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Friday Sermon: Talking About the Revolution

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By Babatunde Jose

“The children of the poor you failed to train will never let your children live in peace . . .” Chief Obafemi Awolowo

In the recent past, the countries of North Africa and the Middle East have been shaken by the “Arab Spring” started by the so-called ‘Jasmine Revolution’, which was initially ignited by public outrage over the self-immolation of a street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, on December 17, 2010. By January 14, 2011, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled Tunisia since 1987, had stepped down, but far from abating, the revolutionary fervor against the rule of privileged elites in Tunisia got stronger and spread to the rest of the Middle East. Thus, started the ‘Arab Spring’.

In its wake, Hosni Mubarak, who had ruled Egypt with a tight grip for almost thirty years, was ousted on February 11, 2011. That same year, Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed leader of Libya, was captured and killed on 20 October 2011 during the Battle of Sirte. There followed the uncertain fates of the regimes in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen. The roots of discontent in these countries lie in their political set up; nothing more.

It is self-evident that similar looking nations often differ greatly in their economic and political development. This is because of a broad multiplicity of historical institutional developments, sometimes based on very accidental circumstances, might have engendered far reaching consequences. The openness of a society, its willingness to permit creative destruction, and the rule of law appear to be decisive for economic development: There is no doubt, it is manmade institutions, not the lay of the land or the faith of forefathers, neither is it  Islam or Christianity  that determine whether a country is rich or poor.

What are the constraints that keep us from becoming more prosperous? Is our poverty immutable, or can it be eradicated? A natural way to start thinking about this is to look at what common people are saying about the problems they face and why they need to revolt against the oppressive regimes. “We are suffering from corruption, oppression and bad education. We are living amid a corrupt system which has to change;” says he people.

Following moments of open class warfare in the late 1960s and early 1970s, battles against the political and economic order became fragmented, trade unions were attacked and rendered ineffective, the legacy of the anti-colonial struggles was eroded and the history of the period was recast by the establishment to undermine its potency. In the post-Cold War era, a new phase of protest finally began to overcome these defeats. It was one of these putsches that terminated the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, one of the longest standing dictators of the post-colonial era, who ruled that country from 1966 to 1997: A one time ally of the United States, who at the height of their relationship once asked for a plane-load of Coca-Cola for his troops fighting the rebels of the Katanga province.

The global anti-war movement of the new millennium  led to the biggest coordinated demonstrations in the history of protest on 15 February 2003, in which millions of people demonstrated in over 800 cities, creating a crisis of democracy around the US and UK-led intervention in Iraq.

In the years leading up to and following the banking crisis of 2008, food riots and anti-austerity protests escalated around the world in what became known in Africa as SAP Riots (protests the IMF induced Structural Adjustment Program). In parts of the Middle East and North Africa, protests achieved insurrectionary proportions, with the overthrow of one dictator after another. After the Arab Spring was thwarted by counter-revolution, the ‘Occupy movement’ and recently ‘Black Lives Matter’ gained global attention. While the public, urban square became a central focus for protest, social media became an important – but by no means exclusive – organizing tool.

The protestors today are speaking about the corruption of the government, its inability to deliver public services, and the lack of equality of opportunity in the country. They particularly complained about repression and the absence of political rights. People now see their economic problems as being fundamentally caused by their lack of political rights.

To the new protestors, the things that have held them back include an ineffective and corrupt state and a society where they cannot use their talent, ambition, ingenuity, and what education they can get. But they also recognize that the roots of these problems are political. Today, the army of unemployed youths have discovered their historic mission: ‘Vanguard of the anti SARS protest’.

All the economic impediments they face stem from the way political power is exercised and monopolized by a narrow elite. This, they understand, is the first thing that must change. The ‘Lions’ of Bourdillon, Tigers of Malali, Leopards of Minna and other fat cats of the ‘Animal Kingdom’ must be tamed and chained. Their chokehold on our people is one main reason why we are not making progress. Not being captains of industries or commerce, rentiers, and exploiters of the commonwealth, they have no visible investment in the welfare of society: One word describe them, Parasites.

