Islam

Friday Sermon: Long Walk to Protests and Possible Revolution

Published

10 months ago

March 1, 2024

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is no leader who closes the door to someone in need, in hardship, and in poverty, but that Allah closes the gates of heaven to him when he is in need, in hardship, and in poverty” – Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1332

Protest is an invaluable way to speak truth to power. Throughout history, protests have been the driving force behind some of the most powerful social movements, exposing injustice and abuse, demanding accountability, and inspiring people to keep hoping for a better future.

‘World Protests: A Study of Key Protest Issues in the 21st Century’, is the work of a team of researchers with German think tank Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the Initiative for Policy Dialogue, based at Columbia University.

Studying more than 900 protest movements across 101 countries, the authors concluded that we are living through a period of history “when large numbers of people rebelled against the way things were, demanding change.”

The authors highlight one particular problem: democratic failure. Their research found that a majority of the protest events they recorded were prompted by a perceived failure of democracy. Other themes included inequality, corruption, and the lack of action over climate change.

In reality, we are living in the age of protests. Why we seem to be insulated from this movement is understandable. The proverbial lethargy and resilience to suffering of our people accounts for this. But it is changing. People are increasingly getting restless and fed-up with the turn of events: Their impoverishment, deprivation, incessant hunger, food insecurity and exposure to kidnapping and violent encounters with devilment.

To many Nigerians, democracy seems to have yielded few benefits or dividends. Hence, the low turnouts are recent elections. Between 2015 and 2022, the democratically elected government of Buhari presided over worsening security, continuing corruption, and two recessions.

The ENDSARS movement showed the democratic dynamism of young Nigerians. And technology has helped demands for better government to transcend old ethnic, religious, and linguistic divides. Unfortunately, ENDSARS did not produce a political party, but it showed a hunger for more democracy, not less, among Nigerians and a solidarity among Nigeria’s enormous population of young people.

In most African countries the relationship between the states and citizens is fragile. Engaging in violent conflict by different segments of the state, as a means of registering discontent on bad governance, has become a perennial occurrence. Such socio-political conflicts in Nigeria are wrongly profiled or tagged ethnic conflict and have heightened trust-deficit among different ethnic groups that make up the Nigerian plural state. These conflicts have also exposed the states’ lack of capacity to deal with past and recurrent complex security and conflict matters in a plural society.

In addressing socio-political conflicts, the Nigerian state is found wanting. It is always prone to the use of force, even during the colonial days. An excursion into past experiences would suffice.

December 6, 1929, Aba Women’s Riot, Eastern Nigeria. The women protested against tax levies imposed by the colonial government. It was brutally repressed and led to the death of many of the women.

Abeokuta Women’s Revolt, 27 November 1947, Abeokuta Women’s Union led by Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. The women protested against an unfair tax regime which led to the abdication of the then Alake of Egbaland, Oba Sir Ladapo Ademola II and the abolition of the tax regime by the colonial government.

The Enugu Colliery Massacre took place on 18 November 1949, when a British Superintendent of Police, F S Philip, commanding a number of British and Nigerian Police Officers ordered the shooting of unarmed coal miners of the Iva Valley Coal Mine who were on strike.

Immediately Nigeria got her independence in 1960, all the existing geopolitical regions witnessed political violence which arose from the contradictions left behind by the British imperialist government. The manifestation of these political problems in the Middle Belt region especially to the present-day Benue State was the Tiv riots of 1960 and 1964, which was the earliest sign of an impending turbulent political system witnessed in this part of the country. The Tiv riots were eventually quelled by the army.

Before Emeka Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra in May 1967, Isaac Adaka Boro had declared the Niger Delta Republic in February 1966. Aguiyi-Ironsi ordered Odumegwu-Ojukwu to hunt down Boro. Mbiama and environs was surrounded by federal troops. To save the people from the siege and attendant harassment by the federal forces, Boro and his comrades had to come out and surrender themselves. In 1967, General Gowon created Rivers State and Boro was released from prison and absorbed into the Nigerian Army. He died mysteriously the following year during the war.

April 17, 1978, Ali Must Go Riots. Universities nationwide were on the move over a 50 kobo increase in student feeding fees.

If there are enough protesters, the policies of those in power may become unworkable. When the UK government introduce the flat-rate Poll Tax in 1990, huge numbers of people protested and refused to pay the tax. It became clear that prosecuting everyone who refused would be impossible, chaos threatened, and the government abolished the tax.

