Biafra: How I locked myself in a hotel in Enugu
About four weeks ago, just before Ramadan, I locked myself in an Enugu hotel room interestingly, the name of the beautiful hotel is The Hotel. It was my birthday. I was fasting. It was around the time of the sit-at-home order issued by IPOB.
But trouble found me even before I stepped into Enugu. The departure from Abuja was scheduled for 12 noon. But my colleague called that the travel agent called that the airline brought the flight forward to 10am. So I missed the flight.
I’ve heard of delays. But never heard of a flight leaving two hours earlier than the departure time. I bet even the International Air Transport Association (IATA) doesn’t have a regulation for this.
So I marched to the airport. The airline tossed me from one person to the other. Until I settled on the desk of one manager, a lovely lady. So I told her: “You created this problem, solve it.”
She apologized and changed my flight to the next day. But the damage had been done: Uber taxi from the city to the and would grant an opportunity for someone to come into my room and rob me. Go out to eat? Am I crazy?
Fortunately, during a short break, during my presentation, food was shared. I took mine to go. Problem was, the food was meat-pie and a coke. But I don’t take Coke. Once addicted to it, I no longer care for it.
However, I had not eaten for 14 hours. I checked the fridge. They forgot to put a bottle of water in there. But there’s tea and a kettle. And sugar. I don’t take sugar. Also, once addicted to it, I no longer care for it. Milk is even out of the question, because I’m lactose intolerant. I learned 25% of men are. I belong to the unfortunate quarter. So I usually squeeze lime into my tea so that I can swallow it. What to do? Why don’t you add some of the Coke to the tea? So Coke and tea would be tasteful enough to wash down the meat-pie. The meat pie! There’s the little matter of the meat pie - is the meat in it halal?
However, I persuaded my mind not to think like that. Just eat the food. So I ate the food. Laid a towel on the floor and said my prayers. In the name of Allah, most beneficent, most merciful. All praises are for Allah, we seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls. Whomsoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah alone, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Assalamu Alaikum! female companion of the prophet, recitation of the Holy Qur’an (Fatiha oday’s talk, which is the last pbuh) enjoined the young women, and Surah). for this year, would focus children, adult males and females, Bukhari reported in a hadith on Zakat-ul-Fitr (end of as well as menstruating women to that the Prophet (pbuh) did not go Ramadan charity) and Eid-ul-Fitr participate in the goodness and out on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr unlike (Sallah celebration after Ramadan). supplications of Muslims; but the the day of Eid-ul-Adha, until he had Eid-ul-Fitr menstruating women are to refrain had some food or dates. Therefore from the prayers. This means it is recommended that Muslims that no child or adult is exempted should eat before going to the Eid from the Eid prayer, which would prayer ground. normally be performed at an Eid The Prophet (pbuh) used to praying ground on the outskirt perform the ritual bath before going of every town. This is the day of to the Eid prayer ground. He used celebration when Muslims should to recite Allahu Akbaru-Allahu come out en masse to show their Akbar; La’ilaha’illallah. Allahu number. Akbaru-Allahu Allahu Akbar;
However, brothers and sisters walillahil hamdu. (Allah is great, in Islam should be reminded that Allah is great. There is none worthy Sallah day is not merely a day of worship except him. Allah is of celebration, but also a day on great, Allah is great, All praises are which mankind should seek Allah’s due to Allah) on his way from his blessings and offer supplications to house up to the Eid prayer ground Him. and back. The above recitation is
Eid prayer is two raka’at. The to be continued upon arrival at prayer is performed without Adhan the Eid prayer ground until the and Iqama (the call to prayer and its prayer begins. After the prayer, the beginning). Having formulated the recitation is to be continued until intention (niyya), one utters Takbir one return to one’s home. - Allahu Akabar (Allah is most The Imam will offer the Khutba great) seven times in the first raka’a (religious talk or sermon) after the and five times in the second raka’a. Eid prayer. He will stand facing the The recitation of Du’a-ul-Istiftah people, who are recommended to (opening supplication as taught by remain seated in their rows, as he the Prophet, pbuh) follows the first preaches to them and exhort them. seven Takbirat and thereafter the The Prophet (pbuh) used to
TAnas bn Malik (companion of the Prophet, pbuh) reported that Allah’s messenger (pbuh) came to Al-Madina while the people were engaged in a two-day game and told them that Allah had substituted something better for them, namely, the day of sacrifice (Eid-ul-Adha) and the day of breaking the fast (Eid-ul-Fitr). Accordingly, acts and celebrations of all kinds are allowed on Sallah day, provided they are in accordance with the Shari’a (Islamic law). Those that could lead to sin or contradict Allah’s law or His Prophet’s (pbuh) teachings such as fornication and the consumption of alcohol are however not allowed on Sallah or any other day.
Upon the sighting of a new moon on the twenty ninth day of the month of Ramadan or after the thirtieth day of Ramadan fasting, the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration is held on the following day.
Commenting on Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, Umma Atiya (a airport is N3,000. During peak period, which can be any time, it’s N6,000. So if you came to the airport, missed your flight and go back to the city, that is N6,000 in wasted transportation. If you were unfortunate to come during peak period, that is N12,000 down the drain.
But I was lucky my friends took me to the airport. Great guys, Bashir Abe and Ibrahim Yarima. So I landed in Enugu. Even on the plane, I viewed every person as potential possession grabber. After all, the southeast is a place where armed robbery takes place in day light.
