The General Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques is considering the appointment of reserve imams in the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to correct the accredited imams when they make mistakes in Tilawah (recitation of the Qur’ān) and to replace them in case of any emergency, reports said on October 14. Sheikh Saleh Al-Hossain, president of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, said the suggestions he had received recently on the need to appoint reserve imams were highly important.
He said, however, not only is there a need for such appointments, but also a need to formulate a mechanism and a schedule that the imams of the Two Holy Mosques should follow. “This (the mechanism and schedule) would be announced in the coming few days,” he added. A number of scholarly students called for the appointment of reserve imams, citing many incidents during which imams had to be replaced during prayer time following an emergency. They particularly referred to a recent incident in the Prophet’s Mosque when a judge stepped in to lead the Asr prayer when the imam did not show up.