When they reason about why a country is poor, most academics and commentators emphasize completely different factors. Some stress that poverty is determined primarily by geography; others instead point to cultural attributes that are supposedly inimical to economic development and prosperity. They also  argue about the lack of work ethic and cultural traits that have allowed others to prosper, and instead have accepted religious beliefs that are inconsistent with economic success: A third approach, the one dominant among economists and policy pundits, is based on the notion that the rulers simply don’t know what is needed to make their country prosperous, and have followed incorrect policies and strategies in the past. If these rulers would only get the right advice from the right advisers, the thinking goes, prosperity would follow.

To these academics and pundits, the fact that we have been ruled by narrow elites feathering their nests at the expense of society seems irrelevant to understanding the country’s economic problems.

In fact, Nigeria is poor precisely because it has been ruled by a narrow elite that have organized society for their own benefit at the expense of the vast mass of people. Political power has been narrowly concentrated and has been used to create great wealth for those who possess it, such as the owners of the ‘Hilltop’ Mansions, Bullion van owners and ubiquitous tax collectors. The losers have been the Nigerian people.

Countries in Europe  became rich because their citizens overthrew the elites who controlled power and created a society where political rights were much more broadly distributed, where the government was accountable and responsive to citizens, and where the great mass of people could take advantage of economic opportunities.

In 1688, England had a revolution that transformed the politics and thus the economics of the nation. People fought for and won more political rights, and they used them to expand their economic opportunities. The result was a fundamentally different political and economic trajectory, culminating in the Industrial Revolution. Late Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana understood this maxim when he said ‘seek ye first the political kingdom and every other thing shall be added unto you’.

Though Nigeria became independent in 1960, it brought to power another elite as disinterested in achieving prosperity for ordinary Nigerians as the British had been. One set of colonial masters were exchanged for internal colonizers.  In consequence, the basic structure of society did not change, and we stayed poor. The railway lines running from north to south in a parallel formation is part of that story. Our river ports which were left by the colonialists remained our main outlets to the world and are inadequate for today’s see traffic.

It is indeed difficult for ordinary citizens to acquire real political power and change the way their society works. But it is possible, because it had happened in England, France, and the United States, and in Japan, and Brazil. Fundamentally it is a political transformation of this sort that is required for a poor society to become rich. There is evidence that this may happen here too. A broad movement in society was a key part of what happened in these other political transformations.

The current EndSARS movement is aluta in the right direction and might bring about more desired awareness on the part of our youth that the country is theirs and unlike their gerontocratic parents, they have more at stake in this country than anybody else: Nobody will hand this country over to them on a platter; they must fight for their place in the sun. ‘Aluta continua’.

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend

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Islam

Friday Sermon: Ramadan: Time for Religious and Divine Reflection 3

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By Babatunde Jose

“Fasting in Ramadan develops in a person the real spirit of social belonging, of unity and brotherhood, and of equality before God. This spirit is the natural product of the fact that when people fast, they feel that they are joining the whole Muslim Ummah (which makes up more than one fifth of world’s population) in observing the same duty, in the same manner, at the same time, for the same motives, and for the same end. 

No sociologist or historian can say that there has been at any period of history anything comparable to this powerful institution of Islam: Fasting in the month of Ramadan. “People have been crying throughout the ages for acceptable ‘belonging’, for unity, for brotherhood, for equality and justice, but how echoless their voices have been, and how very little success they have met…” says Hammudah Abdalati, in Islam in Focus.

As Muslims we reject any sort of violence in the holy month of Ramadan, as we do in any month. Yet there are those recalcitrant elements that will not follow this injunction, but rather foment trouble all over the land; maiming, kidnapping, and killing their fellowmen for some warped reasons and in the process, giving Islam a bad and odious name. They are the terrorists in religious garb; killing people all over the place in the guise of ‘herdsmen or Boko Haram, ISIS, or whatever name they call themselves. They act as if God’s love can descend upon them through such horrible acts. We have only one name for them; Terrorists! They are not also Islamist as they are often referred to because, there is nothing Islamic about their acts.

“In the past 10 years we have seen more than 17 mass kidnappings. It’s a bad record for any country and government, a total breakdown of the social contract,” regional security expert David Otto told CBS News about the situation in Nigeria.

“Most of the victims are women in these attacks, and when you attack women, you have attacked society. The recent attacks — when 200-plus people were just taken — show after two decades of fighting insurgency, the government is still unable to protect society from terrorist groups.”

