Twenty-one Islamic groups have been empowered with 200,000 naira each by the Abdulwahid Islamic Foundation, in commemoration of its15th Annual Ramadan Lecture series.
Speaking during the annual lecture the founder Comrade Abdulwaheed Odunuga said that the gesture was an alternative to the usual sharing of food stuffs to participants at the annual event in other for them to stay afloat economically.
Odunuga recounted that a particular individual who is a member of a Muslim community in Agboyi Ketu, burrowed 20,000 naira from LAPO Micro Finance Bank and could not pay back as and when due, so it became an embarrassment as the interest by then increased the burrowed sum to 57,000 naira.
“The fund we have availed the Muslim communities is to help whoever needs money, such should be assisted, and we look forward to say in next the three month, it should have increased to 500,000 naira through the contributions of well meaning members.”
He added that the said fund was made possible through the financial assistance by Barrister Sharaphdeen Idowu, Principal Partner, Braintree Solicitors, Hon. Dayo Bush , Lagos State Commissioner for Water Front Development, Mayor Dele Oshinowo , Chairman Agboyi Ketu LCDA, Hon. Samuel Olanrewaju Adebayo President Succour Foundation , Mr. Olalekan Mutiu , MD , Bratetek Nig Ltd, among others
The Guest Speaker Alhaji Abdul Fatai Mohammed Raji the initiator of Science in Holy Quran,(Baba ni Mushin) while speaking at the 15th Annual Ramadan Lecture organized by the Abdulwahid Islamic Foundation, theme: Dealing With Difficult Times, said that the lack of the fear of God is the root cause of the difficult times prevailing in Nigeria now.
“The fear of God is a common responsibility for those in government and we who they are governing, the lack of the fear of God is the root cause of the difficult times we are in.
“If one goes abroad one will discover that they have the fear God, all the resources God endowed in their land is shared equally. There is no one without a vehicle, only if you can not work, there is none without food only those that choose to go hungry, there is none without a shelter only if you don’t want it.
“So they shared it equally, if our government can do same here, if we have good roads, electricity and pipe borne water, even if they start embezzling the remaining nobody will query them again.
“But where there is no equality in the distribution of food, no good roads and even no vehicle to transport people around conveniently, there is no way we would not shout.
“I want to encourage the Abdulwahid Islamic Foundation to keep at what they have been doing all the while, imagine those Islamic Praying bands (Alasalatu) that will be given 200,000 naira each, they are doing a whole lot of good, may God keep enabling them.”
Corroborating the stance of the lead speaker, Al-lmam Abdusemiu Olatunji AJANI-ALKILANY the Chief lmam and Head of Chaplaincy, Islamic Education and Faith initiative, reiterated that nation building demands the collective effort of everyone.
“We need to support the government, I won’t subscribe to the idea that one particular government is bad.
“All of them met challenges, as a nation this is the way it has been before now, but we need to support them with our prayers as well work in line with their policies, so that we can have a virile and successful society.”
He further advised all Muslim women who turnout en-masse for the epoch making event, to prepare their girl-child for marital challenges, adding that women of Islam faith in the southwest are not doing enough in this aspect.
“We need to change the narrative, why? It is that the family is so prominent and so important in any society, the family makes an individual and after that you are translating the multiplicity into other sectors.
“We need to give our girl-child the best value of Islam, I observed that most of our mothers especially in the southwest, they’ve not really prepared our girl-child on the marital challenges, even if it is a one man, one wife scenario, the couple will have challenges let alone having maybe two, three or more wives.
“The best is to prepare them ahead, give them the lesson about tenacity, about submissiveness, about patience, about being faithful to their God.
“With this a girl or boy child will be successful as a husband or wife later in life. By and large families need to put resources together to sustain our community.” Imam Ajani said.
The Grand Patron of the foundation Fadeelatus Shaykh Abdur Rofi’l Babatunde Muh’d Awwal was quick to add the importance of prayer in the life of a nation, citing the fact that in united State of America, citizen bless their country daily, yet they cannot boldly say they have everything, let alone Nigerians that curse their country.
He however, raised a poser that the giving of zakat is fast fading away in Islam and it needs to be restored as it targets equitable distribution of wealth in every community of man.
Imam Toliat Muhammadu Mutador the Chief Imam of Agboyi Road Muslims in Agboyi Ketu, commended the foundation for being there for the people at all times.
“We pray that God should continually uplift them because they have been of immense benefit to the people. With this kind of foundation Islam will surely go higher.
“In this area many people have enjoyed their existence as a foundation, many without a job became gainfully employed, those whose trade are not thriving they give them financial assistance to boost their business.”
