Jalal Uddin was a Qari, not an Imam, says Councillor Ali Ahmed

Councillor Ali Ahmed

Councillor Ali Ahmed has spoken out in a bid to “clear up” a misunderstanding about the status of Qari Jalal Uddin, who died on a children’s playground on Friday (19 February).

Confusion both in the community and in the media nationwide lead to Mr Uddin being labelled as a former Imam, when in fact he was a Qari - a volunteering mentor offering guidance on the teachings of the Qur’an.

Councillor Ahmed said: “We just really want people to know. To the Muslim community, it is clear that there is a huge difference between the two. An Imam is like a priest at the top. A Qari is actually a mentor and a guide. He will volunteer and offer guidance in the mosque, especially helping out with the teachings of the Qur’an. We would just like to get the message across because there are many people calling me about it asking if we have lost an Imam at the mosque and we haven’t.”