Category: Femi Abbas

‘SAhur’ is an Arabic word meaning ‘awaking the night’. Its verb root is ‘Sahira’ which means to keep a night vigil. Connotatively, Sahur, as related to Ramadan, is, statutorily, an obligatory Sunnah (Sunnatul-Muakkadah) introduced by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is one of the major components of Ramadan fasting which, unlike Tarawih, cannot and must not be treated as a matter of choice. The essence of Sahur during Ramadan is not just to wake up for eating and drinking but also, to observe Nawafil and recite the Qur’an for the purpose of Ibadah and thorough understanding. (Nawafil is the plural of Nafilah).

Sahur is an indication of the high level of discipline injected into true Muslims during the month of Ramadan. Within the period of Sahur, Muslims are allowed to engage in all legitimate activities including spiritual and social exercises that are generally permissible in Islam. Sahur may commence from the midnight and end before Dawn (Fajr). During that period, eating and drinking legitimate edible substances are permissible in moderation.

Nawafil or supererogatory genuflexions may be observed severally according to the ability of the observer. Recitation of the Qur’an may also be done for as long as the concerned Muslims are able to do it. Meanwhile, for effective utilization, the Sahur period may be divided into three segments whereby one segment may be dedicated to the observance of Nawafil and another to the recitation of the Qur’an, while the third may be dedicated to the essential consumption of food and drinks in moderation. Whichever of these segments engages a Muslim during the Sahur must come to an end with the arrival of salatus- subhi at dawn. The observance of salatus- subhi at its right time is such an obligation that must not be interrupted by any other activity. Muslim women who may have no time for recitation of the Qur’an or observance of Nawafil because of their cooking activities during sahur will also have full reward for taking care of others in the family. In a Nutshell, Sahur is a compulsory component of Ramadan fasting which cannot be sacrificed for whatever reason.

•RAMADAN KARIM!

This is the month of Ramadan, the ‘Dean’ of all lunar months. It comes into the world once a year. Its arrival is always with fanfare despite its invisibility. The majestic splendour of this spiritually grandiose month is shrouded in the divine blessing that often heralds its readiness to storm the world.

Unlike all other months of the year, Ramadan keeps humanity in a curious suspense even as it sends a harbinger ahead of its coming. That harbinger is the crescent of hope, which millions of Muslims globally await before commencing the annual obligatory fast in the month.

From its name alone, Ramadan can be called the key with which to open the door to eternal pleasure. Ramadan is the solid ground upon which the formidable edifice of Islam is built. It is the month in which Islam came into the world of mankind through the commencement of the revelations of the Qur’an in 610 CE. Yet, it did not become a pillar of Islam until 14 years later (624 CE) in Madinah. Without the revelation of the Qur’an which started in the sacred month of Ramadan in 610 CE, perhaps the world would have remained oblivious of the five pillars of Islam today.

Ramadan is the great light that comes annually to illuminate the dark world of man and to wake up the snoring humanity from deep sleep. It is also a major yardstick with which to measure discipline in the life of Muslims individually and collectively.

To wake up in the night and observe spiritual genuflexions (Nawafil); to take an early breakfast (Sahur) before dawn and abstain from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse as well as other pleasurable activities of life throughout the days of Ramadan is a collection of obligations which only the spiritual phenomenon called Ramadan can impose on man as an act of discipline.

It is only with Ramadan that the hardest heart can be   softened and the wildest animal instinct in man can be tamed. No other pillar of Islam preaches patience, endurance, tolerance, sympathy and social welfare as effectively as Ramadan does. Ramadan is the month that levels the ground under the feet of the rich and the poor alike.

Without this month in the life of a Muslim, the world would have been meaningless spiritually. Welcome on board of this cruising spiritual Yacht that is, once again, commencing a spiritual voyage on the pacific ocean of discipline towards the ‘Cape of Good Hope’.

•RAMADAN KARIM!

“Marriage is part of my tradition. Whoever is capable but refuses to marry is not part of me” Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

Preamble

Today’s article is not new. It is only being recalled here due to popular demand. When it was first published in this column some years ago, many Muslim couples in Nigeria saw it as a true mirror of their matrimonial homes. Many others took it for a matrimonial handbook capable of serving as a guide for the conduct of their homes. Yet, many who missed it at that time but only heard of it from those who read it have severally called for its repetition in this column. Thus, because of the value it may add to Muslim homes and the role it may play in resolving conflicts in those homes, ‘The Message’ decided to re-publish it here today for the benefit of all and sundry. Here it goes:

“A radical 20th century India-born British journalist and novelist, George Orwell, wrote a famous allegorical novel entitled ‘ANIMAL FARM’ in 1945. His focus in that novel was mainly on the Russian revolution of 1917 which he satirized venomously. While writing the novel, that social critic never thought that any possible ripples could arise from it which might have a backlash effect on the entire human social life in the 21st century. But ironically, with the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), in 1991, the application of that book became manifest on the entire social life of today’s mankind. This will be explained shortly.

Institution of Marriage

Perhaps no institution in human life is as temporally or spiritually valuable as marriage. This is an indisputable fact across  nations, races, cultures and religions. Marriage is the main axis around which the continuity of human existence on earth rotates. It is either a pivotal source of decency or a clear cause of malfeasance in any given society. Without marriage, human societies would have been like Orwell’s Animal Farm. And were Orwell alive today he would have probably redirected the attention of his novel towards the matrimonial homes globally.

Rate of Marriage Dissolution

Nowadays, the rate of dissolution of marriages is by far higher than the rate at which marriages are consummated. At least, going by the local customs of the various tribes in Nigeria one can conclude that marriages are conducted weekly throughout the country as against the daily occurrences of their dissolution.

Definition

Some people define marriage as a legalization of intercourse and procreation of children without any reference to its divine sanctity. Others call it a social contract culturally or legally consummated between two consenting mature people of opposite genders. The latter definition is also silent on the obligation and responsibilities of such a union. In Islam, marriage is much more than both definitions. It is on the one hand, a promise made by the male gender who is soon to become the husband and on the other, a trust personified by the female gender who is soon to become the wife in the custody of a husband. Thus, marriage is an agreement between two families aimed at creating an avenue for continuity of social life through a common social venture jointly managed by the two representatives of both families in their bid to set up a home of their own.

Essence of Marital Life

In the life of any serious human being, three events are fundamentally essential. These are birth, marriage and death. The three form the axis around which the entire human life rotates. All other events in human life are merely peripheral.

Throughout the world today (Nigeria inclusive), marriage has become a balloon which can be casually inflated in one minute and deflated in the next minute. It has been taken for a mere chess game played for the fun of the players as well as that of the onlookers. To most Nigerians of today, marriage is not more important than dining, wining, singing and dancing. It has been reduced to mere fun and entertainment which many young couples see as a legitimate means of actualizing sexual urge that would have been perceived as a social aberration without passing through a formal matrimonial communion.

Parable of Marriage

While conducting a marriage in Lagos sometime in 2012, yours sincerely compared a marital couple to a pair of scissors which has two blades. Each of those blades faces a different direction. The one faces right whilst the other faces left. These positions are not naturally interchangeable. Yet, with the nuptial knot tying them together in the middle to seal their common destiny, the two blades jointly work assiduously in their move to certify the essence of that togetherness.

Looking at a pair of scissors very carefully, one will discover that the two blades therein sometimes stick closely together and sometimes stand out separately. Their meeting and parting randomly accentuate the essence of their togetherness. Through those meeting and parting moments, the two blades of the pair of scissors communicate effectively and mutually function dutifully. When they stay apart, the tendency is for some intruders to assume that they cannot jointly function again and therefore attempt to penetrate the gap between them. But as soon as that intruder comes in, the two blades of the scissors quickly come together to crush it. There is a marital lesson for human beings to learn from this.

