Islamic religious officials must not be afraid to modernise their approaches, the deputy prime minister said.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak urged imams to do away with archaic translations and think of how Islam and the Quran were being taught to the masses.
"Some scholars still choose to follow the way the religion was interpreted 500 years ago which is no longer relevant in our present time," he told some 4,000 imam at the closing ceremony of the National Imam Conference at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia here yesterday.
He said old modes of thought and interpretation would drag the Muslim community down.
"There is a lot of misinterpretation in the religion that needs to be corrected and Muslims should also change their perception of wealth accumulation which many think is sinful.
"This is not true in Islam. If gaining wealth is frowned upon by the religion then why are thieves punished by having their hands amputated?"
Najib said that many Muslims lacked confidence and creativity and did not have the drive to do things well.
"Without creativity, innovation or the ability to think freely, Muslims at large will not be able to motivate themselves and become a civilised community."
Najib stressed that it was important for Malaysian Muslims to come out of their comfort zones and not always be content with what they have.
"We must have the will to change and not be complacent with our present achievements. The worst thing that can happen right now is for the Malay community to think that everything is enough and there is no need to improve."
Najib sadly noted that although Islam had a glorious past, the community today was still backward in comparison to those of other religions who have moved forward with the times.
He said imam should strive to bring the community together through Friday sermons and religious functions.
"Perhaps the mosque could also be turned into a learning institution which resembles an open university concept where certificates and diplomas are given out.
"Besides religious teachings, mosques can also conduct tuition classes, language classes and provide kindergarten facilities."
Source: www.nst.com (19 Juni 2007)