LONDON: An online service dubbed the “Uber for Imams” has launched a diagnostic tool that promises to streamline access to tailored Islamic services.
ImamConnect launched last year during the height of the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown, allowing Muslims in the country and all over the world to access critical Islamic services such as counseling, wedding ceremonies and bereavement support online and from anywhere.
By linking imams, Qur’an teachers and other service providers with Muslims online, ImamConnect propelled Islamic-service provision into the digital-first world that the pandemic created.
The latest update to the platform, the Diagnostic Centre, allows users to quickly get to the root of their issues and connect with an imam or other relevant professional in order to help them quickly access the services they need, tailored to them.
“The Diagnostic Centre currently offers three tests that judge knowledge of the Qur’an, assist parents in analyzing how they interact with their children, and help married couples judge the health of their marriage,” said ImamConnect, adding that more than half of its thousands of users visit the Diagnostic Centre before accessing other services.
“The Diagnostic Centre enables people to understand their level of proficiency with the issues they face,” Muddassar Ahmed, the company’s founder, told Arab News.
“If it’s studying the Qur’an, they can figure out their level of proficiency. If it’s about their marriage, they can figure out how much intervention it needs. It helps them better understand where they need help.”
The company has been growing rapidly since its inception a year ago. “There’s a demand for people to access religious services in non-traditional ways,” Ahmed said.
“The pandemic accelerated societal trends in moving things online, but the trend was already there.”
As the world emerges from lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions, the company will offer both online and in-person services, Ahmed said.
