As decided in the General Body meeting of Al Jamiul Azhar Jumma Masjid, held after the Jumma prayer on Friday, the 7th of Dul Haj, in the Hijri year 1379 (the 3rd of June, 1960), a committee was formed to draft suitable objectives and byelaws for our Masjid. Members of the (Drafting) Committee were drawn from the Executive Committee that comprises 55 members. The committee included 6 office-bearers and 3 non-office bearing Executive Committee members (Janab M.T.S. Mohamed Thamby, Janab S.A. Habeeb Mohamed Haji, Janab S.E. Salih), i.e. in total, 9 members. The said committee has framed the following objectives and bye-laws for our Masjid.

Objectives:

As far as our Al Jamiul Azhar Jumma Masjid is concerned, 5 times daily prayers, Khutba sermon followed by prayers every Friday shall be conducted. Khutba sermons shall be in our mother tongue Tamil. In a similar manner, the two Eid Prayers and Khutba sermons shall be conducted. During the fasting month, Taraweeh prayers shall be conducted - lead by a Hafil.

Bye-Laws:

It is those who have accepted Al Jamiul Azhar Jumma Masjid (founded by Allah's Grace on September 26, 1958) as Jumma Masjid and who offer their Friday Jumma prayer here permanently whenever they are in Kayalpatnam - who shall be the Jamath members. Those of whom - who are above 18 years of age - shall be identified with certainty and the General Body be constituted. The Executive Committee has the right to reduce the size of the General Body based on the conditions laid out above or to increase the size of the General Body - keeping in consideration the future population. The General Body shall select from among itself those who are important as the Executive Committee members. The right to increase or decrease the size of the Executive Committee in future rests with the Executive Committee.

The following shall be the positions of the Office-bearers - to oversee the management of our Jamia: Muthawalli, President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers. They all should be members of the Executive Committee (too).

Our Jamia may have a capable person as the Muthawalli. He can be one among the office-bearers. The Executive Committee and the Office-bearers shall be in office for 7 years. General Body shall be convened when the Executive Committee is to be chosen and the Executive Committee shall be convened to select office-bearers as well as at other important times. Presence of 1/3 members shall constitue a quorum for Executive Committee meetings.

Appointing a Khateeb, Imam, Mueddin, giving salaries and maintaining the Masjid shall be the responsibilities of the office-bearers. Muthawalli alone can convene the General Body and the Executive Committee shall be convened by the Secretary.

Muthawalli shall oversee all the functions of the Masjid when the Office-bearers and the Executive Committee are not in office. The Muthawalli has the absolute authority to convene the General Body that would select the Executive Committee, to identify who shall be the members of the General Body and to record them in the book.

These objectives and bye-laws were framed for Al Jamiul Azhar Jumma Masjid and were approved by the Executive Committee. They were read to the Jamath members - following the Jumma prayer on Friday, the 29th of July, 1960 and recorded in the Minutes Book - after receiving unanimous approval.

Sd/-
L.M.S. Lebbai Thambi,
President.
29.7.60