By Khalid Isa
On Sunday the 9th of Aug., 2015, the last day of the zonal seminar held at Shinkafi, Zamfara state Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky spoke on a number of issues; on good conduct, marital life and sincerity of purpose as they affect brothers and sisters.
He started by dismissing the wrong perception about religion as a personal affair between an individual and his Creator, which he said was as a result of separation of politics from religion by the British monarchy.
He explained that, the Pope of Rome, representing the Church was so powerful and becoming a threat to the monarchy that politics was removed from the church.
Sheikh Zakzaky said, this wrong perception was brought to our society and instilled into the people’s psyche that religion was not given the chance to govern people’s lives.
As such, he further explained, discussion on religion was confined to mosques, but never the future of a nation ever discussed therein.
This is what affect our country to the extent that, Islam is not included in discussions regarding the future of the country. Imposing secularism, ensuring that politics remain with wrong people and confining the Scholars and religion to rituals within mosques, became the order of the day, he lamented.
He said with Islamic system established by Sheikh Uthman Fodiye, before it was crushed by the Whiteman, the issue of Islamic governance is not a new thing with the people in this part of the world as they have a better understanding of it adding that Colonialists did not hide their mission and intention of crushing the Islamic system of Governance they met and people are aware of this.
He further said the return of Islam to lead is a reality, and as the enemies understand this, they want to create a version of it that will carter for their interest while misleading the Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
To this, he added that, they call others moderate, others are seen confined to rituals, and the extreme ones who want sharia based on western interpretation.
Throughout the history of colonalisasm, the Sheikh said, Muslim countries have become victims of western interpretation of Islam, adding that Turkey is an example of such victims where one can see a Muslim with western thinking.
He further said, the machinations of enemies of Islam are in many ways as they have established jihad organizations to serve western interest, mostly in Arab countries, mercilessly killing people in the name of Jihad; in Nigeria there is the faceless Boko Haram.
In Nigeria, he said, the film on life and struggle of Sheik Uthman bn Fodiye by the Islamic Movement, is viewed as threat by the enemies of Islam, because Bn Fodiye will be shown as a Scholar, reformer and Jihadist, contrary to the way the West have displayed him as a King or Ruler.
On the Issue of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria the sheikh said, the Movement progresses at all time despite plots to suppress it.
He said one can observe that all other organizations failed for lack of clear mission; the leaders of such organizations were only concerned with acquiring wealth with no specific mission.
He added that the Islamic Movement has, not only mission, it has also a system which differentiate it from others. He therefore charged the participants toward moral character building and sacrifice adding that each must judge and assess himself in all aspect of human qualities.
On the issue of marriage and family life, sheikh zakzaky expressed with dismay the family life of some people where Islamic family ethic is mixed up with bad cultures. He added that aggression is unacceptable as no one shall agree to be charged with it on the Day of Judgment.
He further said in marriage there are rights and responsibility for both husband and wife and lamented on how in most cultures, the husband behaves arrogantly toward wife there by executing his will alone, leading to cheat on the wife.
He said “the aim of this gathering is to give directions to our selves”. He charged all toward sincerity and doing things for the Sake of Allah alone, without concern for enemies and critics. Sheikh Zakzaky further said “Anyone with a personal interest in this Movement really has a problem in himself”.
The Sheikh concluded by saying that facing difficulties does not mean one shall stop without any work as potholes on road do not mean one is park by road side waiting the for the road to be repaired before he moves on. One shall just move ahead gently until he meets a smooth road, he said.