By: Shehu Bashir Esq.
I have tried to avoid any direct conversation on this burning issue, either for or against any of the parties or the scenarios and the attendant dramas that have been following. However, I am compelled to make a brief anecdote on the inspiring leadership role and coordination by one super wonderful entity – Sheikh Farouq Sulaiman Onikijipa, Al-Misqeenu Bi-Lahi, the Grand Mufti of Ilorin.
I don’t usually generally eulogize anybody. I speak to any recurrent issue and I treat people based on their current disposition to issues. For a matter concerning an opinion, or even behaviour, a man who did wrong today or said something wrong now may do things right the next day. Human beings are created to self-regulate except when they fear conspiracy and mischief.
Al-Misqeen may not necessarily enjoy your fancy, on a personal level, and for whatever other reasons unknown to the general public, but you see that Mufti role, he is playing it spiritually very well. There could not have been any better way to demonstrate the true definition of “Mufti” (The One Who Adds Value to the Body of Knowledge in Islam) than how he is currently doing it.
When knowledge is mixed with wisdom, with a garnish of patience, there is every likelihood that anyone with such combination will win the admiration of the people and earn the reward of Allah. I have no doubt that Mufti Diyar of Ilorin has wittingly and unwittingly won the admiration of the people. No doubt, he must have earned plenty rewards from Allah Subhanahu Watahala on this.
Please, let us leave any sentiment aside or any other issues you may have against him, the Mufti is demonstrating what true Islamic leadership should look like – with patience, tolerance, indulgence, peaceful conduct, efforts to conciliation, forgiveness, forward looking and oneness of what Ummah should look like.
No doubt, so far, he is about the only person who has demonstrated the true sense of leadership in terms of temperament control and Islamic approach to addressing “strange” situations like this. The vituperative approach of some people with direct curses, attacks and threat against a fellow Muslim for “erring” against the tide of moral ethos is disheartening. Allah is Oft-Forgiving.
Some of the comments I have read were as though some people have been waiting for this opportunity to hang the man (ABDULWASIU AYINDE) by his neck. The vituperations were indicative of some people who had axe to grind with him and have been waiting for the slip to have a grip on his throat.
I know about locker room talks and how crazily dirty they can be in our “dark corners”, but often times, they are usually uttered for the moment at a tete a tete gist circle. Like many other slangs, it is rarely an intended denigration directed particularly against anybody. It may be a general remark or assessment of a social construct, imaginary or real. Death wish, curses, threat to life, wish of downfall, and or banishment have not been prescribed in any law book as the penalty for such a gaff.
The post utterance reaction is what may generate the degeneration on the matter. However it is, for a non-violent misdemeanor, it is not uncommon to settle and move on. Over dragging a matter, however justified your anger may be may make one look choleric.
Playing to the gallery is in itself an absence of wisdom. We should be careful of our utterances today because sooner or later, even today will fizzle away and tomorrow may come with a brand new order.
The least of such evil wish should never have come from anybody let alone the so called clergies. Reasonably, one does not need to be that spontaneous to the tempo of the moment to inflame a situation. Playing to the gallery to trend on the sentiment of morality is the worst of judgment for a Muslim who should know better that tomorrow belongs to Allah. What becomes of our situation when tomorrow gives birth to a new day and a new born?
All powers belong to Allah Subhanahu Watahala. The threat of a man against a fellow man is not the verdict of Allah.
Islam is the only religion we have but I am not sure if it is the only principle we often use in our approach to issues. In most cases, even the highest clerical authorities apply emotions, hatred, personal agenda, interest and personal grievances to address the issue of religion. Our sentiments and anger, however well placed should not be used to replace the Islamic teachings and principles on our conduct – patience, tolerance and forgiveness.
Allah’s curse is not on anyone who errs in ignorance, rather, His mercy is on the souls who errs to seek His forgiveness and mercy. Give the erred the time and space to seek Allah’s forgiveness, for such seeking of forgiveness is due only to Allah.
While everybody was playing to the gallery, wanting to be heard and be seen to oppose what happened as though a sacrilege has been committed which “requires” the offender’s head for atonement, Al-Misqeen has been toning down the rhetorics and dousing the tension. After all, no one wil benefit from the burning fire when it turns to inferno. Or do we need to cut the head off to spite the nose?
What I see Al-Misqeen doing on the current viral saga, since it all broke out, is exemplifying what Allah Subhanahu Watahala says in the Glorious Qur’an Chapter 39 Verse 53 which goes thus:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
“SAY: “[Thus speaks God:] ‘O you servants of Mine who have transgressed against your own selves! Despair not of God’s mercy: behold, God forgives all sins – for, verily, He alone is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace'”.
I want to submit very strongly that Al-Qur’an was given to us as Muslims so that we can be guided in our conducts for the best of reward from Allah, Here and in Hereafter. We could not have been created perfectly, yet, cautioned to seek forgiveness from Allah for our human shortcomings. We live to learn from our experiences including our mistakes. However, we don’t have to seek for anyone to be consumed for their mistakes.
As for the erred, no time is too long to seek forgiveness. No error is too shameful to be retracted. True and sincere remorsefulness is not a sign of weakness. Weakness comes from the mind who does not know the true strength of apology.
May Allah Subhanahu Watahala forgive all of us of our shortcomings and grant us His mercies, Amin.