The two main sources of grievance are political exclusion and inequality. This may be the result of marginalization, oppression, intimidation, or violence. Typically, revolutions take the form of organized movements aimed at effecting change, especially socio-economic change.

Here in this clime, let us not be deceived that a widespread protest cannot become a revolution. With all the catalogue of grievances brewing in the land, revolution is imminent and possible.

Take a cue from protests in other lands and realize that we are sitting on gun powder. Remember the Arab Spring?

On December 17, 2010, a young Tunisian who sold vegetables from a barrow set himself afire to protest against police harassment. Mohamed Bouazizi died on January 4, 2011, but not before his gesture went viral, sparking protests against the cost of living and the country’s authoritarian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Ben Ali’s 23-year-rule ended 10 days later when he fled to Saudi Arabia, becoming the first leader of an Arab nation to be pushed out by popular protests.

The protests inspired a wave of revolts across the Arab world as people rose up to protest against authoritarianism, corruption, and poverty. It became known as the ‘Arab Spring’.

On January 25, 2011, thousands of Egyptians marched in Cairo, Alexandria, and other cities, demanding the departure of President Hosni Mubarak, who had been in power for 30 years.

On February 11, as more than a million took to the streets, Mubarak resigned and handed control to the military.

The most violent protest in history was in 1947 – Partition riots, India, and Pakistan. The hardest hit region was the densely populated state of Punjab (today divided between India and Pakistan), death toll estimates between 500,000 and 2,000,000, the deadliest riots known to humankind.

Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or they may undertake direct action in an attempt to enact desired changes themselves.

Political protest is on the rise in almost all countries.

In 2020 there were protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic – a series of protests around the world against various governments’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly lockdowns.

2020–2023 United States racial unrest ‘Black Lives Matter’– a series of protests against racial inequality and police brutality, sometimes in favor of abolishing or defunding the police. George Floyd protests. Breonna Taylor protests. Kenosha unrest.

2020 Malian protests, also called “Malian Spring”. And the End SARS protests to abolish the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Nigeria.

In 2021 we had the Tunisian protests, Senegalese protests, South African unrest and 2021-2023 Eswatini (Swaziland) protests.

All these are not far from home and the causes are not too far-fetched. There is no gainsaying the fact that we have had it coming. The various grouse we harbor did not start yesterday. Incidence of hunger, high food prices and worsening socio-economic conditions have been with us since the coming of civil rule. Power deficit, housing deficit, infrastructure deficit, food insecurity, health, and education decay; closure of universities for a whole session, and corruption scandals of unimaginable proportion. Sixteen years of the PDP locust and the last 8 years of APC impoverishment and pauperization. And the past 8 months of socio-economic perambulation.

In its editorial of last Monday, titled: ‘The Ominous Pall of Nationwide Industrial Unrest’, Premium Times pointed out that, “The majority of citizens can no longer feed themselves.”

It continued: “Ironically, no regime of palliatives, whether at the federal or sub-national levels, can pull Nigerians out of the seeming cul-de-sac the economic policies…have hauled them into. Everything is wrong with their execution. It appears that corruption and profiteering – two market leviathans have come into the mix. They need to be dealt with.

“The government has to discover where it got it wrong, fix things and arrest the seething cauldron the country has become. No Nigerian wants to live on tokenisms with their ephemerality. Consequently, the economy must be made to work for all!”

According to Bismark Rewane of Financial Derivatives, the economic regression of the country is well documented, and this has been going down the hill for over 30 to 40 years and nothing done to reverse the trend, but lip service. Indeed, it has been a ‘long walk to protests and possible revolution’.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever is appointed over the affairs of people in any way, and he conceals benefit from them, Allah will conceal benefit from him on the Day of Resurrection.”

Source: Musnad Ahmad

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.

+2348033110822

Islam

Friday Sermon: Reflections on Life: Mr. Tunde at Seventy-five

Published

24 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

Reflection is a practice and a skill which can be learnt and developed over time. It allows us to create a pause between our thoughts and often emotional responses and actions. Reflection helps us gain perspective, come to terms with events, learn from our experiences and enjoy moments of gratitude.

At its heart, self-reflection is setting aside time to think deeply and evaluate your thoughts, attitudes, motivations, and desires. It’s examining your emotions and behaviors and then asking yourself, “Why do I feel and act this way?”

