SCC Approves Amendments to Noble Quran and Sunnah Est. Law

The session was chaired by Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Consultative Council. 

The Council discussed the draft law of 2024 amending the provisions of Law No. 2 of 2018 regarding the organisation of the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment, along with the report from the Legislative and legal affairs, appeals, proposals and complaints committee, in the presence of Sultan Matar bin Dalmouk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment, and his accompanying delegation, as well as Dr. Issa bin Handal, Director of the Legal Department of the Government of Sharjah.

At the beginning of the session, Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, the Secretary-General of the Council, mentioned that on the twenty-first of May, a letter was received from the General Secretariat of the Executive Council referring the draft law of 2024 amending some provisions of Law No. 2 of 2018 regarding the organisation of the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment. According to Article 71 of the Internal Regulations, the Council referred the aforementioned draft law to its eleventh session held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, to the Committee on Legislative, Legal, Appeals, Proposals, and Complaints Affairs for study and opinion on its articles.

Al Jarwan continued, "Following the procedures adopted in the discussion of draft laws, the Council will discuss the draft law article by article, taking notes, and approving each article by agreeing to the amendments or retaining them as presented by the Executive Council (with the assistance of the attached comparative table)."

In turn, Sultan Matar bin Dalmouk, emphasised the importance of amending the provisions of the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment Law, as it adds many powers to oversee the Quran memorisation sector in private centres and monitor its activities. He expressed his gratitude to the Consultative Council of the Emirate of Sharjah for its significant communication and representation of citizens as a parliament reflecting the reality of society and its aspirations.

He said in his speech, "It is our pleasure, on behalf of the family of the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment, to express our happiness to attend the session of the Consultative Council and to be present here to discuss (amending some provisions of Law No. (2) of 2018) regarding the organisation of the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment and to benefit from your valuable opinions and suggestions."

He added, "We are pleased to express our profound appreciation and  gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his noble vision in establishing the Establishment and providing continuous support to the Establishment to play a significant role in serving the Quran and spreading memorisation circles throughout Sharjah." He praised the continuous support from His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, for the establishment to continue to achieve its noble goals.

Al Ketbi added: We can only express our profound gratitude to the Chairman of the Consultative Council in Sharjah and to the brothers and sisters, members of the council, for the significant role you play in serving the citizens and residents of this blessed land. Your invitation for us to attend to discuss (amending some provisions of Law No. (2) of 2018) regarding the organization of the Sharjah Institute for Quranic and Sunnah Studies is appreciated. As you are aware, the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment, among the institutions dedicated to serving the Quran, was established by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in the year 1422 Hijri (corresponding to 2001 CE), headquartered in Sharjah, with branches in the Central Region and the Eastern Region. It specialises in serving the Quran, its sciences, the Sunnah, and its guidelines, aiming to activate the role of the mosque in Islam by opening free Quranic circles for memorising the Quran in the mosques of the Emirate and its affiliated centres. It serves all age groups and genders. The establishment also aims to elevate the level of memorisation by granting certification in Quran memorisation and recitation accredited by the establishment. 

Al Ketbi continued: The number of students in the establishment has exceeded thirty thousand students, and in 2023, the number of memorisers of the Quran reached seven hundred, with more than sixteen thousand parts memorized. The establishment supervises nineteen private centres in the Emirate, where more than four thousand students study. The establishment's role is limited to these centres in terms of applying the required conditions and specifications in the buildings, selecting the best teachers, testing them at the establishment, supervising the teaching of students the Quran, and providing all technical and moral support for them to fulfill their duties towards those enrolled. Additionally, the establishment provides technical support, tests students in the Quran, and issues certificates for them in five private schools in Sharjah. These schools allocate daily Quranic circles for their students, and the number of organisers for these circles has reached eleven thousand students.

Regarding the Quranic competitions, Sultan Matar bin Dalmouk Al Ketbi stated that the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Est organize annual Quranic competitions and awards. The foundation hosts several Quranic prizes and competitions, with a total cost of around two and a half million dirhams.

1. Sharjah Award for the Holy Quran and Sunnah (it is at the state level)
2. Central Region Award for the Holy Quran.
3. Eastern Region Award for the Holy Quran.
4. The Holy Quran Punitive and Correctional Facilities Award in Sharjah.
5. Holy Quran Ramadan Award for Sharjah Government Employees
6. Ramadan Fly Award in the Central Region.
7. The Foundation’s Preservation Award, which is for those affiliated with the Foundation’s circles who have memorised the Book of God Almighty.

