Eid al-Adha teaches us total submission to Allah’s will —Noibi

Executive Secretary of the Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Professor Dawud Noibi, in this interview by SAHEED SALAWU, speaks on the virtues of tomorrow’s Arafat Day, the importance of Eid al-Adha, which will be celebrated on Sunday, as well as issues affecting Nigeria.

 

As the Muslim world prepares to observe Arafat Day on Saturday, August 10, and begins the celebration of Eid al-Adha on Sunday August 11, what should be uppermost in the minds of the faithful, especially at this time , for those in Nigeria?

What should occupy the minds of Muslims across the world as we look forward to the Arafah Day and the festival that follows is not just the festivities of the season but, more importantly, the spiritual and moral re-awakening that the activities are designed to bring about.

The first 10 days of the lunar month of Dhu l-Hijjah, of which the Arafat Day is the ninth, are the period when good deeds are most richly rewarded by Allah, according to the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Besides, fasting God-consciously on Arafat Day by those not performing the Hajj guarantees forgiveness of the sins of the past year as well as those of the coming year.

Nigerian Muslims – pilgrims and non-pilgrims alike – should seize the opportunity of the season to pray fervently for Allah’s merciful intervention to help the nation overcome the myriad of challenges and guide us along the path of rectitude.

 

What is the significance of the Day of Arafat?

Besides the fact that fasting on Arafat Day attracts so much of grace and forgiveness from Allah, the anniversary commemorates the completion of the message of Islam and reminds us of that powerful last sermon of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delivered on the Plain of Arafat on the occasion. The commemoration and reminder helps to re-awaken in the individual faithful, a fresh sense of commitment to the purpose of our creation, which is worship and the doing of the Will of God on earth (Qur’an 51:56) as the angels do in heaven.

The gathering on the Plain of Arafah represents the largest gathering of human beings at a spot, all clad in the same attire. It is thus the greatest celebration of the unity of humanity despite the diversity of race, colour, ethnicity and social class. Above all, that huge gathering is a powerful reminder of the fact that all human beings shall be resurrected on Judgement Day and assembled to give account of our stewardship as individuals while on earth.

 

What is the essence of Eid al-Adha and what are its lessons?

‘Idu l-Ad-ha commemorates that unqualified submission of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (pbuh) to Allah Who commanded him to offer his only child at the time, Ismail (Ishmael) (pbuh) to Him, despite his advanced age. Most trying as the command was, Ibrahim and his son complied without the slightest reservation. Though Allah Himself saved the life of Ismail by providing a ram which Ibrahim slaughtered in place of his son, Allah made Ibrahim “Leader of Humanity” and commanded the faithful to follow in his footsteps in obeying divine commandments (Qur’an 2:124).

Offering the animal of sacrifice on the occasion of the ‘Id is in commemoration of that unqualified obedience to Allah and is supposed to be an indication of a willing commitment to obeying Allah’s directives at all times, no matter how trying they may be. So, as Allah Himself has declared, it is ‘neither the flesh nor the blood (of the animal) that He wants; it is God-consciousness on your part.’ (Qur’an 22:37).

 

What are the best ways to celebrate the festival?

The right way of celebrating the festival is: To take the formal bath (ghusl) for ‘Id as prescribed by the Prophet (pbuh); delay breakfast until after the ‘Id prayer; proceed to the prayer ground in your best dress, participate in the prayer and listen patiently to the sermon that follows the prayer, and chant the Takbir (proclamation of the greatness of Allah) on the way to and from the prayer ground; head of the family – if able – slaughters the sacrificial animal on behalf of himself and his family, and ensures that the meat is distributed as required: a third each for the family, the poor/needy, friends/neighbours, respectively;

Chant the Takbir also after each of the five daily prayers of that day and the next three days up till the third prayer (Asr) of the fourth day;

Exchange greetings, pleasantries and well wishes on the occasion; organise special entertaining and educative events, especially for children, above all, be resolved henceforth to carry out your duties to Allah with dedication even as you joyfully celebrate the festival.

 

In what ways should people not celebrate the festival?

The festivities must be entirely devoid of all prohibited things such as consumption of alcohol, making profane utterances and intermingling of men and women such as at parties, and the like.

 

How would you advise Nigerians currently in the holy land so that they can achieve valid and acceptable Hajj?

While performing the Hajj, Nigerian pilgrims – as well as their brethren from other parts of the world – should endeavour to perform the rites of hajj reverentially to the best of their ability. They should, for instance, imbibe the spirit of self-restraint, unity and brotherhood, seeing themselves in the humble and uniform attire of the hajj so they would learn to abhor greed and the tendency to discriminate against others on the grounds of race, colour, ethnicity or social class.

 

What is your opinion on the state of the nation vis-a-vis the seemingly intractable security problems and what is the way forward?

It is disheartening that various kinds of crime have been on the increase in this country threatening the security of citizens and the nation as a whole. There is good reason to suspect that there are internal and external promoters of unrest, disunity and anarchy for selfish interests. It is also evident that there are those working for the break-up of Nigeria, again for selfish reasons. Sadly, they include highly placed personalities who should be part of the solution rather than being part of the problem. These elements and their blind followers use fake news and hate speech as part of their weapons.

Therefore, while appealing to the government never to rest on its oars in the effort to find lasting solutions to these challenges, I trust that government would, at the same time, probe diligently and painstakingly, but honestly, with a view to fishing out the perpetrators and seeking to prevent further crimes.

We the citizens owe the duty of helping the security agencies with necessary information about crimes and criminals. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) directed the faithful to use whatever means at their disposal to stop evil; doing so is a religious obligation for which the doer shall be richly rewarded by Allah in the hereafter. Conversely, all doers and promoters of evil shall endure severe and everlasting punishment whether or not they so believe while in the life of the world.

Let me take this opportunity to air once again my strong belief that the integration of active consciousness of ultimate accountability to God in the life to come into all levels of our education system is a sure means of saving the upcoming generation of Nigerians, and the nation in general, from destruction. A person that is actively conscious of being closely watched and monitored by God and His agents who meticulously record his deeds, for either richly rewards or severe prosecution and punishment, will surely think twice before doing evil deliberately.

 

What do you make of the Ibrahim El-Zakzaky-led Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) in relation to the way it carries out its activities?

While every individual or group is free to hold their religious beliefs, it is strange and sad that an Islamic organisation would embark on actions that are likely to threaten the peace and security of the country. It is inconsistent with the teachings of Islam that a group should operate like a state within a state or make the kind of proclamations which the leader of the group made as shown in the video recording that has been shown on NTA a couple of times in the past few days. The group needs to change its approach in order to bring itself in line with relevant teachings of Islam and the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, of which its members are citizens.

 

How does the proscription of the group by the Federal Government sit with you?

While the individual or group has the right to hold their religious or other beliefs, the government has the responsibility to prevent anarchy. I would advise that the government maintains its stand that adherents of the Shi’ite faith are free to practise what they believe in so far as they, like other citizens, do not break the laws of the country or threaten our corporate existence.