*In His Name the Most High*
An incident occured around 800 hundred years ago in Spain, where two different groups of Muslims had conflict on who should be the Imam of their mosque. The conflict went to the extent of losing 3 lives with one innocent underage beside those injured. The government decided to close the mosque to avoid deepening the conflict. What have they gain from their conflict?
A similar issue happened in Kano state where Tijaniyya and Izala are fighting for Imamship in one Jum'at Mosque, the then Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero ordered the closure of the mosque when the conflict is consuming lives and injuring others. What have they gain from the conflicts?
What are the excuses these victims and their killers are going to present before Allah? What are the excuses their leaders are going to present before Allah? This is why you see many verses from the Holy Quran warning us against unnecessary conflicts. The end is painful, it makes outsiders mock you and it takes your strength away, replaces it with weakness.
*God said:* _And obey Allah and His Apostle and do not quarell for then you will be weak in hearts and your power will depart, and be patient; surely Allah is with the patient._ *Suratul anfal v 46.*
*He said also:* _And surely this your religion is one religion and I am your Lord, therefore be careful of your duty to me._ *Suratul muminun v 52*
We read the Holy Quran day and night, some of us memorised it and understand the beautiful lessons within and teach our followers but similar cases continue happening in the world of Islam for selfish end.
Have you ever ask yourself a spiritual question that says: *why do I want to be the Imam of this Mosque?* do you ever know what it means to be an Imam? Do you know that the rope of hundreds of people you are leading are tied on your neck?
One who deserved the imamship is in danger. One who is forcing himself to embark on it is more in danger. How I wish that each and every Muslim can study the above two verses and put them in action, conflict would have minimise in our Mosques.
Your excellency/My honoured readers! Remember that Islam is a complete and perfect religion that brought a complete guidance to the universe. Islam is a complete way of life, it teaches us to always search for a way that is closer to peace and truth whenever issues of this nature arose in a society.
Similar cases might have happened in the past, study them and take lessons from them, sit down with a wise and free noble men in the society, listen to them and take a middle course to achieve peace.
In the part one of these articles, I suggested two option that needed to be explored. If I am call to bring a personal view, I will suggest that 'Option one' is better than 'Option two', 'Option one' is closer to peace than 'Option two' and exploring 'Option one' within the circle of Tijaniyya Muslims is closer to peace than exploring it within all the sects.
Tijaniyya Muslims are the majority in ebiraland. They have been deputizing late Imam Musa Abdullahi Galadima, an izala (may his soul rest in peace) tens of years ago, giving the key of Imamship to them is closer to peace if truth must be said.
If the Tijaniyya Muslims united under Shaykh Salihu Abere, the key should be given to him, otherwise, they should search for one who can take the task among them, surely they have it in their midst.
If at last one who believed he deserved to hold the Imamship more than another is not choosen, he should join hand for peace and unity because unity is bigger than the task of leadership.
This is exactly what Imam Ali bin abiTalib (a) displayed to teach those that will come after him a historic lesson. Despite the fact that his Imamate is a celestial instruction from the Holy Prophet (s), yet he sacrificed his right for the benefit of unity.
After 6 months of an indoor protest, he came out and give allegiance to Sayyidina Abubakar (r) showing the world that unity among Muslim ummah is bigger than his divine vicegerency for peace to reign.
Your Excellency! Remember that those before you followed a step that is closer to peaceful resolution in appointing the Imam of Ebira central Mosque. The footstep is Islamic. Take lesson from them, follow their footstep and maintain the status quo.
It is important for your Excellency, and his Royal Majesty, the Ohinoyi of Ebira Kingdom to sit down, listen to each other and have one voice. You should try your utmost best to choose at least a better way for Ebiraland, some may ignore it but the majority will embrace it, thus setting another good record for the growth of our society.
Even the Holy Prophet (s), despite the fact that he would never speak out of his low desire, some of his followers sometimes ignore his order. For instance, when the Holy Prophet (s) prepared a military detachment under Usama ibn Zaid (r), he (s) said: _O Usama! I have appointed you the commander of this detachment._
The detachment encamped outside Medina, some figures among them objected to the appointment of Usama ignoring the commandment of the Holy prophet and refused to embark on the expedition. They remaind in the camp disunited until the news of the prophet's demise reached them.
This suppose to be the last holy war in Prophet's life but they all returned to Medina with the flag the Holy Prophet gave to Usama with his blessed hand. May my soul be sacrificed for him. So anytime our words are ignored, we should think of the Holy prophet.
Ebiraland wanted to have a learned man in the minbar that can call all Muslims in Ebiraland his brothers not a learned man that will segregate the ummah further. A learned man that can lead all the Muslims to one goal despite their differences not any learned man that may climbed the minbar, call this one Kafir (infidel), that one mushrik (idolator) and the other one apostate.
It is this unity the Holy Prophet (s) wanted to establish within the Muslim Umma when he pointed to his people the importance of holding to the Quran and Ahlilbayt (s) after him but the society cheated herself, despite the fact that the society knows very well no one can unite the umma to one goal as done by the Holy Prophet (s) apart from his immaculate Ahlilbayt (s).
This is what the Holy Prophet (s) wanted to show when he left Imam Ali (a) behind in Medina to oversee the affairs of the umma despite making it obligatory upon all the companions to participate in the battle of Tabuk, the last battle in Islam before his death. He handled the issues of the umma perfectly as the Holy Prophet (s) had instructed him to, he handled it to the best of his knowledge with no selfish interest.
When the Holy Prophet (s) returned back to Medina along with the Muslims, victorious without a war as the empire of Rome surrendered, fearing the might of the Muslims, he decided to send the same Imam Ali (a) he left behind last time to Yemen after the great incident of *Mubahala* few months to his death.
Imam Ali (a) carried the message of the Holy Prophet (s) to the people of Yemen with great caution, continue teaching them the tenets of Islam and adding to their unity till the last pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet popularly known as *hijatul wada*
The Holy Prophet (s) continue showing his Umma light upon light right from the dawn of Islam, telling them the way and importance of unity among Muslims, showing them with words and actions that those who can gather and lead the Muslim Umma to unity and peace are those that deserved to lead them till his last breath when Imam Ali handled his funeral bath and funeral prayer (may my soul and that of my children be sacrificed for him).
The great singer, late ofelele said in one of his songs, O you the leaders of Ebiraland! join hand together with one voice to unite our people and uplift our great home, it's retrogression will earn you a bad name and it's development will give you a good name.
And lastly I will remind ourselves the saying of the Holy prophet (s) which says: If a community get spoiled, the leaders have spoiled and if a community is upright, the leaders are upright.
May Allah, the Almighty continue to strengthen our leaders, give them foresight and wisdom towards their services to mankind. May Allah forgive us where we err, remove our distress, purify our souls and preserve us for His service and the service of mankind.
Mohammad Yusuf
08038872217.