My reflections on life is a walk through events, experienced and my gratitude to Almighty Allah for preserving me to this day and I believe He will make my days to be long and continue to grant me good health for the remaining period on this divide.

We need to reflect on these five thoughts daily: One, that we are subject to aging, second, to ill health, third to death, fourth that we will be separated from everything that is dear to us and fifth that we are responsible for our actions.

I owe Allah the gratitude because many were born on the same day, same hour and same minute, but many were recalled home by Allah. They did not commit any offense; they did not sin nor incur the wrath of God. They were simply not destined to live. I therefore thank Allah for His benevolence.

Let us therefore start from the beginning: My grandfather, Amusa Brimoh Jose entered in his Let’s Diary: “This is to certify that Wulemotu Atinuke , wife of my Son, Sunmola, delivered male child between Saturday night and Sunday morning, the 25th December 1949, Christmas day. The naming ceremony took place on Sunday 1st January 1950, New Year day and the child was named Brimoh Babatunde Bodunrin Jose. “

Incidentally, my grandfather, Amusa Bromoh Jose, formerly of Ojubanire Lane, Agarawu, Lagos Island, had settled in his new house at 51 Olonode Street, Sadu, Yaba Estate, in 1930. When I was born, my grandfather had only 4 children, Yekini, Limota, Sunmola and Mosunmola. My father, Sunmola (later Isma’il) was the second boy, his elder brother Yekini Alabi Jose, would later change his name to Albert Alabi Jose Esq, retired as Chief Registrar, Oyo State High Court and died in 1993.

In my reflections, there had been many deaths in the immediate family to warrant thanksgiving to Allah. Just as my father had 10 living children when he died, there had been the death of many members of the family.

Shortly after I was born, in February, 1950, my uncle’s wife Ebun (later Mama Isiaka) had a female child who was named Ayisatu Morenike. On Thursday 13^th July, Ayisatu died at about 3pm and was buried on Friday 14^th July. She later had a male child on 1^st November 1953, named Isiaka. He was raised as my father’s child and lived with us all his life. Isiaka died of liver cirrhosis in 2021, and his mother died a few years ago at the ripe old age of 95. Different strokes!

I lived with my grandfather and my other siblings until I went to the boarding house in 1958. In that house of many rooms were my uncles late Mustapha and Bolaji Jose, both sons of my great grandfather’s brother Momodu Bakare. There was my favorite uncle Saula Ashafa who used to take me to the cinema. Of course I would have slept during the show and he would carry me home on his shoulder. Brother Saula lived to 80 before he died.

Brother Saula was the son of my father’s big uncle ‘Dad’, Ambali Ashafa, son of my grandfather’s sister, Sabitiu (Mama Oloka). Memories of holidays with him can never be forgotten. Unfortunately, three of his younger children with whom we played together are no more; Captain Tunde Ashafa, Bisi Gwadabe and Seki.

In that same house at Olonode lived the children of my grandfather’s late brother, RAB Jose (Teacher): They were brother Iso Jose, a man of many parts; a magician, mystic, aladura and later native doctor. He used to conjure rice and meat for us. And his brothers, Semiu Jose (Seaman) and Bros Sunmi, Esco Jose, who attended Kings College and a fine table tennis player. He suffered spinal tuberculosis, also known as Pott’s disease, which caused a hunched appearance. They are all of blessed memory.

And we also had an uncle from our family at Alayaki lane, Baba Massey. A most rascally fellow till he died. Among other exotic professions, he was a magician (Professor Massey) who used to perform on NTA, later he became a mystic and opened Massey Mystic Center at Ijanikin, later he went into herbal medicine and finally berthed as the Oluaiye of Ogboni Ibile, which he registered on his Mercedes S Class. He returned from an Ogboni meeting when he slumped and died in his car.

I started my primary school at Yaba Methodist in 1955 and enjoyed every bit of the time spent there. All my mates that we lived on my street have since died; Damola Oluwole, Olu Dada whose auntie Olajumoke Dada was married to the late Henry Fajemirokun. But I still recall the names of some of the others like Jide Keleko and Kayode Sofola who are still very much alive. I left Methodist after standard one for Mayflower Junior School, Ikenne in 1958.

Mayflower was a different experience entirely and there were all sorts of characters that gave one a lifetime of experience in human nature. Lifelong relationships were forged in the school. Akin Aloba remains a cherished friend, his late father Ebenezer Williams was my father’s friend and member of the fraternity of the pen. Our friend Agboola Anjou, ala, ‘delicate millionaire’ died last year long after he had retired from service as a pharmacist.

