By TUNJI WAHAB
Chief Imam of Coker Central Mosque, Mushin, Lagos State, Sheikh Shakuru Lawal Olawale, has tasked Islamic scholars across the country to always harp on developmental Khutbah, sermons, that will bail out the Muslim Ummah from poverty.
Fondly called Asbunallah, the cleric spoke as the guest lecturer at this year’s end of Ramadan lecture organized by the Zawiyatul-Sofwatur-Rahmatil-Islamiyyat (ZASRAM), Ota, Ogun State, under the supervision of its Founder and Chief Missioner (worldwide), Sheikh Abdur-Razaq Kasolayo.
In his welcome address, Kasolayo said the annual lectures were aimed at getting the Muslim Ummah acquainted with the best ways of practising Islam without stress and proving its place as relugion of peace, saying, “this is more reason different Islamic scholars are invited every year to dwell on several topic of interest that heve to do with how we are expected to conduct our worldly affairs in conformity with Allah’s injunctions.”
The guest lecturer, Imam Shakuru pointed out that Islam does no go against striving to be wealthy as long as the way Muslims go about it is not against the tenet of Islam. He added that, “poverty is antithetic to the religion of Allah.”
According to him, abject poverty has a way of depriving the Muslims of the best way to worship their Creator, reminding that, some of the pillars of Islam require fund to be carried out and as such, directing the Ummah towards permissible ways of making money should be part of the scholars’ day to day sermons to their congregation.
Shakuru, who cited several ways through which Muslims could be financially independent and economically self-reliant, also suggested that seminars on economic empowerment should be introduced to the Ummah with a view to setting their feet along the right financial power and economic upliftment.
While asserting that begging is anti-Islam, the guest lecturer encouraged his audience to learn trades and acquire vocational skills that will serve as their means of livelihood just as he emphasised on the dignity of labour.
Sheikh Shakuru concluded by urging the Ummah to imbibe the spirit of love, patience, good neighbourliness, peaceful coexistence and shun bigotry, hatred, jealousy and rebellion, reminding that, “these are the characteristics of a good Muslim as taught us by Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and of which the almighty Allah described him in the glorious Qur’an as the man with the best character in the whole world.”
In his goodwill message, the Executive Chairman of Ado-Odo Local Government, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashir Oladele Adeniji promised ASRAM of his support for the multimillion naira Ultra-Modern Mosque under construction just as he assured the Otta Muslim Community of his commitment to rid the Central Prayground of miscreants so as to make it wear more decent look and befitting in its status.
Present at the well-attended lecture were other Islamic leaders among who were the Chief Imam of Ottaland, Sheikh Muhammadu Buhari, the Wakili of Aworiland and Chief Imam of Mangoro Central Mosque, Sheikh Abdul-Azeez Ewenla, Sheikh Abdur-Raheem Ibrahim Alapako, and Sheikh Muhammadu Yusuff Hussain Allahu Jalla among others.
