Mufutau A. Yunusa
MURIC, Muslim Rights Concern ably represented by its Director, Professor Akintola has been in the limelight on the protection of the rights of Muslims in Nigeria and beyond.
From religious overzealousness, to the denial of Muslims’ rights to use God ordained pattern of dressing. Like no one else, MURIC is there to support the voiceless Muslims tormented by the powers that be. We are grateful.
Being a Muslim is the greatest honor God can give anyone after being a human being. It is a way of life, the light in the darkness, the hope for the hopeless and the divine gift to mankind.
It teaches man to ascend and transcend human reasoning and capabilities, little wonder the contributions of earlier Muslims to human development and science.
As a Muslim, every day is never new to us, because pathway has been charted for us to lead us ultimately to success in this life and afterwards.
From how to dress, how to eat, how to defecate, to what should be considered unworthy such as cutting of our nails. It therefore behove us to appreciate the kindness God has shown on us giving us Islam, thereby making us Muslims. Yes, we are Muslims.
Leadership in Islam
Leadership in Islam is a heavy burden placed upon the shoulder of His servants.
It is an undesirable but a must as was thought by our Nabiyyil Kareem, Sallah Llaahu alyhi wasallam, that if two or more people are together, and they have no leader (ameer), then Shaitan (Satan) becomes their leader.
But what is leadership in Islam? In Islam, we are taught that leadership is serving or aptly put, a leader of a group is it’s servant.
To go hungry, yet the people are fed. To go sleepless nights, yet people are sleeping, to be fearful, yet people are at peace, to have little, yet people have surplus.
We see this in the life of Sahaabah (the companion of the Prophet, Sallah Llaahu alyhi wa sallam) and their successors including Umar bn Abdul Azeez.
Once, a stranger came to visit the Khalifa (the head of Muslim Umma worldwide) Umar bn Abdul Azeez and was looking for his house. He asked from neighbourhood, and he was advised to go to the end of the city.
There he would find the house of Khalifa. After transcending the whole city, he returned back to the person to report that he had gone according to the advice, without being able to locate the house of the Khalifa.
The stranger was advised repeatedly in the same direction. But each time he went in the direction indicated, he was sure it could not have been the house of the khalifa. After repeated advice in the same direction, he summoned courage to approach the hut.
He noticed around the hut, there was a man on top of the roof mending the thatched roof of his hut and a woman making bread from low quality barley flour. After greeting, he requested for the house of the Khalifa.
However, the man on the roof had already come down and enquires from the stranger how he could help him who responded that he was looking for the house of Khalifa.
Umar bn AbdulAzeez responded by informing the stranger that he actually was the Khalifa. This was quite in dissonance with the comforts and life of luxury he saw in the city.
Upon enquiry on the reason khalifa should be living in such pauperized condition while the people are living in comforts, Umar bn AbdulAzeez was said to have responded in the following manner, “if the leaders live in luxury, the citizens must live in poverty, and if the people must live in luxury, leaders must live a difficult life.”
Leadership in Nigeria
Nigeria no doubt is one of the greatest countries in the world, not by its development as colonialists would have described it, but a nation with abundance of everything good and minimal or no disaster!
Yes, Nigeria has consistently had its own disasters and this has been in the area of quality and altruistic leadership. As the British would put it, no bad soldier but bad officer so I say, no bad citizens but only bad leaders or leadership.
Presently Nigeria is in dire need of quality and good leader. A leader who will lead by example, Godly person who will see himself as servants and vicegerent of God on earth. Nigerians home and abroad are crying, counting their losses.
Farmers cannot go to farm, merchants cannot ply their trades, our military turned into scout boys, at home there is fear, on the road there is trepidation.
Our currency is going through devaluation daily, our monthly income cannot suffice for daily needs. We have suffered, we have mourned, we are in anguish.
Our children are at home cannot go to school because parents have lost their jobs and cannot go to the private primary or secondary school as our public school which supposedly is free are disaster with poorly remunerated teachers, poorly motivated workforce. Our university students are at home courtesy of ASUU’s (Academic Staff University Union) strike.
Lest I forget, last year (2021), we were told that crude oil theft was 200,000 barrels a day computing that using today’s crude oil price of $140.00 per barrel or conservatively $100.00 per barrel, it meant Nigeria lost between N8 Billion to N14 Billion daily!
Rich are in the captivity so are the poor. Ritual killing is rife on the land, scamming has gone a wire.
Hospital has turned into mere consulting clinic with medical doctors trained with public money leaving the country in droves due to pitiable salary and difficult working conditions.
Our politicians find succor abroad for common headache. Our tragedy is innumerable and we can only be counting.
What we need, 2023 is coming and knocking.
Another year to herald in 4 years of pessimism or hope.
But based on our usual experiences in Nigeria, it is more likely to be pessimism rather than of hope because we have always been bereft of quality or good leaders in spite that we never had atheist or idol worshipper as president. Predictably they are almost always Muslims or Christians.
Our experiences across the globe has not supported religion as the basis of good leaders or good leadership just like our experiences in Nigeria has shown that each of our leaders are either Christians or Muslims but bereft of good leadership with our country falling into abysmal failure.
As we see rapid development in Dubai, an acknowledged Muslim state so also we see unprecedented development in china where Buddha is worshipped, one can dare say that religion is not the basis of good leadership.
However, it was frightening when it was read that our revered MURIC director was canvassing for Yoruba Muslim when we have been frequently warned by our Nabiyyil kareem (Sallah Llaahu alyhi wasalam) that, no tribe in religion.
Arab is not better than non-Arab and Non-Arab is not better than Arab. The most honored among you in the sight of Allah is the one with fear of Allah.
So someone should please inform Professor Akintola that there is no Yoruba Muslim in the lexicon of Islam. Rather, Islam Ummah, and is one.
Islam stands for justice.
Based on the fact that islam is a religion that imbibe justice, if leadership is to be rotated not based on merit, but by religion and/or location, it should be an idol worshipper from Abayon tribe in Cross Rivers State.
While Professor Akintola’s MURIC has been advocates for Muslim, it is absurd to describe the intention of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osibajo with unsavoury word such as backstabbing only because he aspired to be president.
Can someone tell Professor Akintola that it is the inalienable rights of every Nigeria citizen to aspire to such office having fulfilled the criteria required and therefore its position on our Vice President because of his religion inclination does not represent Islam.
Yes, Professor Yemi Osibajo might have worked with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this does not confer slave master relationship. We don’t want to be beclouded by sentiment of religion, tribe, race, geographical location.
Our country is at crossroad, the only thing we need is good and quality leadership. He or she can be pastor from RCCG, Imam from MSS or Ogunyale from Ayilala cult as long as he can give us good and quality leadership.
We have had enough of parochial sentiment. Please tell Professor Akintola that, Yes, we are Muslims, but what we want is good leader!
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