Otto spoke as the parents of more than 280 children voiced their anger over a mass abduction in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state. The students, boys, and girls between the ages of 8 and 15, were seized by armed men from the elementary and secondary schools in the town of Kuriga.

The parents told local media outlets that bandits had taken their children and they implored Nigeria’s government to pay any ransom being demanded to secure their safe return. The President has, however, vowed that the government will not pay ransom to terrorist kidnappers anymore.

Immediately after the Kaduna abductions, gunmen seized another group of children from a school in Sokoto, in northwest Nigeria.

That was a smaller kidnapping, with about 15 children said to be missing, but it was the third incident reported in just a week, following reports that as many as 300 internally displaced people had gone missing near a camp in the northeast state of Borno. All these during the holy month of Ramadan!!!

In a BBC mini documentary that went viral on social media, a kingpin of a terrorist gang was interviewed, and he boasted about the number of victims he had killed. And he is a Muslim. Hmmmmn. What Quran has he been reading, and which Allah does he pray to?

The emergence of terrorism in Nigeria is traceable to factors such as bad governance, religious extremism, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, political greed, and foreign influence.

We need to spend time during this holy season worrying and praying about the state of the world, and particularly our country Nigeria. There is too much hate in the air. Everything is seen through the prism of tribe, ethnicity, or religion. Social media has become one big market for mudslinging and character assassination; all in the name of politics that is now heavily garnished with bigotry and religious intolerance.  

Instead of seeking forgiveness for our own sins we should seek forgiveness for everyone who is misled, who thinks the end justifies the means, who does not understand the teachings of Islam as beautiful and pure and peaceful. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught us to pray for our enemies, and I admit it is hard, but it must be done – if not for them, then for our own spiritual enlightenment.

We need to pray for a lofty goal – peace in the land – that we as human beings have probably been praying for since the dawn of modernity.  We should pray for a safe world for our children, and our children’s children. But the news these days is ugly, and we are constantly reminded of the following verse in the Quran: 

“Surely God changes not the condition of a people until they change what is in their hearts”. (Quran 13:11)

Prayer and reflection only help when one is surrounded with peace. One can recite the Quran and offer additional night-time prayers and fast every day for 365 days, but nothing changes the fact that we live in dangerous and perilous times; and unless we stand up and do something about it, the impending conflagration will consume us all, both the perpetrators and idle spectators. 

Politics is part of life now and along with fasting, individual Muslims need to do much more. Protesting, calling our representatives to order, marching with others, helping our neighbours, and even getting educated about a topic we didn’t know much about… all these are ways to make worship more meaningful. Whatever issue one worries about, we need to make change happen. To be docile in the face of monumental injustice is a sin, worse than breaking ones fast. After all, in Islam, worship not only describes rituals related to God, but encompasses everything one does to serve God; standing up for justice is one of such acts.  

We must therefore be ready to stand on the side of justice and equity. We must be ready to die at the barricades when the fight starts, to claim our rightful place in the scheme of things. We must be able to protest loudly and vehemently if our leaders refuse to listen to us. We must be prepared to fight for the right of our children to live a better life in future.

Of course, it doesn’t and shouldn’t apply to Muslims alone. People of all faith – or no faith – can join in making these changes and improving our impact upon the world: Right now, the goings on in Gaza should concern us all, particularly the fate of a blockaded people who are being denied medical facilities by their Israeli ‘warders’. The fate of our people in Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Sokoto, Borno and other places where human life has become cheaper than that of common chicken should elicit concern and action.

This is the time for action and change, meaningful change. Moreso, when there is a spiritual convergence of the two major faiths, Islam, and Christianity: Ramadan Fast and Lenten season. This year, only 10 days separate Easter and Eid al Fitr.

The current climate of hunger has no religious affiliation. The hunger that whacks the Christian also racks the Muslim, the price of beans, rice and gari are the same for adherents of both faiths in the market, the scarcity of goods is the same for both Joshua and Yussuf and the debilitating effects of inflation and high cost of living blows both ways. Just as the Christian child is kidnapped on the way to school in Aba, the Muslim children are kidnapped in their schools in Kajuru. We are all in it together and must reflect and find solutions together.

