SPECIAL REPORT: Not Gov Makinde but traditionalists caused Olubadan installation delay that ran over time of Jumu’at prayer

By KEMI KASUMU

I came to see a statement going the round on social media, which tends to be a political statement plated with the colour of love for Islam, from development that happened at the Mapo Hall venue of installation of new Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, on Friday July 12, 2024.

It is a sad statement titled, “Gov Makinde made Muslims to Miss Jumm’ah in Ibadan”, and credited to Muslims’ Peace Initiative (MPI) but I make bold to say there is nothing peaceful in concocting uninvestigated allegations only to slam them on creatures of God with thought of expecting rewards from same God.

There can be no reward from Allah in any act done on the basis of hypocrisy even when it is done against him that does not know God, talk less it is done the hypocrisy or injustice is done to a Christian, who Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him), said is closer to Muslim in faith, like Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde.

The said read, “The 12th day of July, 2024 was the installation and coronation day of the new Olubadan of Ibadan land. The program was slated for 10 am but Gov Makinde didn’t show up until the time for jumm’ah.

“The serious Muslims who were afraid of what defence they would put up before Allah for not observing Jumm’ah walked away/out to go and worship Allah while those who thought they know what to tell Allah for missing the Jumm’ah sat down.

“On the day of judgement, Allah will ask those who refused to observe Jumm’ah and will question Gov Makinde for preventing the Muslims from fulfilling their religious obligations (observance of Solat jumm’ah).”

If that statement was actually written by a Muslim, his sincerity and comprehensive understanding of Islam are faulty because, it is in the Holy Qur’an that judgment is duty of Allah and not of anyone else, especially when the consideration is about intention of individual.

Good enough Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, was Special Guest of Honour at the event leading to his two-day working visit to Oyo State beginning from Thursday July 11, 2024.

For such “Muslim” writer to use the words, “The serious Muslims who were afraid of what defence they would put up before Allah for not observing Jumm’ah walked away/out to go and worship Allah while those who thought they know what to tell Allah for missing the Jumm’ah sat down,” it is disrespect to Allah and to those he appointed into authority of the Muslim Ummah of Nigeria to so write. Doing so smacks of ignorance and lack of sincerity. You cannot play local politics with issues of Olubadan that attracted guests not only from your limited locally but from across the Niger.

And Islam is one rational, very interesting and well expatiated religion that is explicit about what worship of Allah is, with manuals about why, when and how to carry out the worship. First Allah says this Qur’an (the book explaining the religion) was revealed only to those with wisdom.

And in the Muwata (Fatwa) of Imam Maliki, a well recognized expert in jurisprudence on Islamic worship in line with the Sunnah that is tradition of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is stated there that when you are on a journey, you don’t complete the number of rakat in Suhr, Asr, ‘Ishai and when it falls on Friday, you don’t go to perform Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers, although if you do, you will not be deprived of reward from Allah. However, you have no punishment for not praying Jumu’ah on Friday as travelers.

Now, which Islamic jurisprudence was the so-called Muslims’ Peace Initiative (MPI), whose hidden writer we already know, is relying upon to make such profligately empty judgment against the Muslim guests, whose decision to stay through the event as at the time of his thought was verifiable in the Islamic jurisprudence? Which God will ask them on the day of judgment for not standing up to pray Jumu’ah as travellers, the same Allah they were following his Islamic dictate by not making the religious practice hard for themselves or is there another creator, prophethood, Islam and Qur’an anywhere whose guidance the writer follows?

The writer responsible for the Muslims’ Peace Initiative’s piece and others who would have been misled by his misguidance should watch their back and be careful because, Islam is the easiest and most discretionary religion in terms of worship of Allah and daily activities of faithful and so the question of, “Who will advise or remind Gov Makinde to be more respectful of Solat Jumm’ah (Friday Prayers)? Respect they say begets respect,” does not arise.

He even went on to say, “We want to appeal to the Munafiqoon among gov Makinde’s advisers who are Muslims who will start misquoting the ayah of the Quran to justify Makinde’s lack of respect for the jumm’ah prayer by saying that we must respect constituted authority.”

At this point, it is well established that the one who alleges, who should prove how people he alleges are guilty as charged, assumes the judge in his own case as he went ahead to preempt that he would be proved wrong and tactically did a ground work to neutralize such counter that would come.

But surely, no serious Muslim would fall for his preemptive position because Governor Seyin Makinde, yes a Christian, has his right over a Muslim to be protected when injustice is done against him even from the hands of fellow Muslims. This role I have played here as a Muslim.

I am not defending Governor Makinde but this erroneous allegation against him happened to be one that I can speak well about and to prove to anyone that is untrue. I was there in Ibadan and covered the whole things that transpired on all sides: the Governor/Deputy Governor’s side, the Olubadan side and media side.

Makinde is innocent of his (the Muslim writer) allegation against him because he had no control over how Ibadan people perform their customs and traditions with regard to installation of an Olubadan, which was the reason for the delay that happened coupled with the rains. Makinde and his deputy, Barrister Ibrahim Adebayo Lawal, were always in touch with their special guests including the Ooni of Ife to beg them not to be upset with them as they, themselves, were bothered that the Olubadan was not yet around at the venue.

Moreso, via the various live radio coverage of the event, masters of ceremonies screamed on top of their voices to beg those at Ipebi, where the customary thing that an Olubadan requires to perform was being conducted, “to please release Baba o, asi ko tin lo (time is fast spent)”. Even by the time the Olubadan would eventually arrive, to come out from his car took another 15 minutes and at that, Governor Seyi Makinde, Representative of President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan, and all other important (Muslim and Christian) dignitaries were already on their seats.

Our advice to the so called Muslims’ Peace Initiative or its writer, who wrote that junk, is to be careful and stop doing things that Allah will not accept from him as act of worship. You cannot lay allegations that are terribly incorrect or untrue against innocent people, be that person even an idol worshipper, and you think that Allah would reward you, no. That is not Islam and the earlier you begin to acquire true knowledge of Islam and Islamic jurisprudence about worship, relationship between Allah and Muslims, relationship between Muslims and fellow Muslims and relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims, the better.

This comprehensive understanding of Islam is the only way to achieving a true Muslims’ Peace Initiative that your MPI claims to achieve. Don’t judge people by the mere physical. Governor Seyi Makinde that you are alleging did not cause any delay. His own part was to ensure the event started 10am and programmes had been perfected to that effect. Muslims who stood up to pray did not complain to you why the programme did not end before they had to go out to pray Jumu’ah and Muslims who stayed put, you did not know their intentions, which of course I have stated above that they including myself were travellers to that event and standing up to go and for Friday prayers was unnecessary for us.

Prophet of Islam had warned his Ummah to seek for knowledge even if would take them to as far away as China. Having the knowledge is, however, one thing but using the knowledge with wisdom, strategy, discretion and hiklas (sincerity) of purpose is another. May Allah bless all since worshippers who love the peace of Nigerian people. Amiin.