SHAH ALAM, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) will introduce a comprehensive digital Teaching Attendance Record (RKM) system next year for holders of religious teaching credentials in the state to ensure teaching activities are recorded and monitored more systematically.
MAIS chairman Datuk Salehuddin Saidin said the initiative marked a significant step toward ensuring the management of teaching credentials in Selangor remains efficient, transparent, and compliant with established standards.
“Its implementation has begun as a pilot project in mosques managed by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS). It goes beyond merely recording the attendance of authorised religious instructors, it strengthens the monitoring of all planned teaching activities.
“These records will provide more systematic and transparent data to support dakwah (Islamic outreach) planning, while also serving as official verification records that can be referred to when needed,” he said.
He was speaking at the launch of the 2026 Selangor Gathering of Authorised Religious Instructors at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Silver Jubilee Hall here today. Also present was Selangor Mufti Datuk Dr Anhar Opir.
Salehuddin said the initiative also underscored efforts to strengthen the professionalism and integrity of religious instructors in disseminating knowledge rooted in the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah tradition.
At the event, he presented the 2026 Selangor Exemplary Figure in Knowledge Dissemination and Dakwah award to Samsudin Sidek in the men's category and Faizah Mohd Husain in the women's category.
Samsudin, 79, said acquiring knowledge directly from qualified teachers using turath (classical Islamic texts) must remain a fundamental principle to prevent public confusion amid the proliferation of unfiltered religious information online.
He said advances in information technology and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) required Muslims, particularly the younger generation, to practise tabayyun (verification) rather than readily accepting information circulating online.
“Do not be quick to accept, adopt, make decisions or pass judgement. The Quran speaks of tabayyun...while we may hear information, we must first filter it before acting upon it, let alone sharing it with others.
“In reality, having more references can make things more difficult if one lacks a firm grounding. For da'is (preachers) and those engaged in dakwah, it is essential to be anchored in traditional scholarly texts, the turath or kitab kuning (classical Islamic texts), such as Risalah Tauhid, rather than relying solely on modern information whose authenticity remains uncertain,” he said.
Meanwhile, Faizah, 52, said compliance with the accreditation system must be strengthened, particularly as social media has become a platform for individuals without accreditation to share their views on religious laws and knowledge.
“In this digital age, we see individuals without accreditation freely speaking and disseminating immature knowledge, relying solely on internet searches. This is highly dangerous, as religious knowledge should be derived from authentic texts and qualified teachers.
“Today, the challenges are greater due to the sheer abundance of available references. However, the foundation must be laid at home, with parents instilling aqidah (faith), adab (etiquette) and akhlaq (moral character).
“Furthermore, da'is themselves must adopt an approach that resonates with young people and is suited to the demands of the times,” she said.
The gathering, organised by JAIS and MAIS, brought together nearly 2,000 accredited religious teachers from across Selangor, including those participating online.
Among the highlights was a Bicara Fatwa (Fatwa Discourse) session titled “Salafi-Wahhabi Ideologies, Teachings, Beliefs or Practices”, presented by Selangor Fatwa Committee member Datuk Associate Prof Dr Muhammad Ayman Al-Akiti. The session aimed to safeguard the aqidah (faith and belief) of the Muslim community.
This was followed by a Bicara Tauliah (Accreditation Discourse) session titled “Credible Preachers: Balancing Knowledge, Moral Character and Wisdom”, delivered by Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashim.
The event concluded with the presentation of the Selangor Exemplary Figure in Knowledge Dissemination and Dakwah awards to outstanding preachers.
-- BERNAMA