So, let us get out into our communities and make a difference, not just in Ramadan but throughout the year. Only then can we say we are really worshipping God.

“Oh Allah, guide me with those whom You have guided, and strengthen me with those whom You have given strength. Take me to Your care with those whom You have taken to Your care. Bless me in what You have given me. Protect me from the evil You have ordained. Surely You command and are not commanded, and none whom You have committed to Your care shall be humiliated (and none whom You have taken as an enemy shall taste glory). You are Blessed, Our Lord, and Exalted”. (Abu Dawud, Book 8, Number 1420)

Barka Juma’at and Ramadan Kareem

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Friday Sermon: Ramadan: Time for Religious and Divine Reflection 2

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By Babatunde Jose

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it.” – (Al-Bukhari)

We want others to put themselves in our shoes and view the world from our perspective. That is empathy – putting oneself in someone else’s shoes. We feel close to the person who is empathetic to us, find it easy to share our thoughts with them, go to him or her when we’re in trouble and seek solace. Each of us has a natural sense of empathy through which we connect to others. 

There are two aspects of empathy: cognitive and affective. Cognitive empathy is about understanding another person’s point of view, their emotions and needs at the intellectual level. Affective empathy is about actually feeling an emotion that another person is experiencing.

If only our leaders would empathise with the suffering multitude, they would do the needful and set the country on the path of sustained development. They should feel the hunger being experienced by the people, their sense of want, deprivation, and impoverishment.

But they would not. These are stone-hearted people who are bereft of the milk of human kindness. The Prophet attested to this when he said: “None of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for himself.” (Al-Bukhari) A man without empathy will therefore be devoid of faith.

This hadith necessitates cognitive empathy. You must firstly imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes and think from their perspective to understand what you would do in their situation. If only the leaders would come up with solutions to the growing poverty in the land occasioned by their policies.

A believer who has achieved excellence of faith will feel this special love for others.

The Quran stresses that righteousness is not in precise observance of the rituals but in acts of compassion and kindness.  It says that the litmus test for true belief and genuine worship is that it leads to compassionate living:

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards the East or West; but it is righteousness – to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and to practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing. (Quran 2:177)

This verse talks about a set of beliefs and then a set of good deeds, the intricate relationship between the two escapes many if not most. 

In his commentary, Yusuf Ali said: “As if to emphasize again a warning against deadening formalism, we are given a beautiful description of the righteous and God-fearing man. He should obey salutary regulations, but he should fix his gaze on the love of Allah and the love of his fellow- men. We are given four heads: (1) our faith should be true and sincere; (2) we must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to our fellowmen; (3) we must be good citizens, supporting social organization: and (4) our own individual soul must be firm and unshaken in all circumstances. They are interconnected, and yet can be viewed separately.

“Faith is not merely a matter of words. We must realize the presence and goodness of Allah. When we do so, the scales fall from our eyes: all the falsities and fleeting nature of the Present cease to enslave us, for we see the Last Day as if it were to-day. We also see Allah’s working in His world and in us: His Angels, His Messengers and His Message are no longer remote from us but come within our experience.

“Practical deeds of charity are of value when they proceed from love, and from no other motive. In this respect, also, our duties take various forms, which are shown in reasonable gradation: our kith and kin; orphans (including any persons who are without support or help): people who are in real need but who never ask (it is our duty to find them out, and they come before those who ask); the stranger, who is entitled to laws of hospitality; the people who ask and are entitled to ask, i.e., not merely lazy beggars, but those who seek our assistance in some form or another (it is our duty to respond to them); and the slaves (we must do all we can to give or buy their freedom). Slavery has many insidious forms, and all are included.”

Every Friday in the second part of the sermon, Muslims all over the world hear a verse, which stresses, justice, kindness, and natural mutual love as among the closest blood relatives:

Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you that ye may receive admonition. (Quran 16:91)

He makes His relationship or His Providence to the common man, conditional to common human compassion, by claiming that those, who wish to find Him, will succeed only if they are kind and compassionate to the common people:

Fasting cleanses your soul and makes you appreciate all your blessings. Fasting humbles you; it makes you feel compassion for the poor who experience that type of hunger ev­ery day. At the end of the day, however, we have a big dinner; the poor don’t have that luxury. That is why Muslims are required to give zakat on an annual basis. Many choose to do this during Ramadan. This money is either given personally or through a charity. The main thing is that it must be paid.