Division of Labour

No husband can play the role of his wife. Neither can any wife play the role of her husband. The division of labour in the matrimonial home as naturally ordained is the main determinant of the separation of powers in that home.

Just as the two blades of a pair of scissors face different directions but work intimately together so should any marital couple do. If the blades stick together permanently without opening and closing, the tendency is for them to rust away and become useless to each other. And, if on the other hand, they stay apart consistently thereby leaving the scissors in a permanently open position they will never be able to jointly carry out the assignment for which they are manufactured. Thus, through random meeting and parting of those blades, the pair of scissors is able to perform its duty without any hindrance. And as the blades grow older, they become weaker and less active. This is the situation with marital couples.

Implications

Unfortunately, today, marriage has become like the country called Nigeria where projects are hurriedly executed to satisfy the secret (under the table) terms of contract without any consideration for the quality and maintenance of such projects. When two young people of different genders and backgrounds are coming together to form a couple, they hardly think of the implications of such a union in terms of individual differences and the possible challenges that may emanate from those differences. Young couples of today perceive love either from beauty point of view or from endowed wealth or even from pleasure of sexual intercourse. And that is a way of turning infatuation or possession of material wealth or sexual enjoyment into love which is usually the cause of marital collapse.

In marriage, love develops only gradually with mutual understanding especially when it becomes evident that one spouse accommodates the weaknesses of the other through tolerance and compromise. The attraction which beauty or wealth or intercourse engenders can only at best generate tentative LIKENESS and not LOVE in the real sense. This is where the foundation of divorce is often laid even before the consummation of marriage. There is nothing called love in a matrimonial home in the absence of thorough study and understanding of each other as well as compromises and tolerance. It is not enough to claim mutual understanding through mutual study during courtship. No matter how long it may last, the period of courtship can never be enough for any couple to fully understand each other. That period is usually to impress each other while the tendency to pretend is often disguised. That is why an Arab poet once coined a couplet thus: “A liking eye sees nothing wrong in the conduct of the liked one; but a hateful eye only searches for the faults in the hated person”

Marriage is a serious business which must be seriously negotiated initially by the concerned couples and their parents or guardians. At the courtship stage, the concerned couple must not only discuss the modalities of coming together as husband and wife they must also negotiate the factors of sustaining their marriage through proper maintenance of the home. Any marriage without a programme of maintenance and sustenance will become like dew used by a farmer to water his crops into fruition.

The Prophet’s recommendation

In his recommendation to Muslim men searching for wives, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was reported as saying: “Wives should be married on the basis of four factors: beauty, wealth, family background and faith”. He however emphasized (Islamic) FAITH as the strongest factor for Muslim couples. He did not recommend such factors to women knowing the difficulties that women might face in making choices of men but he strongly recommended that a woman’s consent in her marriage is germane. The Prophet then concluded that any marriage without such consent is invalid. This means that forcing a girl into marriage without her consent is illegal in Islam.

Marriages are globally collapsing at an alarming rate today because couples and their families have closed their eyes to two key factors in maintaining the matrimonial home. These factors are COMMUNICATION and MUTUAL RESPECT. No marriage can ever survive or succeed without a thorough pre-marital counseling by parents, guardians or religious clerics who must not only tutor potential couples but also demonstrate practically to them how marriages are sustained using their own marriages as examples. Newly married couples often dream of building their homes on the models of certain older couples in the society. The consummators of new marriages in the Muslim community must be part of those models.

Communication

There can be no matrimonial peace in the absence of adequate communication between husband and wife based on mutual respect. Nothing signals the collapse of a marriage more than communication breakdown in the home. A marriage without effective communication is like a house without doors. Of course, the children from such homes are mostly the victims of any ensued divorce. If a marriage is initiated and consummated with communication, how can anybody think that such a marriage can be sustained without communication? The real essence of marriage is for husband and wife to disagree in order to agree and not the other way round. In the process of disagreeing or agreeing, communication is the only key instrument without which the home can never remain intact. Any couple that closes the matrimonial door to communication has surely opened that door to divorce. Even divorce, whether through mutual agreement or through court injunction, must be communicated in one way or another between both parties.

In Islam, one of the most potent ways of ventilating communication in the home is to worship and pray together at least twice in a day (morning and evening). A Muslim husband must at least be knowledgeable enough to lead his family in Salat and to preach and pray for such family daily. Through such worship and prayer, many knotty matrimonial issues are untied. And besides, the children will learn to be good-mannered and to resolve disagreements among themselves. That is one of the reasons why Muslims are urged to acquire knowledge about their religion. The spate of divorce in any society today is much higher among the ignorant couples than the knowledgeable ones.

The Role of Mosques

By remaining indifferent to the rate of divorce among Nigerian Muslims, the Mosques are shirking one of their foremost responsibilities. It has been said repeatedly in this column that Mosques are not meant for Salat alone. As a matter of fact, Salat can be observed congregationally or individually anywhere that is clean and not necessarily in a building called Mosque. A Mosque in Islam does not have to be a building if its purpose is just to observe Salat. That is why Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was quoted as saying that: “the entire earth has been made the Mosque for Muslims once it is purified”.

One of the fundamental duties of a Mosque is to sanitize the society by finding resolution to conflicts. And since no conflict can be more devastating to any society than that of the matrimonial homes it becomes incumbent on every Mosque to have a Conflict Resolution Committee constituted by learned scholars and headed by an Islamic jurist.

As a duty, the Imam of the Mosque must also be well educated enough to educate the congregation in his Mosque on the need to take their matrimonial conflicts to the Mosques or Shari’ah courts where such conflicts can be solemnly resolved rather than to local customary courts where marriages are dissolved with fiat. Matrimonial conflicts are not new to any modern society. What seems new and worrisome about them is the geometric leap they are taking these days.

Reflection

The very first conflict in human history was over marriage. And that was the conflict between the first and second sons of Adam (Qabil and Habil) otherwise known as Cane and Abel over the choice of wife. And the genesis of the perennial disagreement between Muslims and non-Muslims of Semitic origin in the world today was the matrimonial rivalry between the two wives of Prophet Ibrahim, Zahrah and Hajarah, (Sarah and Hagar).  If the Mosques cannot resolve conflicts arising from the marriages they consummated to save Muslim homes, what other conflicts can they claim to be resolving? It is embarrassingly shameful to see hundreds of Muslim marriages demolished by customary courts while the Mosques keep aloof.

Conclusion

Today, Nigerian society is prone to danger of insecurity mostly because of matrimonial instability. And the more marriages are consummated, the more matrimonial homes crumble. Who, then, will save the society by saving our matrimonial homes? That is the biggest question of this time which is begging for a very positive answer. The security of Nigeria as a country depends very much on the stability of matrimonial homes. That is why emphasis should rather be laid on stability of homes than on distribution of contraceptives for the purpose of reducing procreation. There can be no peaceful nation without peaceful homes. This is a panacea for national insecurity. The battle for Nigeria’s future peace is rather in the matrimonial homes than in the Sambisa forests of this world (which is the enclave of the vandals called Boko Haram). God bless our homes.

Dear Nigerian youths,

This letter being addressed to you through this medium (The Message)is not by design but by accident. Nigerians of my age and beyond (60+) never had an opportunity to be so addressed. Let it be known to you that except life and sound health, none of Allah’s bounties to man is as treasure-able as youthfulness. The definition of youth varies from place to place and from faith to faith. But generally, youthfulness spans from the age of puberty (at 16) to that of reasoning (at 40).

That is the second stage of human life as it follows that of adolescence. It can be said therefore that the juiciest part of human life is what people call youth. And whoever is blessed with it is blessed with all hopes of life.

