In the name of Allah, the most Merciful and the most Gracious
The role of a Mosque in the life of a Muslim is indisputably central and pivotal. It connects a Muslim to God and facilitates his relationships and interactions with the Muslim Community (Ummah) and the rest of the world. Islam is not just a religion but a way of life and a Mosque is not simply a place of worship for Muslims. The general environment as well the spiritual learning imparted in Mosques are crucial not just to individual well being but to the health and cohesion of the whole society. At the advent of Islam Mosques served as both religious and political centre. The aspiration underlying the setting up of the MINAB is to engage and reconnect with our rich traditions and heritage related to the functions of Mosques.
The MINAB is a community conceived, community driven and community led initiative. Its founders – Al-Khoei Foundation, the British Muslim Forum, the Muslim Association of Britain and the Muslim Council of Britain – launched the draft constitution and draft standards for the MINAB in November 2007 and set in motion the process of public consultation on these draft documents. The public consultation was extensive and nationwide. The quality of participation in the consultation meetings was positive and enthusiastic. The Steering Group then held a number of meetings to consider the feedback received. In the light of the feedback the draft documents were subjected to substantial revisions.
The revised Constitution continues to guarantee the independence and non sectarian nature of the MINAB. The revisions strengthen its democratic and representative character whilst recognising the need for reasonable departures in the interests of its formative development as well as stability.
The MINAB willbe an advisory body with the aim of facilitating good governance in Mosques and working to improve the standards of the training of Imams. Its aims and objectives will be achieved through the consensus of stakeholders, with the Constitution ensuring a democratic, accountable and transparent system of governance.
The strength and value of the MINAB will be determined by its membership and the commitment of the membership to its success. As founders of the MINAB we are convinced of its pressing need for the Muslim Community in Britain and we are determined to do all we can to harness the enormous goodwill that we witnessed for the initiative in the course of the public consultations.
We should like to conclude by expressing our thanks to all those who participated in the consultation process and for the valuable contributions they made. We are confident that upon seeing the revised Constitution and Standards they will feel that their efforts in participation were worthwhile and valued. Our gratitude also to our two experts - Judge Khurshid Drabu and Yasin Rahim - for their advice and support.
May Allah subhanahu wa Ta’ala help us to work together and to achieve the aims and objectives of the MINAB to the best of our ability.
Jazakallah Khairan
Chairman, MINAB Steering Group