I remember Ademola Adeoba, son of late Justice Adeoba, my father’s friend, and uncle of former Lagos Deputy Governor, Sinotu Ojikutu. Demola died shortly after his father’s death.

There was also Kunle Martins, Eja Osa, son of late Ambassador ‘Pehin Martins. Kunle lived with us throughout, as his dad was abroad in the diplomatic service. Kunle dropped out of secondary school to join the army. He left as a sergeant to work with Bemil Securities and later left for the United States where he fell ill and died.

In Mayflower, I interacted with some people in the senior school, one of them was Late Godwin Oke, a handsome fella, had an infectious smile and was the vocalist in the school band. He was married to Doyin Okupe’s older sister.

There was tall, gangling Soji Osilowo, ‘no molest’ on the soccer field. I caught up with him in Port Harcourt in 1976, when I went to serve. He took very good care of me but unfortunately died in an accident going to Lagos in his Fiat Climatizata. May his soul rest in peace.

My sojourn in Ahmadiyya Grammar School, Eleyele is a story for another day. Top on the list were the Elegbede brothers, Waliu and Wasiu both departed and Rafiu, who retired as a Colonel in the Army. They were the children of Daddy Ukashat Elegbede, late of 8 Bola Street, Ebute Metta, where we spent many memorable days during school holidays. Daddy was the brother of Alhaja Alake Jose, Mama Sadu, my grandfather’s wife and mother of my auntie Late Mosun Ogunjobi, nee Jose. Anti Mosun (Mama Enitan) died a few months after my dad in 2008.

Talking of Bola Street, memories were made in our escapades with friends who later died, among them Segun Adebo, Mexico (Ajasa oko Risi), Navy Commander Tunde Alabi, Banana, Egbon, Admiral Babatunde Elegbede, Colonel Razak Adekunle Elegbede who married Erelu Dosunmu, and Justice Abiodun Kessington, ‘Na Bob’, all of blessed memory.

But they were the good old days. I should not forget to mention late Major (Dr) Sola Odunubi, Samsi Ope and Air Commodore Toyin Ojibara. Ina lil;ah wa ina ilehi rajiun.

Here, nearer home, many have also gone. There are many lessons learnt from the interactions with these good people. There is the issue of accommodation, learning to live with people and tolerating their foibles and idiosyncrasies.

There is also the development of resilience and adaptation to any environment you find yourself in. I spent time in Awka/Amobia as a corper, 1^st set in 1973, where there was no electricity or pipe borne water; making myself happy with my battery operated portable record player.

Another experience learnt is patience, subru, translated as suru. I learnt that a man can never hurry the sun rise. With patience, a man will surmount the highest tribulation. In Birmingham, where I enrolled for a doctorate, which I later abandoned; for days and sometimes weeks, my only company was my 8-Track tape and Amstrad quad player. This went on for months until I met uncle Tunde Okunnu. He was God-sent. Uncle Tunde returned to Nigeria and later died. He was the junior brother of my Big Uncle, Alhaji Femi Okunnu. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdous.

Perhaps the most important lesson is the need to be near our maker: Thanking God and constantly asking for forgiveness of sin either by omission or commission. And also Quisque fortunae suae faber est; that everyman is the architect of his own fortune.

Alhamdulillah, ‘Tunde kekere’ of Junior school, and ‘small boy Jose’, beating bata drum at Mbari Club, Ibadan in the play ‘Village of Ewa’ 1964, has come of age. In Sha Allah, Mr Tunde, as my old man used to call me, will be 75 on Christmas day. All praise to Almighty Allah.

Barka Juma’at and a Merry Christmas

Islam

Friday Sermon: Enemies of the People! 2

Published

1 week ago

December 13, 2024

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

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 16:90)

It was the late Chinua Achebe who wrote in his book, “There was a Country” that, “Nigeria is plagued by a home grown enemy: political ineptitude, mediocrity, indiscipline, ethnic bigotry, hedonism, hereditary spiritual paganism and monumental corruption of the ruling class.’ (Italics mine)

In 2015 a case commenced against the former governor of Borno State involving about ₦300 billion. This was not all: the EFCC also wanted to know “how he raised $72million to buy a G650 Gulfstream aircraft after leaving office in 2011. The politician has at least two private jets.” To this the EFCC also accused the governor of “benefiting from $200 million released by the former administration to facilitate Boko Haram ceasefire in a neighboring country in 2014. Whether and to what extent the $200 million were embezzled or only partly raked off is not mentioned. Suffice it to state that this office holder was at the higher levels of the pyramid of public fund skimmers. Later he decamped to the ruling APC. We found no further information about the status of his case which appears to be ‘pending’.