Youth is the spur of ambition and risk. It is the period of determination and resolution. It encourages attraction between genders and engenders association across boundaries. All efforts in human life that yield results in old age are made at youthful age. To an average youth anywhere in the world, the sky is never the limit. There are still many other firmaments beyond the sky. Youth is the stage of hard work. It is the stage of planning. It is the stage of vision and mission. That is why the youths of any nation are seen as the bone marrow of such a nation and the beacons of the future. And fortunately, youths invariably constitute majority of the existing people at any given time in any given nation.

Youths before now

In the years past when life had meaning and culture had value, youths were seen as the pride of the nation. They were the natural arrows fixed to the parental bows which were often shot through the iron gate of life. This was the case in Nigeria before and during the colonial era. And after the country’s independence, the youths constituted the glory and hope of their parents. Their role in the family encouraged the bearing of many children as they partnered their fathers in tilling the farm land and harvesting the crops. In short, they formed the live wire of their families.

When a father was said to be rich in those days, it was only because he had many children (male and female) who constituted the workforce of the family. The father’s pride then was not just the number of children he had but the volume of contribution made by those children to his wealth. Thus, children were considered as wealth.

In those days, youths were not just helpers of their parents on the farms or in   their trades they also assisted them in training the younger ones. Yet, they had the highest esteem for those parents in their utterances and in their conduct. The level of discipline in those days was such that boys were handled by their fathers while girls were mostly handled by their mothers. And the mothers dared not utter a word while any child was being subjected to discipline by the father. In a nutshell the upbringing of a child was the main key to societal serenity.

Change of trend

Today, Nigeria is a different story altogether. The youths of yesteryears have become the elders of today. They have left the chord of discipline that escorted them into the world of decency to the new train of indecency. And that chord is no longer suitable for either today or tomorrow as the trend has changed dramatically. The current trend began in January 1966 when some uncultured youths in military uniform, spurred by blind ambition, threw the value of age and experience to the winds and killed the then leaders of the Nigerian nation in what was called a military coup d’état. By that unfortunate act they plunged the nation into a precipitate civil war that rendered the youth wild and eroded the value of youthfulness.

For 13 years thereafter, the vagabonds remained in power using whim in place of experience. And when a brief civilian interlude came on board in 1979 for only four years, the vagabonds perched on the governance again and like hungry vultures, they fed on the carcass of democracy to their fill. Through that unbridled usurpation of power, the so-called Nigerian military weaned themselves from the ladle of integrity and destroyed whatever was left of their nomenclature.

Here we are today, looking desperately like a starved hawk and hanging restlessly in the balance like a gagged hyena. Virtually every Nigerian has forgotten the real cause of our calamity. The cry everywhere is now about the effect of that calamity on the nation. No one endeavours to look back and see where the downfall started from.

And without looking back, there can never be any correction as to how to rise again. A Yoruba adage states axiomatically that when a toddler falls down he looks forward (to see if there is any adult around to lift him up). But when an adult falls he looks backwards (to see the cause of his fall). That is the difference between experience and potential.

Banking on potential to govern a nation that requires experience as did the eaglet Nigerian military can never bring any meaningful result. Both potential and experience have their role and chance in any society. But neither can take the place of the other.

The difference

You the youths of today are different from those of yesteryears in many ways and the differences are clear. The youths of the past were very hardworking and dedicated. They served their parents diligently and stood by them in all circumstances. They sought their parents’ advice and learned from the latter’s experiences. You the youths of today are very lazy, slothful, time wasting and lackadaisical in your attitude to life even as you are served by your parents from infancy to old age. Yet you despise those parents and treat them with disdain like nonentities. You believe that those parents had worked on your behalves and that you are only in the world to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The youths of the past were patient contended and full of respect for the elders. They were humble, obedient, always eager to know as they queued up to learn.  You the youths of today are very inpatient, greedily ambitious and you see yourselves as masters of knowledge when in actual fact you are slaves of ignorance. Unlike the youths of the past, you the youths of today are mostly empty-headed, very arrogant, highly materialistic and hastily avaricious.

You always want to start your lives from the peak of your parents’ achievements without asking about what those parents had gone through before reaching the peak.

You spend money lavishly without working for it and you never think of bearing any responsibility either in the homes or in the society. You are generally characterised by all the conducts that were classified as shame in the past. To you shame has its price. And as long as you can pay that price in coins by whatever means, you are important in your own estimation. Thus, shame, as far as you are concerned, is a vital aspect of culture which has no negative effect on your lifestyle. As a matter of fact you have taken shame for pride.

If a few youths of the past can be described as a bunch of problems for their society, due to their misbehaviour, majority of you today’s youths are the real cogs in the societal wheel of progress. To you, life has no meaning except it is heavily coded in money.

Your slogan that “long life is irrelevant in the absence of money” is a testimony to this assertion. That life span in Nigeria has dropped so drastically is due to your disappointing lifestyle which often creates hypertension for your parents and leads to their early death. Few parents talk of heirs nowadays because those of you who are supposed to be their heirs have long thrown away the toga of worthy heirs. In the past, mothers were not known for staying with their daughters in the latter’s matrimonial homes while leaving their husbands behind without care. This strange but new trend that has almost become a part of Nigerian culture arose because of the incompetence of today’s young women, even after many years of training, is questionable. Thus, despite the ubiquity of young men and women, there is scarcity of husbands and wives just as there is dirge of fathers and mothers.

Virtually everything that matters to you today’s youths is devoid of our known core value. By your measure, the value of life can be found only in the volume of naira.

Causes of generational change

Whenever there is cause to review the generational trend with the intention of righting the wrong, you the youths of today are often quick in pointing accusing fingers mischievously at the generations ahead of you saying they caused the debacle. But while pinching the back of the elders you often forget that sooner or later you may become elders whose back will be pinched by the youths who succeed your own generation. You have forgotten that most of the scientific discoveries and technological advancement of your age which lured you into roguery were not available for the past youths. There were no such things as hard drugs, cyber crimes, armed robbery, sophisticated fraud through manipulation of figures and forgery of signatures. There were no cases of rape, child trafficking, audacious prostitution and day light murder with impunity as are rampant among you today.

To you, all these crimes are either professions or callings in which you   actively engage. Thus, you do not believe in the existence of any demarcation between decency and indecency an indication that ‘family name’ which was highly valued in the past has no meaning to you. Unlike most youths of the past, you were sent to school but your goal was mere certificate rather than knowledge. And what you acquired in those schools in the name of education is hardly worth the paper on which your certificates are printed. For most of the years you spent in school, your preoccupation was either cultism or other frivolous activities that have no bearing with education. That is why most of you turn out to be unemployable University or Polytechnic graduates. A few of you who secured public employments have been discovered to be sheer misfits on those jobs as your competence remains questionable.

Implications

The implications of all these are many. While most of you are not quite useful to the present you are also not hopeful about the future.

There is hardly any major crime in Nigeria today that is not principally committed by you today’s youths all in the quest for money. It seems that the only language you understand is money and only those who can speak the language of money command your respect.

Many centuries before our time, an Arab poet intuitively came up with a sonnet fits perfectly into today’s Nigerian situation. He said: “Here is the era against which we had been warned through the admonitions of Ubayy Bn Ka’ab and that of Abdullah Bn Mas’ud; an era in which truth would be totally rejected while falsehood and insurgence would be glorified and held aloft; Should this era linger without any change (of attitude) neither cry at a funeral nor smile on the announcement of a new birth would be experienced”.

Which of the situation expressed in the above poem is not applicable to Nigeria today. What impact does religion have on the society again?

We used to know of motor spare parts. Today, spare parts are no more of motor but of human beings. And the most active merchants of this queer business are you the youths of today. When we talk of illegal oil bunkering, it is the business of the youths. When we talk of kidnapping, it is the business of today’s youths. When we talk of suicide bombing and terrorism, it is the business of today’s youths.

