By Muhammad Mahdi Rafithi
On Sunday 22nd of June 2014 (23rd Sha’aban 1435), members of the Islamic movement in Nigeria under the guidance of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), celebrated the birthday anniversary of Imam Mahdi (AJ) in Jos.
The event which took place at the JNI conference hall within the Jos central Mosque. The guest speaker at the occasion is a renowned Islamic scholar from Kano. Mallam Shehu Khalid who opened the event with prayers, Malama Zakiyya Abu-Bakr Makki followed next with the recitation of the holy Qur’an . Mallam Abu-Bakr Makki who recited the supplication of Imam Mahdi (aj) and the person representing head of the centre, Mallam Muhammad Auwal Gangare introduce the guest speaker to the podium.
In speaking at the event Sharif Shibuli who classified the theme of the lecture into three, the empire of Imam Mahdi, his birth and finally extolled the virtues of Imam Mahdi (as).In our everyday supplication we seek Allah to hasten the reappearance Imam Mahdi without knowing the hidden secret of his empire, if we knew the secret; we would not breathe except asking Allah to hasten his reappearance” Shibuli said. He furthers praise the empire saying polytheism, tyranny, poverty be isolated on the earth, and the earth will bring out everything of treasure and will be shared among equally.
His second part of the lecture, which he planned to jog the memory of the participant upon the birth of the Imam. He said “his mother’s first name was *Saqil*, but later on when she reverted to Islam in the hands of Sayyida Fatima Azzahara (sa), Imam Ali al-Hadi (as) named her Narjis”. He continued to recount “ she was the daughter of the emperor of Rome, Italy today”.
Before he left the second part, he urge the participant to be educative, knowledgeable and not to be ignoramus because Wahabism and Salafism is the greatest challenge Islam is confronting now.
Sharif Shibuli at the final point exhort the participant to extolled the virtues of Imam Mahdi (as). He impelled them sacrifice for the sake of Allah, building schools and Islamic centre, sponsoring sheikh Zakzaky’s weekly classes i.e. commentary of the holy Qur’an and the peak of eloquence on television, radio stations and other mass media in an educative manner among others. Refreshment, closing remark by Mallam Ahmad Tijjani and supplication by Sharif Shibuli mark the end of the event.