The so-called ‘Armsgate’ scandal identified theft of at least $2.1 billion and probably far more, over the period 2007 to 2015 through use of fake contracts for military equipment that failed to materialize.

Among others, they procured second-hand helicopters at a highly inflated price of $ 136 million which should have cost about $ 30 million. Having no rotor blades they proved to be useless anyhow. This group of soldiers diverted ₦ 3.6 billion belonging to the Nigerian Air Force for their own use, purchasing property in both London and Lagos Island. Property and assets valued at ₦ 2.7 billion were in the end forfeited.

Ten years ago was the case of our run-away petroleum minister, ‘the lady with the golden bra’, who was credited with managing to put jollof rice worth billions of Naira and dollars in her brassiere. Despite forfeiting many property to the government, she is still at large, a fugitive from justice, albeit a rich one, as a result of profits from criminal enterprise.

She was able to use her influence to direct a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to award contracts to shell companies (created in Nigeria) that were owned by existing business associates in return for substantial bribes. From Nigeria, the proceeds of those illicitly awarded contracts were used for the purchase of various assets, including extensive property in London, a $50 million condominium located in one of Manhattan’s most expensive buildings – 157 W. 57th Street. They were also used to purchase the Galactica Star, an $80 million yacht.

• Permanent forfeiture of 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customized gold iPhone worth $40 million

• ₦ 23,5 bn and $ 5milion in various Nigerian bank accounts

• Property in Nigeria: worth between £5.5 million and £17 million

• Properties in London: (i) £ 1.73 million property sold for £ 2.8 million before the court order; (ii) Hampstead:property sold for £ 5,85 million also before the court order; (iii) three further properties in London collectively valued at £11.5 million, two of which were sold for £5.5 million before action could be taken.

• Property in New York: A $50 million Condominium in Manhattan and an $80 million Yacht.

Final forfeiture of a total of 56 houses to the Federal Government. The properties valued at about $21,982,224 are located in Lagos and Port Harcourt, River State.

What manner of unbridled acquisition would make a man or a consortium of thieves concoct the real estate heist reported recently by the EFCC. The courts declared a permanent forfeiture of the unbelievable sprawling Abuja property with 753 duplexes and other apartments located in the Cadastral Zone area of the capital city. Am sure they were thinking of vying with the Federal Housing Authority.

In the docks today is a former governor who is being charged for the minor infraction of ducking over a 100 billion of state funds in his back pocket. According to the EFCC the former governor misused state funds to acquire properties, in various parts of Abuja worth N950 million, N100 million and N920 million respectively.

The main issue is that our man paid the sum of $845,852 to the American School, with State Government’s fund, being lifetime school fees for his children. The American School has since refunded $760,910 to the EFCC which demanded it.

However, he was also accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited. All these were for his private enjoyment after working tirelessly for the welfare of his people for 8 years.

There was also the case of a man charged with keeping watch over the national treasury who forgot over 109 billion Naira in the pocket of his raincoat, which he discovered when he got home. The rascal decided it was not worth returning because the wife would not hear of it. She made the proverb that ‘whatever cloth is sewn for the egungun, automatically belongs to the egungun’.

“Some of the former governors who were charged to court in the past ten years and whose cases have not been concluded by the court and which the EFCC have decided to revive include; Ayo Fayose, Rasheed Ladoja, Joshua Dariye; was sentenced and pardoned, Chimaroke Nnamani, Orji Uzor Kalu, Jolly Nyame; was sentenced and pardoned, Abdullahi Adamu, Lucky Igbinedion; enter a plea bargain, Sullivan Chime, Theodore Orji, Danjuma Goje, Aliyu Wamako, Timipre Sylva and Sule Lamido. Most of them have found themselves in and out of the Senate and other political positions and EFCC have abandoned most of those cases without trial.

“They never went back to court to list most of these cases for trial. What type of society do we belong to in this country? Meanwhile, the EFCC are parading around that they convicted over 2000 cases most of whom are internet fraudsters and petty thieves. As long as we have sacred cows, corruption in Nigeria will continue to increase.