And all these are for money and nothing else. Where is Nigeria going from here?

Conclusion

The aim of this expository article is not to malign or denigrate the youths of today. All the children of this columnist are today’s youths who do not constitute a separate island. But preaching is like a mud surrounded by men and women in immaculate regalia. No one of them will be spared if the mud is splashed. As a onetime youth and now a father qualified to be called an elder, it is not expected of my type to start throwing stones while residing in a glass house. But truth knows no boundary. It cruises on like a surging train without minding whose ox is gored. To rekindle Nigeria’s old hope or create a new one for the future, the youths of today must return to the established values of the past. It was through those values that the tranquility of the world was solidly upheld. And it was through deviation from it that the world became as restive as it is today. If tranquility must return as wished by many, you the youths of today must change your loins. And that is the only atonement that the world requires to return to tranquility.

“Of course, the path of honour doesn’t lie down in flat miles. It’s in the imagination with which you perceive this world and the gestures with which you raise your banner that the honour finds its domicile”.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 was a day of honour in Ekiti State. For two days before that Saturday, Ado Ekiti, the capital of the state, had come alive with a memorable history. The people of the state trooped out in their thousands to take a glimpse of a rare guest on a rare occasion. The guest was no other personality than His Eminence, Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). He was there as the first Sultan ever to visit Ekiti State.

The occasion was for the installation of an indigene of the state and a gentleman of honour as the President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of Yoruba Land.  The honoree is Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello who incidentally is also the Grand Imam of Ekiti State. It was a special day of joy on the part of Ekiti people as it was on the part of the Sultan.

Two days earlier (Thursday, November 19, 2015, His Eminence had travelled down to Ado-Ekiti from Ibadan where he had been installed as the new Chancellor of the University of Ibadan on Tuesday, November 17, 2015. The day of Imam’s installation in Ado Ekiti was his sixth day in Southwest. Shortly after his arrival in Ado Ekiti, penultimate Thursday, His Eminence paid a courtesy visit to Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, JP, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti (at his palace) who hosted him and his entourage including yours sincerely with the grandeur of royalty.

Observance of Jum’at Prayer

On Friday, November 20, 2015, His Eminence opened the renovated city’s Central Mosque after paying visited the State Governor. The Jum’at prayer observed in that Mosque was led by the Rector of the Centre for Arabic and Islamic Culture, (Markaz) Agege, Sheikh Habibullah Adam Abdllah Al-Ilory. In his sermon, Sheikh Al-Ilory laid emphasis on the duties of an Imam and the importance of Mosques in Islam. He counseled the new President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas on the challenges ahead of him and how he could surmount those challenges. While admonishing the Muslim Ummah against hearsay and tutored them on the need for cooperation with their leaders for the purpose of   unity, he called on Muslim leaders in the Southwest to give Imams and Muslim scholars their deserved respect and work hand in hand with them in promoting Islam in the region.

Dignitaries

Among the dignitaries that observed the Jum’at prayer were Sultan Abubakar and Oba Adejugbe (though a Christian who regarded joining His Eminence in the Mosque as part of royal hospitality). Others were Olukare of Ikare Oba Akadiri Momoh; Alhaji Sakariyau Olayiwola (S. O.) Babalola, President of the Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN) who made the highest single monetary donation of N1 million; Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof Is-haq Oloyede, a retinue of Sokoto Chieftains who were in the royal entourage of the Sultan, the Head of Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies Department, University of Ibadan, Dr. Kamil Koyejo Oloso and all the Chiefs and Senior Imams of the six States of the Southwest as well as those of Edo and Delta States.

Some of those dignitaries including Alhaji Babalola; the Magajin Rafi and Galadima of Sokoto; Professor T. G. Gbadamosi; Dr. Abdullah Jibril Oyekan; members of MUSWEN’s Secretariat Task Force as well as a retinue of other Muslim dignitaries from various states had been parts of the entourage of His Eminence since his arrival. The Vice Chairman of the Task Force, Alhaji Murziq Bidemi Siyanbade’s role in this was particularly distinct as he virtually relocated to Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, where His Eminence was officially hosted as he was shuttling between that place and the University of Ibadan to ensure that the hosting protocol was properly maintained.

Grand Finale

At the Ground Finale held at the grandiose Ado Ekiti pavilion, a galaxy of traditional rulers, Imams and Alfas as well as representatives of various Islamic Organizations were present in their joyful mood, an indication that the long awaited unity of the Southwest Ummah had come at last. Governor Ayodele Fayose was represented by his wife Mrs. Feyisara; Delegates of Hausa communities from various states and representatives of some Emirs who came from the North were also there. The Chairman of the occasion was Alhaji Khamis Tunde Badmus of Osun State who was ably represented by Senator Adebayo, made a very handsome monetary donation.

The President-General designate was presented to the Sultan and the public for turbanning by the Secretary-General of the League of Imams and Alfas, Sheikh Ahmad Aladesawe of Owo, Ondo State, who also gave the welcome address.

Alhaji Babalola gave a goodwill message in which he emphasized the unity of the Ummah and   further reiterated Sheikh Al-Ilory’s lecture.  

Profile

The 63-year-old new President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of the South West, Edo and Delta, Sheikh Muhammad Jamiu Kewulere Bello, was born on January 2, 1952. After his primary education at Ansar-ud-Deen, Ajilosun, Ekiti, he attended the famous Arabic/Islamic Institute (Zumratu Diyau Salihin) and later became a student at Arabic Training Centre, established by Sheikh Mahally Badrudeen of Ile Ami in Iwo, Osun State. He was also a student of Sheikh Agbarigidoma of Ilorin in Kwara State and a number of other renowned scholars were his teachers.     

Sheikh Bello briefly dabbled into transportation business before he was persuaded to become the Chief Imam of Ado Ekiti in 1985. He was turbaned by the then Chief Imam Yusuf Olatunji Ogunlayi of Ikole Ekiti. When Ekiti State was created from the old Ondo State in 1996, the Muslim leadership in Ekiti State unanimously appointed him as the Grand Imam of Ekiti State.

Appointment as President-General

On June 4, 2015, Sheikh Bello was unanimously appointed as President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of the Southwest at a meeting of the League thereby becoming the 6th Imam to occupy that post. After his installation by the Sultan, the new President-General thanked everybody that played a role in his emergence and in making the occasion a success. He then promised to strengthen the unity of the Southwest on the one hand and that of the latter and the Northern Muslim Ummah on the other.

Acceptance Speech

In his acceptance speech, Sheikh Bello said: “I accept this responsibility placed on my shoulders through my appointment as President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of the South States. As you are all aware, the responsibility of the office is enormous. However, with the special grace of Allah (SWT) coupled with the cooperation of all and sundry, I hope to contribute my quota to move forward the Muslim Ummah……”

“Essentially, I would be ready to work with all Islamic Organizations, groups, sects and associations to advance the frontiers of our religion towards achieving greater peace, progress, unity and development. Good initiatives towards achieving peaceful co-existence and societal peace among various other faiths shall always be supported…….”

Chronology

Among his predecessors in that office were the late Chief Imam Muili Basunu of Ibadan, Oyo State; the late Chief Imam Armiyau Parakoyi of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State; Chief Imam Yayi Akorede of Akure, Ondo State, Chief Imam Mustapha Olayiwola Ajisafe of Osogbo, Osun State and Chief Imam Aruna Shuara of Ibadan, Oyo State (who was not formally installed before his death in 2015).

