The Order of Speakers at Religious Gatherings: A Decline in Taste!

Recently, I came across a poster on Facebook advertising a Seerah gathering organized by an Islamic organization. Looking at the poster, I could not help feeling that perhaps our sense of taste and propriety has also begun to suffer from a certain drought!

Of course, when a programme is intended exclusively for a particular party or organization, it is natural to list guests, discussants, and speakers according to their organizational ranks and responsibilities.

However, at a public religious gathering—particularly a Seerah programme—the order in which names are listed should also take into account factors such as scholarly knowledge, seniority in Islamic learning, age, social standing, and overall public acceptance.

It is certainly true that some young speakers have become highly popular or gone viral on social media in recent times.

But placing someone at the very top as the *Chief Wa‘iz* or principal speaker solely because of organizational position, popularity, or online visibility—despite being considerably junior in age, knowledge, and scholarly seniority to many eminent scholars attending the same event—and then listing those senior scholars further down under titles such as “Special Wa‘iz” is not only visually incongruous; the very order of the names seems to expose a decline in taste and propriety.

In ordinary social or commercial promotions, the order of names may not matter very much. But at a major public religious gathering organized by an Islamic organization, greater sensitivity to the dignity of scholars and the etiquette due to them is surely to be expected.

After all, the conduct and presentation of a religious institution or organization also reflect its taste, culture, and values.

Of course, there is nothing objectionable about appointing a relatively young and popular speaker as the chief preacher if that is what the organizers wish to do.

In that case, however, the senior and eminent scholars attending the event could be designated as the Chief Guest, Special Guests, or Honoured Guests, with their names placed higher on the poster. This would preserve the reality of the young speaker’s popularity while also ensuring due respect for the senior scholars’ knowledge, age, and standing.

In other words, this is not merely a matter of whose name appears first or later. It also concerns a culture of good taste, proper etiquette, and the recognition of scholars’ respective standing.

Popularity may be fleeting, and online virality can change with time. Respect for scholars’ knowledge, age, and dignity, however, is a lasting value.

It is therefore only reasonable to expect a little more discretion, good taste, and wisdom from an Islamic organization in such matters.