We are taught to not only fast from food and drink but to try to refrain from conflict, anger, and mean words. Our prophet (peace be upon him) says, “Saying a nice word is like giving to charity.” And he also said, “To smile in the face of your brother is like giving to charity.” We are to be kind and loving to each other. We are to be forgiving, not only in this month but in every month. But for some reason, this month brings out the best in everyone. 

During this holy month, we spend a lot of time reading our Quran: We also spend a lot of time praying, trying to help those who are less fortunate and performing good deeds, which in turn cleanses our hearts and souls. For one month, we truly do become less selfish, less self-centred and more focused on what really matters in the world.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, in sharing his wishes, for all observing the holy month of Ramadan, urged action on behalf of millions of forcibly displaced people worldwide. 

 “Through our reflection, we come to recognize that while words may reassure, it is only through action that we can truly see tangible change,” he said. “We continue to live in extremely complex times where violence is multiplied, conflicts are protracted, and tens of millions of people are forcibly uprooted or on the move. This has created unprecedented levels of human suffering and desperation.

“Millions of people like you and I are living in a constant state of conflict, insecurity, and persecution: Their loved ones torn from them under inexplicable circumstances. Think of civilians in Syria or Yemen. Think of the plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the other countries to which they have fled”. 

And I urge you to also think of the castrated and emasculated people of Palestine: Between 7 October 2023 and 6 March 2024, at least 30,717 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 72,156 were injured, according to MoH in Gaza. A sad Ramadan for Gaza as Israel continues attacks. Amid Israel’s war, the people of Gaza don’t feel the joy of the holy month. Pray for them and remember them. “Then, surely with hardship comes ease:” “Surely, with hardship comes ease,”(Quran 94:5-6)

May Allah make it easy for us, Ameen.

Barka Juma’at and Ramadan Kareem

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Friday Sermon: Ramadan: Time for Religious and Divine Reflection 1

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By Babatunde Jose

Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Koran, as a guide to mankind, also Clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.  (Surat Al-Baqarah 2:185)

The holy month of Ramadan is here again, and Muslims welcome the holy month with simple and minimal festivities as it does not stand as a celebration but as a time for religious and divine reflection. It is a time for spiritual stocktaking and moral revival. It is a time of rejuvenation of religious and moral piety and reaffirmation of faith.

During the month, the mosques are filled to capacity and the whole community assumes an atmosphere of religiosity: A time when even the confirmed sinners seek the benevolence of Allah; a time when evil and vile men seek atonement for their iniquities. Such is the month of Ramadan.

Perchance, our leaders will take advantage of the promise of forgiveness from Allah to turn a new leaf and do the needful in making our life better and seek the path of righteousness. There is much suffering in the land, widespread hunger, penury, impoverishment, deprivation, and in short, grinding poverty.

Yet, with the resources with which we have been endowed, there is enough for everyone to bask in the prosperity of our God-given provisions. But when a few conspire to deny the majority their rightful share of the commonwealth, they sentence the people into penury, want, misery and poverty. Ramadan is therefore, an opportunity for sober reflection and a chance for meaningful and positive change on the part of our leaders.

Abu Huraira narrated that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened, and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” [Bukhari] 

Fasting in Ramadan is therefore a shield from Hell; fasting subdues sinful desires and reduces their severity: It is these desires and lusts that lead to Hell Fire.

The Hadith of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (SAW), are clear in this regard; Abu Said al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW), said: “No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the Hell Fire seventy years further away from his face.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Said al-Khudri also relates that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire” (Ahmad, Sahih)

`Uthman Ibn Abil-`Aas relates that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Whoever fasts a day in the way of Allah, Allah places between him and the Fire a trench like that between heavens and the earth”. (At-Tirmidhi and at-Tabarani, sahih)

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran. In the Quran, the only month mentioned by name was Ramadan. Allah named it Shahr Ramadan, giving it special status in the annual life of the Muslim.

