The talk was given by Professor Mostafa Zamehni, Chairman of the Ulema local council of Khénifra under the theme "The role the mosque in our life", based on the Qur'anic verse "And the places of worship are for Allah (alone): So invoke not any one along with Allah."

   The lecturer began by recalling that the prominent place of the mosque has emerged since the advent of Islam, mainly with the sacredness and reverence enjoyed by the Al Haram Mosque in Mecca, as the first shrine of Islam.

   Later on, at the stage where the Muslim community became stronger with the building of the Medina, said Professor Zamehni, Prophet Mohammed has made the mosque the central place for the faithful not only to carry out their the collective prayers, but also to discuss the various issues affecting the community.

   The importance given by Islam to the mosque is reflected in several verses of the Holy Qur'an and the hadiths of the Prophet which gives it a sacred character. Praying with the community in the mosque is 27 times better than praying by oneself at home. Similarly, there is a distinct mosque code of conduct which requires a certain behavior in respect of this holy place.

   The dual role of the mosque, spiritual and worldly, at the advent of Islam could fade later on due to the geographical expansion of the Ummah and the diversification of its interests and activities, which led to the creation of structures and departments that deal with matters that previously were discussed in the sphere of the mosque, such as issues of peace, appointments to high positions, taxation, conciliation, and justice, noted Professor  Zamehni.

  The speaker said the mission of the mosque involved three functions: worship, education and communication.

   He said that the primary purpose of the mosque is to bring believers to perform their daily required prayers. The mosque also served as a place for education where the faithful met to learn more about religion and the teachings of the Quran. The Friday prayer is a big part of the educational mission of mosques, as the sermon aims to foster the magnanimous values of Islam and the spread of its noble virtues. As for communicative mission of mosques, it is linked to its role as a gathering place for members of the community and a source of information, and a means of knowing each other and maintaining channels of communication and interaction between government and citizens.

   He said Morocco highly appreciates the role of mosques and their importance in the lives of citizens. This appreciation is reflected in the genuine and organic care directed toward these places of worship to allow the community members to perform their duties in harmony with the religious doctrines of the kingdom according to the malikite rite, under the supervision of "Imarat Al Moumineen", noted the speaker.

   At the end of this talk, His Majesty the King was greeted by, Suryadharma Ali, Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, Ibrahim Mahmoud Job, secretary general of the Ulema Rabita of Morocco and Senegal, Sheikh Abu Bakr Doukri, Supreme Leader of the  Islamic Union in Burkina Faso, Farid Ben Yacoub El Miftah, Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowment of Bahrain, Hassan Jaha Naghir Alem, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs of Bangladesh, Abu Bakr Migha, Caliph General of the Islamic tijania Association of Bukrina Faso, Hassan Ouaâlili, religion professor from Algeria, Bahij Malahouich,  religion Professor (Alem) from Spain, Houcine Mohamed Takafi,  Deputy dean of a university in Kerala (India), Omar Maouloud Abdelhamid, President of the League of Ulema of Libya, Mohamed Ahmed El  Oualid, a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Benghazi and a member of the League of Ulema of Libya.

   On this occasion, Mr. Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowment presented to HM the King, Commander of the Faithful, printed and CD copies of last year's Ramadan lectures.