Shameless hooligans, they will not be deterred in their wanton gluttony and avaricious tendencies. On a good Sunday morning, they line the Lagos Mariner with their exotic cars in front of the Cathedral Church of Christ and other places of Sunday worship; paying fat-fat tithes, thinking they can bribe God; forgetting that God is not a hypocrite and will never lend His Holy name to brigandage and unholy parade of ignominy.

We see them too at the mosques on Fridays: Here too, the weekly admonition to do good deeds and eschew Alfasha, injustice and conspiracy are strange to their ears. Like the Quran said, they are deaf, dumb and blind; and would not listen or follow the straight path.

But they cannot mock God: ‘A thousand Samuels cannot escape from God’.

They forget so soon that God is a God of retribution: ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ Numbers 14:18

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Allah does not punish the individuals for the sins of the community until they see the evil spreading among themselves, and while they have the power to stop it, do not do so.” (Ahmad).

Today, many of our Imams, pastors and political bootlickers are guilty of this and for sure, they have earned a visa to hell fire!“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” ― Dante Alighieri:

The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout like a goatherd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom.(Quran 2:171)

To this extent therefore, we should today take a firm stand against corrupt and inept leaders. Enough is enough!

Those who have ears, let them listen; for, when ‘the come comes to become’, there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Happy posthumous birthday to our late patriarch and father Dr. Ismail Babatunde Jose OFR. He would have been 99 today. May Allah continue to keep him in Aljannatul Firdous. Inna Lillah wa Inna Illehi rajiun.

Barka Juma’at and happy weekend

Islam

Friday Sermon: The Concept of Predestination

Published

2 weeks ago

December 7, 2024

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

The idea of divine providence also known as the divine decree or predestination—that everything has already been decreed by the Creator from eternity — has troubled theologians and philosophers for centuries.

How can we reconcile the two apparently contradictory facts that Allah has absolute power and sovereignty over all creation and that at the same time we are responsible for our actions? Are we forced to do what we do, or are our choices meaningful?

This question led to one of the earliest sectarian schisms in the Muslim community, between the Qadarites, who believed in absolute human free will (Allah has no control over us), and the Jabarites, who believed in absolute determinism and fatalism (we have no control over our actions).

Each of these groups developed an extreme and misguided theology. If Allah has no control, then why call upon Allah in prayer? And if we have no control over our actions and fate, why do any good deeds at all?

Not only was this question a sharp controversy in early Islamic history, it has been an important issue throughout history for both religious and secular reasons. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, Born: 384 BC, Died: 322 BC, wrote seriously on the topic because of its implications for understanding order in the universe, the origin of life, human freedom, and happiness.

Today, it is the subject of complex academic debate, under the heading of determinism. Muslims have also experienced doubts in their faith due to the myriad of philosophical conundrums that arise from it.

Though all things have already been decreed from eternity, Allah has the power to change destiny based upon the choices we make. We are, indeed, morally responsible for our actions and our free will has associated with it a measure of control, limited under the sovereignty of Allah, to determine our ultimate fate.

God can change the death sentence of man as He did that of Hezekiah: Isaiah 38:1-5“In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.”

“Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, “Go and tell Hezekiah that: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.…

There is no doubt, God is merciful and faithful.

In orthodox Islam, God’s control over what happens in his creation is absolute. “Allah has decreed all things from eternity”. He knows that they will happen, when they will happen, how they will happen, and “He has written that and willed it”. al-Qada’ wa’l-Qadar by Dr ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Mahmoud, p. 39.

“He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it.”(Q.6:59)

But at the same time, human beings in their life on earth have the choice to do good or evil (Free will), are responsible for their actions, and will be rewarded or punished according to an eternal afterlife.

How can human beings be responsible for this, and even be punished with eternal torment in hell for it?

The question is not unique to Islam, and the debate over whether free will exists is not even limited to religion. According to Justin Parrott of the Islamic Yaqeen Institute, “it has been an important issue throughout history”.

According to Maria De Cillis, “the apparently unsolvable conflict between the concepts of free will and determinism (or divine predetermination)” has not only been “a matter of great interest” but also of “heated controversy”, extending beyond academia and the ulama and into politics “by virtue of the repercussions that this debate has in a social context”.

For example, when tyrannical and corrupt authorities encourage fatalism towards tyranny and corruption by pointing out that these maladies are “divinely willed and preordained”. De Cillis, Maria (22 April 2022). “ISLAM: Muslims and Free Will”.