History

The League of Imams and Alfas was established in 1964 at the instance of Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory of the great Institute of Arabic and Islamic Culture (MARKAZ), Agege who served as its second Secretary-General. At the inception of the League, Sheikh Adam Al-Ilory was nominated as President-General but he turned it down and opted for the post of Secretary-General. When the post was conceded to him, he chose to nominate Alhaji Jimoh Bamgbola of Abeokuta, Ogun State. The latter was both a scholar and a publisher.

Other personalities that later served as Secretary-General after Sheikh Adam Al-Ilory were Sheikh Sadrudin Biobaku of Gbagura, Abeokuta, Ogun State and the current Chief Imam Ahmad Aladesawe of Owo, Ondo State. With that arrangement, the league succeeded in creating a formidable unity forum for all Imams and Alfas in the South-West region.

Comment

The establishment of the League of Imams and Alfas of Southwest was a turning point in the unity of the Muslim Ummah especially in speaking with one voice on matters of common interest and in fighting for the rights of the Muslim clerics in the region. And with the formal establishment of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) in 2008, that unity became formidably strengthened as both bodies began to work together like a pair of scissors. Today, Yoruba Muslim clerics and their elite brothers and sisters are one and the same in brotherhood. Their spiritual union has created a strong synergy between the Northern and Southern Muslim Ummah in Nigeria.

Central Planning Committee

Members of the planning committee for the installation of Sheikh Bello were selected from the states that constitute the League. They included: Imam Ahmad Aladesawe (Secretary-General), Owo, Ondo State; Alhaji Morufu Olawale Isola and Imam Rabiu Salahudeen, from Osun State; Dr. M. T. A. Alayinde, Imam Wasiu Nuru, (markaz) and Alhaji Saadullah Bello, Lagos State. Others were Imam S. S. Bamgbola, Ogun State, Grand Mufti Batuta, Ondo State; Alhaji Fatai Muili Alaga, Oyo State; Alhaji Abdul Fattah Enabulele, Edo State as well as Chief Imam of Delta State.

Local Organization Committee

Some members of the Local Organization Committee for the installation  included the following: Alhaji Yakubu O. Sanni (Chairman); Dr. Sikiru Tae Lawal, former Deputy Governor (Ekiti State) and Chairman, Finance Committee; Aare Sulaiman Afolabi Ogunlayi, Chairman Programme and Publicity Committee; Alhaji Jimoh Dayo Ajayi, Chairman, Security Committee; Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade, Chairman, Welfare and Entertainment Committee; Dr. Ibraheem Azees, Chairman, Medical Committee; Alhaji Ganiyu Ibrahim, Secretary, LOC and Alhaji Jamiu Babalola, Assistant Secretary, LOC as well as a host of others. As can be seen on that list, some members of the LOC were also members of the Central Planning Committee.  

The Role of MUSWEN

Since its inception in 2008, the MUSWEN, being one of the two main pair organs of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) in partnership with Jam’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) of the North has been playing a very vital role in solidifying the unity of the Muslim ummah. For instance, the former Secretary-General of the League of Imams and Alfas, the late Sheikh Sadrudeen Biobaku was a member of the Board of Trustees of MUSWEN until his demise. Also, the late President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas, Imam Mustapha Olayiwola Ajisafe was the Vice-President of MUSWEN. Thus, in furtherance of that unity, Sheikh Bello as well as Sheikh Aladesawe have been officially invited to be members of the Central Working Committee of MUSWEN.

Besides, a special powerful delegation from MUSWEN, led by Alhaji Babalola visited Ekiti Muslim Community in the residence of the then President-General designate of the League in August 2015 in the spirit of unity and cooperation. These and many other gestures are pointers to the fact that MUSWEN’s hand of fellowship is always out for the League to grab with love. Also, in October 2015, another MUSWEN team led by its Executive Secretary, Prof. D. O. S. Noibi visited Ondo Muslim Community and even observed the monthly meeting of that community. If all these efforts by MUSWEN are adequately reciprocated and complimented by other stakeholders in the Southwest, any tendency for deviation that could cause fanaticism and consequent terrorism may become easy to nip in the bud.    

Observation

This is an era of religious uncertainty. What we call religion these days is nothing more than a fraudulent cloak for fraudulent activists. The more we claim to be religious the deeper we sink into the quagmire of iniquities. Some people who claim to be men of God are nothing more than men of evil. There is hardly any crime in the world today that is not aided or even generated by people who masquerade day and night in the cloak of religion. The modern day generation has turned religion into a capitalist mercantile. It is the duty and responsibility of both MUSWEN and the League of Imams and Alfas to cooperate in stemming any spate of such ugly trend and return sanity to Islam in the region.

What can we say of a man who fixes his eyes on the sun but does not see it?

Instead, he sees a chorus of flaming seraphim announcing a paroxysm of despair. That is the parable of the country called Nigeria. Like the Israelite of yore, Nigerians have become gypsies wandering aimlessly in the wilderness of despair and wallowing helplessly in abject poverty even in the midst of abundance. What else do we expect from Allah beyond the invaluable bounties with which He has blessed us? What is Nigeria not blessed with?

Our resources

We have land in abundance, not in terms of size alone but also in terms of agrarian soil, rich vegetation and exceptionally clement weather. At least over 77 million hectares of land is said to be arable in Nigeria. Out of this, only about 34 million was reportedly cultivated for various agricultural activities some years ago. This has now dwindled to less than 25 million square hectares as more and more youths are migrating to cities and towns in search of imaginary but unavailable greener pastures only to further aggravate the frightening insecurity in the land.

We are blessed with rainfalls that water our crops from the sky and graze our animals to satisfaction. We are blessed with sunshine that photosynthesises our plants and balances our weather. We are endowed with a variety of nourishing foods that are enough to feed us from generation to generation without necessarily importing anything from anywhere. No country is more fitting to chapter 80 of the Qur’anic testimony to this than Nigeria: ‘Let man reflect on the food he eats; how We pour down the rain in torrents and cleave the earth asunder; how We bring forth the corn, the grapes, the fresh vegetation, the olive, the palm, the thickets, the fruit-trees and the green pasture for you and for your cattle to delight in’. Allah’s favour is constant and manifest. We cannot deny it.

Dedicated workforce

In addition to the aforementioned, we have energetic and dedicated work force that is married to the farm land, plants and husbandry in Nigeria. We also have intellectual brains that are permanently engaged in research work to ensure Nigeria’s economic improvement especially in the agricultural sector. Yet, hunger, poverty and squalor are the profits of these endowments.

Nigeria is not lacking in forest and savannah. She is rich in rivers and mountains all of which are great resources for people who are seeking reasonable comfort and are not self-deceptive.

What we lack is a competent, responsible leadership that can manage all these resources with sincerity to the benefits of the citizenry and care about Nigeria’s foremost economic heritage which is agriculture. That food is becoming a luxury rather than necessity in Nigeria today after 62 years of independence is a misfortune successively engendered by the naivety and short-sightedness of those who claim to be in government especially at the federal level. Capitalising on the docility of Nigerians, the Federal Government keeps squeezing the citizenry in the Machiavellian belief that people’s impoverishment is a major instrument of perpetual rule over them by those in government.

Margaret Thatcher’s wish

A former Prime Minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher, alluded to Nigeria’s precarious situation in a press interview some years back when she was celebrating her 80th birthday. She was casually asked by journalists to indicate where she would want to live if she had opportunity of coming back to this world. In her response to that question she said she would like to come back into the world as a Nigerian ruler an answer that threw the interviewers into sarcastic laughter. And when asked to explain what she actually meant the Iron Lady said: ‘Nigeria is the only country in the world where people can be pushed to the wall and they would rather enter the wall than turn back to confront their rulers’. Thatcher’s statement here may sound like an impetus to a parochial government, but any reasonable person will know that elasticity has its limit.