The month of Ramadan traditionally begins with a new moon sighting, marking the start of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. … This is considered as the holiest season in the Islamic year and commemorates the time when the Quran is said to have been revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Adult Muslims fast from dusk until dawn, unless they are ill, pregnant, or diabetic, breastfeeding, or traveling.

Muslims fast as an act of worship, a chance to get closer to God and a way to become more compassionate to those in need.

O you who believe! Guard your own souls: If you follow the right guidance, no harm can come to you from those who stray. The goal of you all is to Allah. It is He who will show you the truth of all that you do.  (Quran 5:105)

A deep reflection on the institution of Fast reveals the various ways in which fasting helps in the mending of habits and development of character and God consciousness.

With the onset of Ramadan, it behooves each fasting person to open a page from the book of muhasabah (critical self-evaluation) and to reflect on what is being achieved through the month.

What benefits are derived, which behaviors are adjusted, what good practices are adopted, which bad habits are being relinquished? How does the prayers and fasting during Ramadan influence attitudes and perspectives; how is it improving relationships with families, friends and neighbors; how much has it increased consciousness of responsibility towards the destitute; how is it impacting on the body, the heart, the mind and the soul?

If there is a genuine effort towards the spiritualization of one’s being, the moralization of consciousness, empathy in attitude and goodness in conduct; then perchance a concerted effort is being made of treading on the pathway towards the objective of fasting – the attainment of taqwa (piety). Truly, the month of Ramadan is a season for spiritual stocktaking and moral evaluation.

In a world, increasingly amoral, perception is considered reality. How one appears to the world has overtaken the substance of who we really are. Taqwa is in reality character development coupled with God-consciousness. Character is not only the face in the mirror, but the real person behind the face.

The pursuance of piety begins by making our reputation a reflection of our character. Reputation may be reflected in your epitaph, what people write about you on your tombstone, but  character is what angels report about you to Allah; and that is the most important.

Ramadan is an ideal training period for filtering out bad habits and developing virtuous character. It is therefore a good time for our leaders to turn a new leaf, lest ‘we the people’ decide to chase them out like Oliver Cromwell did the ‘Long Parliament’ in 1653.

Cromwell’s speech aptly reflects the character of our leaders today: “It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

“Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you has not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth? Ye sordid prostitutes; have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation”.

If only they would change in the spirit of Ramadan! Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Your practice of faith will not be correct unless your actions are correct, and your actions will not be considered correct unless your heart is correct.” 

Ramadan is therefore a period for spiritual rejuvenation and moral reconstruction as it offers the opportunity for a unique expression of worship.

From ethical and moral perspectives, we should contemplate the higher purpose and the deeper meaning of our lives, trying to live meaningfully, balancing our physicality with our spirituality.

While fasting, we are far more aware of the hunger of the poor and the suffering of the oppressed and are therefore instructed to be more generous this month. This promotes attentiveness to social responsibility, interest in the welfare of society and inspires a continued spirit of big-heartedness.

The Qur’an refers to the fasting ones as sa’ihin/spiritual wayfarers. So, the journey of Ramadan motivates each person to perpetuate the positive spirit being imbibed and to continue on the spiritual journey towards fulfilment and excellence.

It is easy to talk about the world’s problem of hunger. We can feel sorry that millions of people go to bed hungry each day. But not until one can actually feel it in one’s own body is the impact truly there.

Compassion based on empathy is much stronger and more consistent than compassion based on pity. This feeling must lead to action. Fasting is never an end in itself; that’s why it has so many different outcomes. But all the other outcomes are of no real moral value if compassion is not enlarged and extended through fasting.

It is therefore in the interest of our fasting leaders and those not fasting to shed the toga of iniquity, selfishness, self-aggrandizement and corruption and for once think of the poor masses who are not only defenseless but also hungry. It is only by doing this that the fast can have spiritual reward and meaning.

Today, ‘ebi n pawa oo’ has rented the national atmosphere. Our leaders should provide adequate palliative to stem this rising tide before it gets to a crisis level. Ramadan offers a good opportunity to do this.

As the prophet Isaiah said, “The kind of fasting I want is this: remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor” (Isaiah 58:3-7)

May Allah accept our fast, prayers and supplications, Ameen.

Barka Jumu’ah and best wishes for the month of Ramadan.

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