I suspiciously eyed the guy at the reception who was asked to help with my luggage and show me my room. “Give me my bag!” I didn’t say. But after he left me in the room, the feeling that he would come back and rob me lingered.
I had two papers to present in two days. But because of the glitch in the itinerary, I was allowed to take both in one day.
After the presentations, I went back to the room. Sunset. It was time for iftar. With what would I break my fast? Order room service? That would take too long Later I went straight to sleep after clicking around in the laptop.
Soon it was a beautiful morning. A gentleman has been found to take me to the airport.
It was on the way to the airport that I became a rational human being and reflected on the previous day of paranoia. Did anyone grab your stash (the stash was only a laptop and a few clothes)?
On the contrary, people were nice to me, including The Hotel staff.
For example, take the driver who took me to airport, he chatted non-stop. He accepted to take me to the airport for N3,000 even though they usually charge N3,500. Yet, before I came to my senses, when I arrived at the airport the day before and asked the taxi service how much to my hotel and they said N3,500, I interpreted that as a confirmation that they wanted to cheat me - because I looked like a northerner!
My friendly driver educated me about the city. He said there are different layouts. Where the hotel is located is called Independence Layout. I asked him about the coal mines. He also showed me the Mercedes plant.
Two, while landing in Enugu, I looked through the window and loved the green vegetation under us. I thought it was beautiful. But more importantly I saw some beautiful buildings and some poor ones - just like any city in Nigeria. Just like the north. They are human beings too!
Three, when taking off from offer two raka’at on his return home from the Eid prayer. Bukhari reported that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would return home on an Eid day by a different route from the one he had taken when going out. The faithful are enjoined to follow the example of the Prophet (pbuh), that they may testify to the worship of Allah and make the splendor of Islam more prominent.
The above rulings on Eid-ul-Fitr are by no means exhaustive.
Zakat-ul-Fitr is an obligatory charity to be extended by all wellto-do Muslims to the less privileged before the prayer of Eid-ul-Fitr. It is valid when given before the Eid prayer, or two or three days before the Sallah day. The essence is to enable the poor Muslims to participate in the celebration, who may otherwise have nothing to put on the table on a day that all Muslims should be celebrating. The Prophet (pbuh) enjoined Muslims to give out Zakat-ul-Fitr to the poor, so that they are freed from going round begging on the day of Eidul-Fitr.
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) prescribed the Zakat-ul-Fitr payable by a slave, freeman, a male and a female, the young and the old among the Muslims upon coming to an end of Ramadan fasting, before going to Eid prayers, as one Sa’i (about 2.5 kilogramme) of dried dates or barley for all the family members irrespective of age and commanded that this should be given out before the Eid prayer. Therefore, if there are ten members in a family for instance, it means ten Sa’i should be given. Zakat-ul-Fitr is given out from the common food of a given community. Abuja, I was worried that the Igbo chief sitting with me didn’t switch off his mobile phones. When I looked at what he was doing, he was obviously quickly emailing his “field staff.” I studied him for the second time; he looked respectable. Out of self-preservation and the uncertainty of the next few hours, I told myself: “make him your friend!”
So when we landed and asked him if the N3,500 the taxi service was charging me was justified he said yes. However, if I wasn’t in hurry, I could ride with him. So, he told his driver to drop me off at my hotel before taking him to his own hotel! That’s generous!
When he learned that I was in Malaysia, he said he visited the country too. And conceded that “my brothers from the Southeast are messing up the place.”
He told me he had been to Minna, and complained of our bad roads. He also said he thought I was a medical doctor because he thought I was too young to be a PhD. But I heard that as a compliment. We discussed our corrupt leaders, etc. Generally, a normal conversation.
The point of this story is that we are all humans and therefore, absent our specific idiosyncrasies, we are not too different.
That said, are the Igbos sometimes too aggressive to notice that they grate the sensibilities of their compatriots and others? Yes. Is that enough to make trouble over? No. Should they be given Biafra? Why not?
We should fear Allah to give out Zakatu-ul-Fitr from what we can afford. The person that can afford rice for example should not give out maize.
Ibn Abbas (companion of the Prophet, pbuh) reported that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) prescribed Zakat-ul-Fitr to purify the fasting person from empty and obscene talk that one might have engaged in during the month of Ramadan. It is also meant to feed the poor. If anyone gives it before the Eid prayer, it will be accepted as Zakat. If given after the prayer, it is counted as sadaqa (alms). This hadith is considered sound by Al-Hakim.
This implies that Sadaqat-ulFitr (fast breaking charity) given after Eid prayer does not absolve one from the obligation of Zakatul-Fitr, nor does one get the reward associated with it. However the act shall not go in vain, as one will get the reward of an ordinary act of charity. This is why it becomes important for all Muslims to give out the Zakat before Eid prayer or even three days before the Eid day.
This brings our contribution in the observance of the holy month of Ramadan this year to an end. We ask Allah to help us remember Him, thank Him properly, and earn His forgiveness with our Ramadan observances, that we may be saved from hell fire and celebrate our Sallah peacefully with the fear of Allah.
We sincerely appreciate our readers’ contributions to this work. Thank you very much, we shall inshaAllah come your way next year.
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How Zakat-ul-Fitr purifies a fasting person