Safety and cleanness of roads in Islam (II)
Continued from last week Where are the owners of those animals? What is the government doing to tackle their problems! Alas! Maybe it does not matter? Nigeria is full of wonders. Our roads have become centres of different types of beggars (of course majority from the North), ranging from small boys, old and elderly people, lifers, cripples, the blind, and their guides, both males and females, each chanting a different style of begging songs.
The worst are the small kids moving between the cars trying to get a meager amount of money from cleaning car windscreens, selling books, pure water, sweets or scratch cards and electronics devices, etc. Many questions come to one’s mind! Why are those haggard small faces not at school? Where are their parents or their mentors in the allo schools?
There exist on our roads diverse uniforms of road protection agencies, but one may wonder what all these forces are actually doing? Government officials including road-protection agencies are better known for their reckless driving.
In addition, we all see people with heavy and dangerous metals crossing people here and there and scratching their vehicles, afflicting damage on others people without being sanctioned.
In Islam, crossing other people with dangerous items without care is prohibited and sometimes attracts severe punishment. The Prophet (pbuh) has said, “Whoever passes through our mosques or markets with arrows should hold their heads lest he should injure one of the Muslims with it.” (Bukhari)
The attitude of most road-protection agencies towards offering proper protection on our roads deserves to be re-examined and corrected. Instead of harassing those who have exceeded the maximum load, which were legally allowed or those who carry dangerous items which can cause accidents, the agencies are, unfortunately, more apt and eager to arrest those who have not tightened their seat belts! It is true that wearing seat belts is of great importance in preventing fatal mishaps, but it is not, of course, the only service that needs observing and correcting for the drivers.
The people understand now that only three categories of cars are the target of road protection agencies in Nigeria: Flashy cars are at the fore, while mass transit buses, commercial goods vehicles and trailers are the second and third categories respectively! Why? The reason is obvious!
In the evenings, more especially in this traumatic time, people who pass on some roads must have become familiar with the long queues created by the road protection officials at some specific checkpoints. But are they really checking? The answer is in the negative as no proper investigation is carried
Taking care of the safety and cleanliness of roads is among the services that each member of the community should carry
out within his capacity.
out! Instead the officers seek to protect their own interest!
The Prophet (pbuh) had talked about bribe and prohibited both giving and receiving it. He said, “Allah has cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes a bribe” (Tirmizi). It is indeed a disservices by those officers how they abandon the protection of the public. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever gets rid of a dangerous thing that harms the Muslim community will be rewarded of a righteous deed. While whoever Allah scored him a reward of a righteous deed will admit him in Paradise”.
There is glad tidings for those who render road protection service in good faith.
It is worrisome the corruption and merciless treatment of the masses by the agencies. Taking care of the safety and cleanliness of roads is among the services that each member of the community should carry out within his capacity. This could be by any means, be it physical and moral support, including mopping and wiping the roads, or making other hygienic services to the community.
Ibn Sirin (R) reported that when Abu Musa Al-Asha’ari (R.A) arrived at Basrah, he summoned the people and said, “O people of Basrah! The Commander of the faithful sent me to you with the missions; to teach you the Prophetic-Sunnah and urge you to clear up your roads” (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah). This means that it is imperative on the citizens to positively double think on the best ways of paving and tiding up our roads not to bring forth what can cause go slows and prevent people from moving freely. murtalamansur@yahoo.com 08032906184murtalamansur@yahoo.com 08032906184