During a recent event, Counselor Dr. Issa bin Hanzal, Director of the Legal Department of the Government of Sharjah, gave a speech praising the SCC for their important role in finalizing draft laws. He emphasized the significance of a current draft law that aims to support the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Est in fulfilling its duties. Dr. Issa also expressed his gratitude to the Council's Chairman and members for their congratulations on his recent achievement of obtaining a doctorate, and mentioned that their support was a motivating factor for him during his studies.

Both expressed their welcome to respond to all Council members' questions and interventions regarding the draft law.

Mohammed Saleh Al Ali, a member of the Council's Legislative and Legal Affairs, Suggestions, Appeals, and Complaints Committee, presented a draft law amending the provisions of Law No. 2 of 2018 regarding the organisation of the Sharjah Noble Quran and Sunnah Establishment. The draft law also outlines the competencies and other legal articles mentioned for 2024.

The group talked about all the different parts of the law and what it aims to do within the specific areas it covers. This includes rules for setting up private centres for studying the Qur'an and Sunnah, as well as how these centres will be monitored. They also reviewed the proposed law's rules and requirements to ensure it does what it's supposed to do. Lastly, they discussed the specific powers the institution will have as part of law enforcement.

In their interventions, the members presented a number of opinions on the draft law's articles, and the government representatives responded to the inquiries by explaining aspects of the legal interpretation of the articles of the draft law, as well as aspects of work in implementing the law and above the aforementioned articles.

After deliberation, the Council has passed a proposed law for the year 2024 that modifies the regulations of Law No. 2 of 2018 concerning the organization of the Sharjah Noble Qur’an and Sunnah Est during its twelfth plenary session.

The Council then discussed its recommendations concerning the Sharjah Department of Islamic Affairs, which were prepared by the Council’s committee for drafting recommendations.

The member, Dr. Sultan Khamis Al Zaabi, read out the committee’s rapporteur, which stated: The Consultative Council discussed in its eleventh session the policy of the Islamic Affairs Department, which it held on Thursday, the twenty-second of Dhu al-Qi’dah, 1445 AH, corresponding to the thirtieth of May, 2024, as part of its work for the first regular session of the eleventh legislative term of the Advisory Council, in the presence of His Excellency Abdullah Khalifa Al-Sabousi, Head of the Islamic Affairs Department, and the attendants accompanying him, and after the Council discussed all the topics that support the advocacy message of the Department.

During the meeting, the Council members discussed how it's important for residential building owners to set aside rooms for prayer and for the local department to oversee and manage these spaces.

The recommendations addressed the call for nationalization by emphasizing the modernization of a group of muezzins in all of the emirate's mosques, regardless of their size. The goal is to attract citizens and employ them as imams, muezzins, and inspectors. They will be placed at university degrees, regardless of their specializations, and their weekly vacations and holidays will be taken into account.

The Council's recommendations also emphasized the need to privatize mosque maintenance, sign competitive contracts, and encourage donors to support maintenance efforts.

The suggestions included exploring the potential for enlarging mosques in densely populated areas, and evaluating the practicality of creating retail spaces connected to mosques. They also emphasized the significance of identifying a suitable replacement for the main office of the department’s division in Khorfakkan.

After that, the President of the Council thanked the Committee for Preparing the Draft Recommendations, the Committee for Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Municipalities, Security Affairs and Public Utilities in the Council, and the members of the council for their participation and preparation for the topic of discussion. He also expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed and shared their observations and opinions, including the employees of the General Secretariat, for their efforts and fruitful cooperation in enriching the dialogue and debate.

The closing ceremony of the first regular session of the eleventh legislative term started with a speech by the Council's Speaker, Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi.

The Council's Secretary-General, Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, highlighted the Council's key accomplishments in this session. Al Jarwan announced the dissolution of the session, citing Emiri Decree No. (21) of 2024, which pertains to the conclusion of the first regular session of the eleventh legislative term of the Sharjah Consultative Council.

We, Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah,

After reviewing:
1. Law No. (2) of 1999 concerning the formation of the Sharjah Executive Council and its internal regulations and subsequent amendments,

2. Law No. (3) of 1999 regarding the establishment of the Sharjah Consultative Council and its internal regulations and subsequent amendments,

3. Emiri Decree No. (81) of 2023 calls upon the Sharjah Consultative Council to hold its initial regular session of the eleventh legislative term,

Based on what was presented by the Chairman of the Sharjah Consultative Council,

We issued the following decree:

Article (1)
The first regular session of the eleventh legislative term of the Sharjah Consultative Council is scheduled to conclude upon the finalization of the session agenda on Thursday, 7 Dhul-Qi’dah 1445 AH, which corresponds to June 13, 2024.

Article (2)
The Chairman of the Sharjah Consultative Council must implement this decree, and it shall be published in the Official Gazette.