97TH EDITION OF VOICE THE MIMBARR; HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT: SOUTH-WESTERN MUSLIMS IN FOCUS- BY DR RAZAQ BOLAWAYE

06-05-1446 AH/08-11-2024 CE

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim...

Praise be to Allah, the most Magnificent, ever Merciful. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the noble Messenger Muhammad (SAW), his entire household, Companions, Loyalists and followers of truth till the Day of judgement. This edition will address a realistic factor starring South-Western Nigeria Muslims of the face individually and collectively. What a big question the gradual diminishing of philanthropist and systematic sliding into squalor of most Muslim environment post is a gangering issue to contend with.

Human circle survives on basic human capital development in virtually all facets of life. Sustainability of civilizations is ensured through lending human hands to acquire, implant, invest and redeploy knowledge of worth into useful channel. Suffice to recall that Companies, Technical field, Machine manipulation, Automated Teller Machine cannot perform  respective functions without inputs from human. The same fate serves cars and other auto-mobile would be rendered useless without human manipulative capacity. Human dexterity comes to play to attract utmost growth of everlasting institutions. 

Masjid in Islam in its capacity had experienced sporadic spring up in this part of the clime. It calls for maintenance of the existing, completion of the on-going and renewed energy on building and empowering men. Whereas, great people makes great family, compound, town, city, state and of course nation. The big question: 'Why are our children not interested in our socio-religious way?' Answers to this question may not be far-fetched. While an opinion says it is due to the old methods of coordination of affairs and hell-bent decision to strangulate the arrangements in favour of 'claimers of authority', another school of thoughts reveals young generation's computer brain finds no challenge in the current practice at the Masjid. This translate to the fact that Islam may not be able to replace passed icons except it re-capitalizes human capital development approach by building and  training youth members in circulation.

Philanthropic realm witnessed drastic passing away of numerous elements whose chance of getting replacements appears more slim. The likes of Aare Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao, Chief Moshood Kashimawa Olawale Abiola (MKO), Prince Abdul Jabbar Bola Ajibola, (the ebulient Retired International Chief Justice and the Proprietor of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Alhaji (Chief) Abdul Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, Chief Fattah Idowu Sofola (SAN) and lots more men of riches and generosity and women of unquantifiable contributions to Masjid and families had not found replacements. 

At Scholarly sector, where are the likes of Sheikhs Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, Kamaldon Al-Adabiy, Murtada Abdus Salaam Al-Ma'hadiy (Ibadan), Abdul Baqi (Islahuddin Founder, Iwo), Tijani Awelenje (Saki), Mustafa Zughlul (Isolo), and lot more? Their demise, no doubt, created indelible vacuum and it takes herculean task to fill. 

By implication, however, donor fatigue set in for the fact that their numbers continued to diminish and that the few available ones are saddled with too much financial commitments coupled with the current economic predicaments in one way, and the increasing demands from the public on the other. Two instances suffice here, one of which was a serving Commissioner in one of the South-Western States. He recalled that there was hardly any weekend when he had less than twenty occasions waiting for his financial support. The ripple often began over his mean donation without recepients' consideration for his numerous financial commitments. 

The second instance is the current amount of Zakat on gold which is Twelve million naira (N12 million). What is the count of Muslims who can afford to give out Zakat in this current situation? It offers reasons for multi-various dimensions of penury in the Muslim circle! Creating necessary financial pool of donations from this situation becomes worrisome if not impossible. Unless pro-active and urgent solution to the problem is offered, South-Western Muslim circle may find it extremely difficult if not impossible to wing comparably with counterparts at the socio-economic level. 

A practical scenario is brought to bear where a Scholar just packed to his new building in a community. Before long, the only mosque in the neighborhood planned to hold Maolud Nabiyy celebration and fund raising for the Masjid. All invited bank-rollers did not make appearance. Scheduled to hold after that occasion was a descendant union meeting of a town members living in Lagos. Fifteen members came for the meeting and they resplved to attend the Masjid Program before their purported meeting. During donation period, it was discovered that each member of the union gave five thousand naira each for the Masjid developmant. This did not only ball-roll the proposed project but also more commitments were promised in nearest future as against running after philanthropists which continue to dwindle on daily basis.

Ways out of this predicaments are multi-faceted. To say it is high time South-Western Muslims spoil for skills Acquisition may appear hyperbolic. Quality education that paves way for sustainability should be embraced. Mentoring someone for empowerment approach should be adopted. Financial empowerment of more needees particularly gifting same necessary equipments for self-reliance is important. Short, medium and long term investment would ameleorate individual and social problems. Building Masjid where there is none than wanton proliferating and unnecessary duplication of same should be adopted.

Re-orientation of youth towards dignity of labour  to earn and live on legitimate resources as against inordinate quest for riches would go a long way to build future great men in Muslim corcle. Giving and utilizing scholarship award to indigent students will create army of genius in various areas of endeavour. Creating vibrant nexus between the ageing and new generation will facilitate setting conduit pipe into experiences capable of scaffolding the new generation. Against the backdrop of 'If you do not train them, do not blame them', elderly risk possible extinction in terms of typology of experience which brought them to stardom. The young generation also find alighment of endeavours with the wealthy by threading same to success. The future of the Ummah would be assured of standing solidly on financial capability.

Let's draw curtain on the topic to allow further discussion at reader's end. Till we meet again next week, immense thanks for your constant reading. Stay abundantly blessed.

DR RAZAQ BOLAWAYE UTHMAN, 

Imam Ansar-Ud-Deen Society Ipaja Branch Lagos State, 

-Nigeria