Parable of governance

Governance in Islam is like pregnancy in the womb of a woman. Its duration is naturally defined barring any anomaly or aberration. Its delivery depends on the safety of its carrier and the circumstances of her well being. And, after delivery, the baby is claimed, not by the pregnancy carrier but by the impregnator. There is no pregnancy without semen firmly planted in the womb of a woman. And the semen planter is a man who will eventually be called the father. For this reason, children bear the names of their fathers rather than those of their mothers as surnames. By analogy, one can compare the government to a pregnant woman who could not have become pregnant without an impregnator. The impregnator in this case is the populace that gave those in government the mandate to rule them.

And just as the product of the womb (the child) belongs to the impregnator as a matter of legitimacy so should dividend of governance be the property of the populace. A child who bears his mother’s name as surname is nothing but a bastard. After life, security, law and justice, nothing else is held more sacrosanct in Islam than governance which can be compared to a magnificent umbrella under which the people are supposed to take cover during torrential rains or burning sun. In a democratic setting, such umbrella is owned by the citizenry. Its bearer is just a servant holding it in trust for the people. Perhaps that was why the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua called himself a servant leader on his assumption of office in May 2007. Advising the Federal Government to learn from the experience of countries like Saudi Arabia and Japan may be quite irrelevant here since such advice has no meaning to those in government. After all, the same advice had been given severally in the past without any sensible response. You can’t give what you do not have.

The Saudi example

In Saudi Arabia, education is totally free from primary school to the University. Everything including tuition, hostel accommodation, books, feeding and transportation is provided free by the government. In addition, all students are paid monthly stipends to solve personal problems that can divert their attention from studies. And, in summer, all foreign students on scholarship are issued free tickets to travel to their home countries on holidays. What it takes to enjoy all these is to be qualified for admission and every other thing follows automatically. Yours sincerely knows this much because I was a beneficiary. My first degree was obtained from King’s University, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. And if I was not fortunate to benefit from that great opportunity I, probably, would not have had the opportunity of university education because of my modest background to which Nigerian government was indifferent despite the obvious talent in me and many other Nigerians in my shoes.

If all these could be done for students in that country, research facilities for lecturers can be taken for granted. Today, Saudi Arabia has taken her wealth beyond oil and other mineral resources. The two gigantic industrial cities of Yambu’ and Jubail alone with more than four thousand industries including petrochemicals which she established in the early 1980s are enough to see her through the future in the absence of oil. And what is more, that country does not depend on oil for survival anymore despite her position as number one oil exporter in the world. Besides, there is no aspect of human development and material investment eluding Saudi Arabian attention in all parts of the world today, including agriculture, shipping aviation, textile and electronics. And most of these are public owned without any dubious deregulation and deceptive ‘blind trust’ privatisation.

Japan’s experience

Japan, on the other hand, is an exclusive island delicately resting on a vast array of waters. Her natural farm land is very limited. Yet, she shares that water with some neighbouring countries in accordance with international law of water boundaries. To manage her national economy therefore, Japan had identified human brain as her strongest economic resource. She knew that without human resources there could be no effective economic management hence her concentration on human training. And, today, the result is manifest. Contrarily, at the commencement of every new regime in Nigeria, a newly sworn in President would deceptively promise manna and salwa knowing very well that such promise is a mere deception just to attract momentary applause. The greatest misfortune confronting this so-called giant of Africa is in entrusting the management of the country to mere mediocre who see governance as a sheer opportunity to amass wealth and wield political power against opponents. Managing a national economy is neither by wishful thinking nor by chanting slogans. It is rather a serious business that cannot be left in the hands of charlatans.

Why USSR failed

In her vainglorious days, the defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) had indulged is similar self-deception by toying with all sorts of meaningless economic theories jumping from socialism to communism only to finally collapse upon her own face like a pack of cards after about 74 years of catastrophic experiments. Today, the greatest bane of Nigerian economy is not just the elimination of the middle class but also the extremely high cost of running the government by the greedy self-centered elements at the helm of national affairs. This fact has been emphasized many times privately and through the media in the past but the lotus eaters will rather die eating the intoxicating lotus than heed the voice of reason. And, unless this situation is changed positively, Nigeria may continue to wander aimlessly, in economic wilderness, for many, many years to come. We hope that the current seeming ‘undertakers’ will not pilot Nigeria to Siberia.

Nigeria’s federal might

Shortly after the Nigerian Southwest governors assumed office in 1999, yours sincerely wrote an open letter to them, which was published in Vanguard where I was then the Deputy Chairman of the Editorial Board. In the letter, I suggested three major areas of economic success with which they could sustain the pace-setting of that region. First was a regional power generating center with which to permanently stabilize electricity supply. With this, I argued that not only would industrialization take a sound footing but also that most unemployed young men and women would become self-employed to the greatest relief of those governments. Second was a regional railway system that could serve not just as a mass transit for the commuters but also as a cargo courier for all the goods in the region. With such a regional railway in place, the region would have become the doyen of commerce in the country and every able hand would have been effectively engaged without bothering the governments. Third was the establishment of a common refinery that could fill the vacuum created by constant non-availability of oil products and incessant arbitrary increase of their prices. Each of these projects could be jointly put in place by the six South-West states since they were all on the concurrent list. If the then Southwest governors had not been prevented from implementing those suggestions by the then vicious government at the centre, perhaps the situation in the region would have been different today and the other regions would have followed suit in a new progressive economic competition. That was the kind of competition that put the Asian tiger states (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore) ahead of Africa. An inept federal government in Nigeria can only hold the rein of power for the purpose of self-enrichment and never for the benefit of growth and development. The experience of Lagos State’s innovative investment in electricity which was thwarted by the federal government can still be vividly recalled.

The missing link

In modern economic management, there can be no place for the middle class in the absence of such infrastructures as mentioned above. And without the middle class which is conspicuously missing in Nigeria, no economy can thrive to the benefit of the populace. That is why the multinational companies in Nigeria are leaving the country in droves for some other African countries. The current lopsided situation which deliberately puts over 97 per cent of the national wealth in the hands of about three percent of the idle populace is not only ungodly but also prone to unpredictable future consequences. We have begun to see such traces. It is therefore, not in the interest of those who are now basking in the euphoria of being in power to continue to drag the dead body of this country towards political murky water.

 Oil as lotus

If it takes less than 10 dollars to produce one barrel of oil and the same one barrel of oil is sold for well over 100 dollars in the international market, what prevents a responsible government from building and maintaining functional refineries to the comfort of all and sundry? As the sixth largest oil producer, should Nigeria, an OPEC country, be exporting crude oil only to import refined one for domestic consumption? And yet, the populace is being forced to pay for the ineptitude of a tendentious clique holding tenaciously to the power at the centre with nothing to show for it. After decades of independence in this age of high technology, should any country without electricity, refineries, functional rail system, befitting industries and effective shipping and airlines that could create mass employment for the youth claim to be in existence? Yet, here in Nigeria where this situation prevails some people are still shamelessly claiming to be in government and in power. Isn’t that insane?

Forced Diaspora

Today, Nigerians are not only subjugated internally, they are also humiliated status wise internationally as they are forced to prefer living in other countries to theirs. Days and nights, Nigerians are found at the entrance gates of foreign embassies seeking to obtain visa and coping with stringent conditions of those embassies willy nilly even as our very best brains are the forces behind the development of other countries. If there is anything that has not been privatized in this country it is governance.

