we came across in a real ad recently:

Duties

• Lead daily, jumu’ah, taraweeh and special prayers
• Conduct halaqas and other religious and youth activities
• Lead educational and outreach programs
• Provide youth and family counseling and guidance services as needed
• Manage operational and administrative responsibilities

Qualifications

• Fluency in English and preferably in Arabic with excellent written and oral communication skills
• High School from U.S. and a B.S. degree in Islamic Studies or Islamic Shari’ah from an accredited university is preferred
• Knowledge of all four madahibs
• Comprehensive knowledge of the Qu’ran, Hadith and Fiqh
• Mastery of Tajweed
• Hafiz of Qur’an preferred
• Minimum 5 years experience as an Imam
• Experience in youth activities, conflict resolution, counseling and leading educational programs is desirable
• Strong Islamic character with excellent communication, organizational, people and leadership skills
• Certification in counseling, youth development or psychology is preferred

Take a look at the video - Finding the Right Imam – to understand a more realistic and viable approach.

Related posts:

1. In the News: Portrait of an American Imam
2. Conversations About Masjid Leadership: Finding the Right Imam
3. In the News: Masjids Moving Toward Hiring Youth Directors?
4. Trailer for Our New Video Series: Conversations About Masjid Leadership