According to Justin Parrott, “the idea … that everything has already been decreed by the Creator from eternity and the “myriad of philosophical conundrums that arise” from the issue has caused some Muslims to experience doubts of faith. “Are we forced to do what we do, or are our choices meaningful?”

De Cillis writes that the issue was so sensitive, that the Prophet (SAW) allegedly taught believers to abstain from considerations about destiny (qadar), calling it ‘a deep sea, a dark path and God’s secret’.

One of the most authoritative Sunni intellectuals, the theologian and Sufi master, Abū Hamid al-Ghazali (d.1111), reports in his masterpiece, The Revival of the Religious Sciences, the tradition according to which Muhammad (SAW) … proclaimed: “Refrain from speaking about qadar.”

As a result, the scholars emphasized that providence is a secret of Allah and that “going too deeply into it philosophically” will lead to “misguidance”. The creed of Al-Tahawi warns “that providence” is such a secret that even God’s most obedient and holy creatures were not let in on the mystery.

What is the essence of striving when the end state is already pre-ordained? The catch here is that that end, or preordainment is never known to man but only God. If it were known that I would be rich and famous, why would I make any effort. To this end, it is only God that knows the end state.

The answer to the conjectures above is very simple. Man cannot strive against the destiny that was not revealed to him. Therefore, because destiny is never revealed, life is a struggle against an unknown fate. We struggle, pray, and supplicate because we are never sure of what our ‘ori’ has chosen. This therefore brings into question the related concept of fatalism.

Those who embrace fatalism believe that bad events cannot be avoided…and they are powerless to change the future. Thus they wallow in misery, poverty and impoverishment.

Fatalism is a false, misleading, dangerous, and manipulative premise. What will be is not necessarily what must be!

This exactly is the bane of our people when we resign our fate to the spiritual realm: God will deliver us from our clueless and thieving leaders. We congregate in churches and mosques to pray for deliverance when we should be on the barricade fighting for our freedom and emancipation.

“The Greek idea of fate is moira, which means “portion.” But there is more to life than just fate. There is also genetics, environment, economics, and so on. So, it’s not all written in the book before you get here, such that you don’t have to do anything. That’s fatalism.” — James Hillman

Fatalism is a tool of the weak, lazy, indolent and for those inflicted with a courage deficit … it’s their way of giving up, surrendering freedoms, and accepting the inevitable (without putting up a fight). Those who embrace fatalism believe that bad events cannot be avoided…and they are powerless to change the future. Yet, ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ said Dale Carnegie.

In retrospect, the various schools present a conundrum that could lead the enquirer to the warm embrace of atheism.

Perhaps it would suffice to hearken to the wise counselling of the Holy Prophet (SAW) that man should not dabble into concepts which are the exclusive preserve of Allah. Providence is a secret of Allah and “going too deeply into it philosophically” will lead to “misguidance.”

When people adhere to apocalyptic prophecies, they usually do so because they believe in predestiny.

But does predestiny really exist? For the sake of argument, let us assume that it does: at any given moment in the present, there is a future already created that is as solid and as real as any moment in the past or present. Perhaps time is not as linear as we have believed. If such a future already exists, does that mean that it is inevitable and must occur? No.

The point being made is that the future is shaped largely by intention backed by action: the stronger the intention and the better it is backed up by action, the more solid the future will tend to be.

Some people would argue that the true seer would foresee the future and predict our destiny. Prophecy has really only one value: as a tool to either change or ensure the future. The future is therefore malleable. A future reality, no matter how solid it is or how many prophets have agreed to its existence, can be changed.

It will be irreversible only if people continue to perform, or fail to perform, those actions which will cause that future to come about, and no one does anything effective enough to counter those actions or inactions.

This is exactly where we find ourselves today. Complacency and imperviousness to change which erroneously has been termed resilience; but truly, our ‘Mumu’ never end. The day it ends we will chart a new destiny for ourselves and our children.

Let the oppressed, pauperized, and impoverished gather their acts and struggle to remove the shackles of socio-economic impoverishment they have been subjected to over the ages. It is time to set the captives free. Man was not destined for poverty and destitution; these are manmade conditions and only man himself can resolve to remove the shackles.

Happy birthday to our amiable sister Abimbola Kuru 5^th December. May Allah bless her new age and preserve her.

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.