Jumbangla Desk: Religion advisor Dr. AFM Khalid Hossain said, many great scholars of Islam were involved in business. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Ibn Auf was an established merchant of Medina. They will be freed from co-dependence if the learned society moves forward on the path shown by them. So Imams have to be self-reliant as well as Imamate.

He said these things in his speech as the chief guest at the Imam Training Academy of Pahartalis Islamic Foundation in Chittagong on Friday in the 1161st batch of the regular Imam training course for the fiscal year 2024-2025.

Deputy Director of Chittagong Imam Training Academy. Under the chairmanship of Ashrafuzzaman, Director of Islamic Foundation, Borhan Uddin. Abu Ahsan was the special guest. Various scholars, ulama and trainee imams were also present there.

Chief guest Dr. Khalid Hussain said that since its inception, Imam Training Academy of Islamic Foundation has been teaching Imams on pure Quran recitation, Quran Tafseer, Hadith, Aqeed, Fatwa, Law of Inheritance in Islam etc. There are various schemes for Imams to earn a living through business to become self-reliant.

He said that small loan assistance will be provided from the Imam-Muezzin Welfare Trust if financial assistance is needed for the business. There is no interest, just pay in installments. However, the condition of this loan must be a trained imam. If he is not trained then he will not be given loan.

The advisor said that there is no harm in doing business, but increasing the price of products by creating artificial crisis by hoarding and giving them less weight are haram. If scholars are involved in social business, the nation will be saved from haram. There are some scholars who spend their whole life or during Ramadan actually going to touch people, which is a very dishonorable act. It is Sunnah to give a gift, but it is wrong to ask for it yourself. There is no honor in being dependent on others. It is possible to earn respect by rearing poultry and goats on your own initiative and doing business with them.

Dr. Khalid Hossain said, Imams are trained through 8 centers across the country. Imams are the driving force of society. Imams have good relations with everyone. Imams have a significant role to play in making society free from corruption, religious discipline and transforming people into public resources. Therefore, if the imams are properly trained, it will be possible to continue the socio-economic development of the society.