104TH EDITION OF VOICE THE MIMBARR: HUNGER CRISIS IN NIGERIA AND CALL FOR COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP- BY DR RAZAQ BOLAWAYE

25-06-1446 AH/27-12-2024 CE

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim...

The title of today's khutbah is more contemporary in its socio-economic approach. Food is spectacular to human life in the way of vitality of water to fish. The absence of food is capable of making life miserable. Nigeria's current situation of stampede in most dimensions of the nation calls for concerted effort to mitigate the situation.

Allah (SWT) in the Glorious Qur'an gives account of equity and justice to include even distribution of resources and where this seems imperfect the result is better imagined than experienced. The Qur'an portions relevant in this edition include but not limited to Qur'an 4:135, 5:8 & 7:29. While the earlier two verses are not given preference for the purpose of space, the last verse reads: "Say: 'My Lord has commanded justice; and that you set your whole selves (to Him) at every time and place of prayer, and call upon Him, making your devotion sincere such as He created you in the beginning, so shall you return." The point of attraction in the verse is the fact that a community is inter-twined to reflect leader and led horizons of respectful essence.

Any short-change in the duty of each segment sets the other in jeopardy. Allah (SWT) in the Hadith Qudsiy (Heavenly Hadith but worded by the Messenger) maintains: "Surely I made oppression forbidden for myself; and it is thus forbidden on your side. Therefore, oppress yourselves not.' This Hadith is further interpreted by the Messenger when he said: 'On the authority of Jabir (RA), the Allah's Messenger said: 'fear oppression for it amounts to pure darkness on the Day of Qiyamah. Fear corruption and avarice for it destroyed those before you, it did not only press them to shed blood but also to legalize what is illegal and vice versa.'

Fellow Muslims, the economic situation in the country today has pressurized people to wallop in hunger. This knows no limit among the classes of people and it takes too much toll on them to the extent of lending selves to attending any place where free food is distributed or being sold at cheaper rate. This year alone chronicles several ordeals where numerous lives were lost in such circumstances. February 23rd, 2024 recorded seven dead resulting from stampede during Custom Office' sales of rice in Lagos. 

Early December, 2024, an occasion of free rice distribution in Ibadan left about thirty-five persons dead including children and score hospitalized. Free gift of rice in Abuja church resulted in death of thirteen people close to Christmas. As if this is not enough, Okija Anambra State recorded on Christmas day sad event leading to twenty people dead as a result of free rice distribution. In the same token, Benue State (Kwande LGA recorded eleven tragic death of eleven people at free rice distribution on Christmas day.

© DR RAZAQ BOLAWAYE UTHMAN,

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

- Nigeria