Group holds special Maulud
Ahli Tawassaliyya Association of Nigeria (ATAN), an Islamic nongovernmental organisation seeking to promote unity among Muslims, organised a special gathering to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), recently, at Gamji Gate, Kaduna.
The main speaker at the occasion, Sheikh Muhammad Mahi Jibia, called on Muslims to deepen their love and affection for the Prophet, particularly through emulating his excellent conduct and behaviours.
He said: “We converged here in order to express the deep love that we have for the prophet. In event like this, it is routine to hear scholars narrating the marvelous history of the prophet. This is because his story is worthy of telling and retelling as its entails supreme qualities like probity, diligence, love, compassion, generosity, humility, tolerance, righteousness, tranquility, perseverance, forbearance, passivity, sageness and magnanimity, to mention but a few. But the most mysterious thing occurred immediately after participants left the Maulud venue. There, you will see our actions and inactions contrary to what we heard. This Ummah is grappling with thorny challenges simply because few of us adhered to the teaching and practices of the prophet. It is very common to see us telling lies, reneging on pledges and betraying those who entrusted us. According to one Hadith, the aforementioned are characteristics of the hypocrite. Still part of it says, if any of you should bore at least one of these feature, he will still be qualified to be one.
“Therefore, ATAN is appealing to the general public on the need for attitudinal reform and this will happen by supporting and encouraging one another in the supreme habit of pursuing, standing and saying the truth. A Hadith tells us that one shouldn’t hesitate to say the truth, even if revealing it will cost his life. Challenging it may appear, if that happens, one loses nothing. And in fact that person will be recognised by Allah as one of His honest mankind. So, what other accreditation is worthier than this?
“Again, it is good we understand and recognised the importance of unity among Muslims. In one of his last sermon, the Prophet stressed the need for brotherhood bond among all Muslims. He said ‘every Muslim is a brother to every other Muslim’. This is the absolute truth and for those who doubt it. Their action is tantamount to disbelieving the prophet and for anybody that does that, he is indeed in huge trouble in this world and in the hereafter. Thus, it is compelling on all of us to advocate for unity, peace, harmony and tolerance among all Muslims regardless of the denomination or the school of thought one professes.
“It will be germane for us to cite one correspondence of Shehu Ibrahim Inyass (RTA), where he wrote: ‘I am not among the mankind that wields arms for the purpose of accomplishing their cause.’ According to him, the best Jihad is that which the soul is purified from all evil doings.” In one other Hadith, the prophet categorised Jihad into two. The lesser Jihad which is struggles against unbelievers. And then, the inner spiritual struggle against sins which he termed the greater Jihad. He distinguished the two by describing the former as the simplest, and one that could be fought side by side with the hypocrites. Then he defined the former as the best but yet the arduous Jihad because is private and confidential, i.e. between mankind and his Creator. It is indeed the favourite because it provides no room for hypocrites to harbour their nefarious plans.”
One of the dignitaries that graced the special Maulud was Sheikh Sharif Umar bin Usman, who is also the grand patron of ATAN. He called on Nigerians to work in tandem regardless of religion in order to foster peaceful co-existence in the country.
On his part, the National Chairman of ATAN, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, highlighted the activities of the organisation to comprise the building of schools, mosques and orphanages across the country.