By Nuruddeen Musa Mafara
‘Injustice, abuse of women, secularism, usury and exploitations are practices that modern civilisation is offering to society; and these practices are some of the reasons that are leading the civilisation to failure’.
At the same time, best way of life provided by Islam such as justice for all, fairness, equality, respect for women etc serves as forces that accelerate the development of Islamic Civilisation. This statement was made by Professor Dahiru Yahaya of Bayero University Kano during a Maulid Lecture organized by the Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (ABU CHAPTER) on Sunday, 18th May, 2014 at Theatre (AB), Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria.
The Maulud Lecture was organized to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), Imam Ali (AS) and Sayyida Fatima (AS). The programme commenced at 10:45 and two lectures were presented at the occasion by Professor Dahiru Yahaya and Malama Maimuna Hussaini (BUK).
In his lecture on Prophet Muhammad (S) and Imam Ali (AS) Prof Yahaya started with discussion on the messages of prophets (AS) that came before Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). He started from Prophet Adam (AS) up to Prophet Noah (AS). Prof stated that one of the messages of Prophet Noah (AS) is to admonish people against nepotism and Prophet Moses (AS) came to call people to justice and respect for humanity. He added that during Moses laws on justice were established. At this level, mankind come to understand that human being must be treated with justice, equally and fairness; then the message of Jesus (AS) came to upgrade the ten commandment of Moses.
He continued on Jesus (AS) and mentioned that the message of Jesus came to address another stage of life such as those value in life that are intangible for instance hate, anger, greediness, etc. And finally the message of Prophet Muhammad (S) covered all our sphere of life.
The lecturer stressed that the messages of all the prophets are the same and now our responsibility today is to believe in the messages and practice all the deeds they enjoy us to do as well as to stop all the vices they enjoy us to stop
.In his lecture, Prof Yahaya encourages women on hijab (veil) and he said “this hijab is very significant and crucial to us; the hijab protects woman’s persona, right and dignity and in general make the society decent”. He added that people of modern civilisation hate hijab. In response to Muslim hijab they uncover their women for abuse and corrupting the society morally. He said in modern civilisation if someone wants to market his product, he will just find picture of a woman and put it on the product. By so doing, they abuse the persona of woman and use her as an instrument for exploitation in economy and abuse the morality of society.
He made mentioned that in modern civilisation woman is an instrument for marketing. Likewise, usury and exploitation in economy, secularism, and injustice are what modern civilisation has to offer to society. Rationality is the greatest intellectual potentials of mankind and these practices of modern civilisation are irrational and they are leading the civilisation to failure.
Praise be to God, the message of Allah (SWT), Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) thought us rationality, justice, respect for women, fairness, equality and the rest of ethical values, he added. Prof Yahaya urged the participants to adhere strictly to the message of the prophet and assure them that this will lead Muslims to succeed and finding a new system and world better for living.
After his lecture the second speaker started her lecture on Sayyida Fatima (AS). Malam Maimuna Hussaini commenced her lecture by drawing the attention of the participants on words of testimony (Kalimatus Shahada). She cited that whenever someone said there is no God except Allah, his testimony is incomplete unless he completes the words with Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, then she said the Muhammad we just mentioned in the testimony is the father of the Sayyida Fatima that we are discussing now. Fatima is indeed the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (S) who we all love in our heart, she added.
She also stated that her father (the Prophet) is the seal of all prophets and his message is a universal message that will continue up to the end of this world and Sayyida Fatima is a link of the message between the prophet-hood and Imamah.
She explicitly explained that the Imamah started with Imam Ali (AS) then the sons of Sayyida Fatima; Imam Hassan (AS), followed by his brother Imam Hussain (AS), then the nine sons of Imam Hussaini (AS) one after another up to the Imam of this time Imam Mahdi (ATFS).
Malama further briefed the participants on the life of Sayyida Fatima before and after the death of her father, death of Imam Hassan (AS), the tragedy of Karbala, and the sufferings encountered by Sayyida Zainab from the hands of enemies of Islam.
At the end of her lecture Malam Maimuna recites greetings to Sayyida Fatima (AS) her father, her husband, her sons up to the Imam Mahdi (AS). She also extended her greetings and regards to Ibraheem ul Maghrib, Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H).
At the end of the programme Dr. Abdullahi Danladi made a closing remark, followed by vote of thanks from Dr. Isah H. Mshelgaru.