Alagi Yorro Jallow.
It is a Friday, Jummat prayers: Dear revered Imam. The lowly and the mighty fill your Mosque, in their Friday bests boubous or Kaftans – of other Fridays, to inhale faith, love, peace and hope. Is it Karl Marx who said ‘religion; is the opium of the masses’? Sitting prominently in the Mosque is mister politician and his retinue of loyalists. ‘Mosque’ is part of his TOR? Dear revered Imam, today, disrupt your routine; read Isaiah 1:22-23 – I quote: “Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of the orphans or fight for the right of the widows”. Dear revered Imam in your sermon preach ANTI CORUPTION:
The Noble Qur’an – Hud 11:85″And O my people! Give full measure and weight in justice and reduce not the things that are due to the people, and do not commit mischief in the land, causing corruption”. Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
“This is why those who are in authority are of two groups: the scholars and the rulers. If they are upright, the people will be upright; if they are corrupt, the people will be corrupt.” Sahih Muslim – Volume 9, Book 89, Number 264, Narrated Ma’qil: I heard the Prophet (saaws) saying, “Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never feel even the smell of Paradise.”
Revered Imam: Islam totally discourages all sinful and unlawful accumulation of wealth. As Prophet (PBUH) enjoin Muslims to desist from illegal enrichment of themselves as shown in the Hadith says: “the flesh that grows out of unlawful income has no place in the hereafter but hell” Another Prophetic hadith further indicated that Prophet (PUBUH) was said to have frown at a zakat collector who was involved in the abuse of office by enriching himself illegally. Prophet (PBUH) remarked that: “What rights have you to put aside something that does not belong to you. If you were to remain in your father’s house would you get what you are taking?”. Islamically, corruption is regarded as human behavior due moral and ethical problems. The Holy Qur’an further differentiates between people based on their behavior and ethics in relation to corruption. The Qur’an state that: “Shall we treat those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the same as those who mischief on earth? Shall we treat those who guard against evil, the same as those who turn aside from the right?” (Chapter 38 Verse 28). Islam provides a moral framework for fighting corruption in our society.
Corruption undermines fear of God, morality, decency, social justice and good governance, rule of law, harmony, peace, progress and development. However, Islam provides a complete and comprehensive universal guidance and perfect solution to all human problems as clearly indicated above. Revered Imam have a role in fighting corruption in our country.