Never has the government come out to tell Nigerians how much it costs to produce a barrel of oil. What we have always been told is that the government subsidizes the local consumption price of every litre of oil. That was the callous theory in which the obnoxious pioneer regime of this republic regaled for eight agonizing years. And that has now been inherited as a political culture. The question now is this: who actually owns the oil; the government or the people? And even if there is any subsidy at all, as often claimed by our rulers, shouldn’t Nigerians, who are supposed to own the oil by constitutional right, be entitled to such subsidy? The posture of owner and seller of petroleum products assumed locally by the federal government is not only criminal but also a flagrant betrayal of people’s trust. As a matter of fact, the populace has not much confidence in the federal government following years of deception and inhuman policies which continue to keep people in abject and perpetual poverty. Those are the same policies that engendered ethnic conflicts and religious dichotomy which led to the emergence of youth restiveness in various parts of the country.

Candid advice

Now, rather than celebrating mediocrity in the name of democracy as often done on the 29th of May every year since year 2000, what the current administration should spend its remaining tenure doing is true and sincere reformation which should henceforth take the front burner of governance if only to restore the missing confidence by people and reassure that Nigeria can still become a nation after all despite years of economic devastation. If those in government are not tired of ruling a country in perpetual cycle of despair, some of us, the ruled are. Celebrating anything called democracy in this situation is not just a sham but also an additional injury to the bleeding hearts of the citizenry. While the intra-party rancour surges ahead, it is necessary to hint here again that only a forthright economic clemency can serve as a panacea for Nigeria’s chronic ailment called ‘the government’. God heal Nigeria.

Preamble

The theme of this writing is based on the title of the 9th Conference of ‘Religions for Peace’ held in Vienna, Austria. The year’s World Assembly of Religions for Peace (RfP) focused on building bridges and greater social cohesion amongst the world’s religions. The theme also imports a focus on religious repression among and within the world’s religions.

After two days of intensive deliberations, in Vienna, the Assembly resolved to make a declaration which may serve as guidance for religious leaders all over the world and the declaration was unanimously adopted as follows:

‘We – more than six hundred religious leaders and people of faith representing all historic faith traditions and every region of the world – have convened in Vienna, Austria as the 9th World Assembly of Religions for Peace.

We have come from the global Religions for Peace family of ninety national inter-religious councils and groups, five regional councils, one world council, and international networks of religious women and religious youth. Our respective religious traditions have called us to work together for Peace.

Previous World Assemblies of Religions for Peace have discerned positive elements of Peace, common threats to Peace, and a multi-religious consensus expressed through shared values for Peace. We commit to common action based upon these deeply held and widely shared values, as a foundation for affirming the imperative of ‘welcoming the other’. as the heart of our multi-religious vision of Peace.

Re-affirmation

We reaffirm the positive elements of Peace shared by our respective religious traditions:

Peace is central to our respective religions, and our diverse faiths compel us to work together to build it; Love, compassion and honesty are stronger than hate, indifference and deceit; All men and women are endowed with human dignity, share common humanity, must care for one another, and are called to consider the problems faced by others as their own; We accept the call to stand on the side of and raise up the most vulnerable, and to promote just and harmonious societies; We value women and men as equal partners in our efforts to build peace; Children are a paramount concern; the special state of childhood deserves our protection and care, and should receive priority from among our societies’ resources; Non-violent conflict transformation through dialogue and reconciliation are central to peacemaking.

The use of nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass and indiscriminate destruction is immoral; and Advancing human development and protecting the earth are part of the struggle for Peace.

The positive elements of Peace we share are inextricably linked to our shared calling to confront common threats to Peace. These threats include: The misuse of religion in support of all manner of violence, including violent extremism; An ongoing spiritual crisis that erodes values that support life; Violent conflict and the proliferation of arms; Extreme and growing inequality, including widespread violations of basic rights; Violence against women, abuse of children and weakening support for families; Extreme poverty, preventable diseases left untreated, and broad scale lack of opportunity; and Environmental degradation, natural resource depletion, and climate change, all of which threaten civic order and human flourishing.

Confession

While we confess that some religious believers betray the peace teachings of their faiths, we continue to commit ourselves – and our communities – to a culture of Peace that advances shared well-being, grounded in common healing, common living and shared security.

Rising hostility

The 9th World Assembly of Religions for Peace calls attention to a new threat to Peace – rising hostility.

We are deeply troubled by this rising hostility, in society and within and among religious communities. This hostility toward the ‘other’ is an extension of intolerance, and too often takes the form of violence. Victims of hostility are often vulnerable populations, including members of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities; migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced and stateless persons….

1. Religious communities can work to reverse the rising tide of hostility toward the ‘other’ by advancing a multi-religious vision of Peace and through multi-religious action. Specifically, the Religions for Peace World.

Assembly calls on Religious leaders and people of faith to:

Honour and protect human dignity whenever and wherever it is under attack;

Foster more active collaboration between women and men in exalting the dignity of women and girls, and work together to prevent violence against them;

Speak out on behalf of vulnerable individuals and groups, and all people persecuted, or whose existence is denied, because of their faith;

Recognize that the well-being of immediate and extended families, as well as of communities, are a prerequisite to the well-being of children; Address issues of responsibility and accountability for the causes of climate change;

Acknowledge the value of youth-led, grass-roots initiatives aimed at welcoming the others and promoting sustainable Peace;

Advance spiritual values essential to shared well-being; Reinforce acceptance of diversity in our communities; Welcome the other through prayer and service; Engage in multi-stakeholder partnerships to welcome the other; and Leverage the power of multi-religious networks to ‘welcome the other’ by advancing human dignity, shared well-being and citizenship through concrete multi-religious action.

Governments, international organizations and civil society to: Promote transparent governance that ensures and protects the development of comprehensive well-being and full enjoyment of universal human rights for all;

Provide legal remedies for victims of intolerance; Promote social policies and legal norms that recognize the dignity of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced and stateless persons; Advance citizenship that ensures human dignity while protecting the safety and well-being of all individuals, including freedom of religion or belief, and other rights of individuals and groups, whether in the majority or in the minority; Ensure the protection of places of worship; Eliminate nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, and stem the proliferation of small arms; Promote restorative justice to heal both the victims and the perpetrators of violent conflict; Address threats of nuclear exposure and contamination to protect all living things and future generations; and Support and partner with people of faith, religious leaders, religious communities and religious networks in their efforts to welcome the other.

 All people of good will to: Call attention to, and work to eliminate, all forms of intolerance and discrimination by states, by non-state actors, by civil society, by religious groups and leaders, and by individuals.

Welcoming the other

We, the Delegates of the 9th World Assembly of Religions for Peace, are united in our commitment to resist threats to Peace that take the form of hostility toward the other, and to take positive action to welcome the other by promoting the true flourishing of all human beings. These dual commitments and corresponding calls to action express our multi-religious vision of Peace..

This Declaration was made in Vienna, Austria this day of 22 November 2013. More will come about Vienna Conference of ‘Religion for Peace’ in the near future.

Preamble

His (Allah’s) sign is that He created mates for you of your own kind that you may find peace of mind through them, and He has put love and tenderness between you. In that are signs for people who can reflect.’ Q.30:21

Modern civilization seems to have given a new connotation to the word family. By contemporary definition, that word has come to mean a man, his wife and children. This definition is contrary to that of Islam or what obtains in African culture.

In Africa as in Islam, family is an esoteric community that emphasizes the web of a pedigree. Such a pedigree may be by consanguinity, affinity or fosterage. The main essence of calling it a family is to give every member a sense of belonging and that of security. When family becomes larger than what a compound or a village can accommodate, it becomes a clan. Islam does not only recognize family setting with its legitimate norms and characteristics, it also gives adherence to those norms a pass mark in faith. In Islam, family is a major yardstick for measuring the seriousness of Muslims. That is why its definition transcends what the west now calls nucleus family. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was reported to have said that: ‘Marriage is part of my culture. Whoever is qualified to marry but refuses to do so is not part of me’. And, talking about family can only be in vain without reference to marriage.

