Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has stated that giving imams the freedom to independently decide Friday sermon topics could lead to religious disharmony in the Maldives.

While the Islamic Ministry has begun seeking public opinion on sermon topics, former Chief Justice Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Didi stated that he doesn’t believe every mosque must deliver the same sermon, and that imams should be given the freedom to preach on topics relevant to current situations.

Regarding this matter, Minister Shaheem said in an X post that while he holds great respect for Ahmed Abdullah, those statements are wrong. The minister emphasized that opening this up without limits could lead the Maldives into a religiously unstable situation, and that he will not allow such a thing.

Shaheem stated that countries which have given such freedom have seen the emergence of different religious ideologies and groups, with different madhabs being preached in different mosques causing disharmony, and that other countries around the world are now returning to the Maldives’ sermon system. The minister said that previous rulers and governments of the Maldives maintained the sermon system well in order to prepare sermons in the most beneficial way for society.