Marriage

This discourse is not about marriage per se. It is rather about the family of a Muslim in all its ramifications, as prescribed by Islam. Besides ventilating the atmosphere for harmony and concord, a family is supposed to resolve any conflict among its members. But where a family is afflicted by disharmony, Islam has an alternative means of resolving conflicts. That alternative is the Shari’ah court.

Most Muslims, like non-Muslims, do not understand the essence of court beyond dishing out penalties or dissolving marriages. That is why most couples don’t take their conflicts to courts until they have reached the point of divorce. If Nigerian Muslims thoroughly understand Islam, they would have known that going to court over matrimonial conflicts does not necessarily entail bitterness. It is the duty of the family to resolve any matrimonial conflict before it gets out of hands. But where the family fails, it becomes the duty of the local Mosque to resolve. It is only where both the family and the Mosque have failed that a matrimonial conflict can be taken to court for adjudication. And, even that should not be with the intention of dissolving the marriage. For Muslim family, Shari’ah courts are not meant for marriage and divorce alone. They also serve as a forum of arbitration on knotty issues like business and inheritance.

How Muslims should write Will

One of the obligatory Islamic duties which most Muslims take for granted is the writing of will. For every Muslim adult, male or female, writing a will is not a matter of choice. It is incumbent. But not many Muslims know this. And the few who know do not seem to be comfortable with it. The general thinking is that writing a will is only for old people who are close to death or those who are very rich. This does not only contradict the concept of Islam about death, it also contravenes the principle laid down in Islam about will writing. No one knows when death will come. An octogenarian may continue to live while a man or woman of twenties or thirties may die. The healthy may die while the sick lives. The circumstances of life in this age of technology which cause death are very unpredictable. Thus, death may come to anybody at any time.

One of the advantages of Tafsir in the sacred month of Ramadan is to disseminate knowledge especially on sensitive but fundamental issues often over-sighted by most Muslims. Writing a will is one of such issues. Will in Islam is called wisayah. It is a very significant means of providing a flexible instrument of transferring estate or a fraction of it to those who are not heirs. It is also a means of leaving a permanent instruction for one’s children, wives and siblings on how to conduct life after the legator might have been demised.

Wisayah basically means an instruction for posthumous implementation that contains a bequest of assets and debts to others after one’s death. It depicts the differences between hibah which means a gift in one’s life time and wirathah (inheritance). Hibah therefore is a voluntary gift delivered to the intended beneficiary after the death of the giver.

In Islam, writing a will is not about bequest of wealth per se. It is rather more about the explanation of certain things in the life of the will writer which were not known to his or her family members, relatives and close associates. For instance, if the concerned will writer did not pay Zakah when he was able to pay it, or if he was indebted but did not disclose it to his relatives or if something was entrusted to him without involvement of witnesses or if he made a promise to someone without the knowledge of his relatives, it is incumbent upon him to include such matters in his will. This is to clear any possible ambiguity or doubt about his relationship with other people while alive. The contents of such a will are never disclosed until after the death of the writer. A Muslim will can be written or oral. And it is forbidden for anybody to alter such a will in any form. Altering it is a crime punishable in Islam.

Writing of will by Muslims is ordained by the Almighty Allah in Q.2:180 thus: ‘It is decreed that when death approaches, those of you that leave wealth shall bequeath it equitably to parents and kindred. This is a duty made incumbent upon the righteous. He that alters it (the will) after hearing it shall be accountable for his crime. Allah is all-Hearing, all-knowin’. The Prophet was also reported by Bukhari and Muslim as saying that ‘Any Muslim who has something to bequest should not pass two nights without writing his will…And Ibn Majah also reported a narration from Jabir quoting the Prophet as saying those who die leaving will behind died in the path of truth and righteousness and they shall receive the forgiveness of Allah.

Ordinarily, in Islam, a Muslim has no right to share his property among his off springs or relatives by his own whim. The Islamic way of bequeathing inheritance has been divinely spelt out clearly in the Qur’an. And that is a different topic entirely not to be lumped with the issue of writing will on this occasion.

Who should write a Will?

If a will must be written according to Islamic prescription then the writer of such a will must be a Muslim. He must have attained the age of maturity. He must be sane. He must use an understandable language and clearly identify himself in his will. He must also append his signature and date to every page of such will. There must be witnesses to the writing of the will and those witnesses must also identify themselves clearly and duly sign the space left for them as witnesses in the will.

How?

But if the will is to be orally recorded, the voice of the will recorder must be very audible with understandable language. The executors as well as the trustees of the will must be clearly named and if necessary, described to avoid any confusion that may arise from similarity of names. In that case, four original copies of a written will must be produced. And one each must be given to the four appointed witnesses. No one of the witnesses must know another and no photocopy should be produced for any reason. All available copies must be original. This is to prevent any possible leakage or connivance that may lead to betrayal of trust. Every appointed witness must be an acknowledged trustworthy person of integrity. Ditto the executors.

Contents of the Will

An Islamic will should contain the following facts as a matter of necessity:

•Listing all the children if any

•Listing all the available assets

•Listing all liabilities including debts, unpaid Zakah, promises made but not yet fulfilled, entrusted property, illegal acquisition in the writer’s possessions

•Listing the wives and relatives including parents, siblings and other beneficiaries who are alive and are qualified as inheritors

All these must be clearly spelt out without mentioning the amount or share due to each beneficiary.

•Listing any special bequest and testamentary transfer and endowment as well as the names of the beneficiaries. All these must be clearly spelt out.

•Appointing a guardian or trustee for minor children until such children attain the age of maturity

• Specific sections of the will may be addressed to the wife/wives and children

•Any written will must be updated from time to time and each latest copy must be given to the witnesses and the trustees while the old ones are withdrawn for destruction.

•The executors must not know the trustees. And the trustees must not take part in the execution of the will. Their duty is to ensure that the executors comply with the letters of the will.

Outside the Will Some facts not to be included in the inheritance aspect of the will of a Muslim are as follows: A non-Muslim child of a Muslim will-writer or an illegitimate child or a murderer (one who kills his parents) should not be included in the list of those to inherit because they are not qualified to inherit a Muslim parent under Islamic law. If, however, the will writer feels strongly about giving his non-Muslim child something from his estate, this may be contained in the aspect concerning testamentary transfer (habau). Ditto the non-Muslim wife and illegitimate child. But the total aggregate of what a Muslim can will out to those not qualified for inheritance should not exceed one third of the entire estate after the deduction of debts.

The idea of one third came about from a conversation between Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Sa’d bn Abi Waqqas. The latter had sought the Prophet’s permission to bequest his entire estate to certain people and groups. The Prophet said ‘NO’. He, (Waqqas), then said what of half? And the Prophet said ‘NO’. Then he said what of one third? The Prophet at that stage reluctantly gave a node indicating that even the one third was too much concluding that ‘it is better to leave your heirs richer than poorer’. Thus, the final approval became as a Prophetic tradition which Muslim must abide by. This means that one third is the maximum a Muslim can bequest to anybody in his will outside the inheritance bracket.

Islam does not allow Muslims to bequest or make special provision in the will for those who are legitimately eligible as heirs. Therefore, anybody who is qualified to inherit cannot be included in the will for any gift.

The copies of the will may be given to banks, government treasuries or any other corporate institutions like courts for safe keeping without the knowledge of the beneficiaries. However, such copies must be accompanied by covering notes.  But there must be witnesses to the keeping of such document in the bank or the court. A Muslim must not wait until death approaches before he writes his will since he does not know when death would come. Neither should he wait until he becomes rich before doing same since he does not know if he would ever be rich. For a genuine Muslim, writing a will must begin as soon as he marries. And what is applicable to men in this case is equally applicable to women. The issue of inheritance will be discussed in not far future in sha’Allah.