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The Muslim Ummah, death of Queen Elizabeth II and the appreciation of Islam by King Charles III

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By Imam Murtadha Gusau

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

All praise is for Allah, we praise Him, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our own souls and the wickedness of our actions, whoever Allah guides, there is none that can lead him astray, and whoever Allah allows to go astray, there is none that can lead him to the right path.

I testify and bare witness that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth but Allah, alone, without any partners. And I testify and bare witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His Servant and Messenger. As for what’s after:

My dear brothers and sisters! On Thursday 8th September, 2022 Queen Elizabeth II passed away. As you all know, she was the longest reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom, having celebrated her platinum jubilee earlier this summer, completing 70 years on the throne. In her wake she leaves behind four children, eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. Her eldest son now accedes to the throne as King Charles III, the new head of the British monarchy and the Commonwealth.

During her reign she witnessed 15 Prime Ministers, beginning with Winston Churchill and ending with Liz Truss. Her reign saw the slow degradation of British power from the twilight of colonial era to new post-colonial Britain. During her long life she lived through times of prosperity and security for many in the United Kingdom as well as times of war, crisis, and recessions.

However, her legacy is not without controversy. Whereas Prime Minister Liz Truss credited “her devotion to duty” as “an example to us all”, as reported by Scottish Daily Express, others have seen her death as a moment to remind us of the role the British monarchy has played in colonialism.

For example, Uju Anya, an associate Professor of Second Language Acquisition at Carnegie University, tweeted on Thursday afternoon that:

“If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star.”

Also Julius Malema, a politician, youth leader and activist from South Africa has this to say on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, as reported by Pan African Daily TV:

“We do not mourn the death of Elizabeth, because to us her death is a reminder of a very tragic period in this country and Africa’s history…. If there is really life and justice after death, may Elizabeth and her ancestors get what they deserve.”

Queen Elizabeth was on the throne when UK colonial administration committed one of the many heinous crimes of British colonialism in East Africa during the Mau Mau rebellion, killing tens of thousands to perpetuate British occupation all in the name of the Crown. Despite numerous opportunities to offer an official apology the Queen was not forthcoming.

Whilst it can be easy to get swept up in these discussions, I will reminds us of the important lessons that we as Muslims should take from her passing. How should Muslims react at the passing of Queen Elizabeth II?

There are three lessons that I wish to draw to the attention of my Muslim brothers and sisters, from the death of anyone, not just the Queen:

Firstly, we should recollect that we are all going to die; that Allah created death in order that we reflect upon the reality of this life, that we pause and ponder over what we have prepared for the real life that comes after death. Death is the biggest challenge presented to humanity by Allah Almighty. It is the end of this life; every individual will start another life following it. A wise person would take the opportunity to reflect on how s/he has spent this transient life in preparation for the everlasting life to follow. That’s why the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Remember death frequently.”

The reason for this is given in another narration of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). We are informed that death strikes a balance, if you are in a difficult situation, remembering death will remove that feeling of difficulty from you. And yet if you have a carefree life, then remembering death will remind you of the reality of this fleeting life. Allah Almighty says in the Noble

Qur’an:

“Every soul will taste death.”

Allah also said in reference to the Prophet (Peace be upon him):

“You are going to die and all of them are going to die.”

So this is the first point of reflection. Do not lose sight of the fact that whatever ups and downs, whatever joys and sorrows, whatever disputes and disagreements all of which you will forget, do not forget that you are going to die and the death of the Queen—or of anyone else—should remind us of the reality of this life.

The second lesson is, that Allah almighty decreed that the Queen died at 96 years of age and her husband died when he was almost a hundred. This is Allah’s decree. He chooses whether you have a long life or a short one but whatever your situation you will surely die in the end. Even if you live for a hundred years you will die, even if you are a king, a queen, a governor, a president, a minister, a senator, a local government chairman or the most wealthy person, you are not going to live forever, this is another important lesson we should take from the passing of the Queen or any other seemingly powerful person. When we look at these people we ask, where is their wealth, where is their power, where are their supporters? Have any of these things protected them against death and will they help them whilst they are in the grave? The answer is NO!

The final thought is that people feel sad upon the passing of those who are close to them. Sometimes we also feel a sadness for those who are not so close to us but have some connection to our lives. This is not reprehensible in of itself. It depends on how you react.

For example, people may repeat the traditional Islamic invocation uttered on news of person’s death:

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raaji’uun (meaning: truly we belong to Allah and to Him we shall surely return).”

Can this be said with regards to the death of a non-Muslim such as the Queen?

Respected servants of Allah! I do not think there is an issue here. It is simply uttering a truth that applies to mankind, rich and poor, believer and non-believer, that every human belongs to Allah and every single one will return to Him to be judged. There is no direct supplication in this statement. It may become an issue if there is an implicit supplication made for the salvation of a deceased non-Muslim.

In this regard, what about praying for their salvation? In terms of praying for Allah’s mercy for a deceased unbeliever, from an Islamic perspective, saying ‘Oh Allah have mercy on this person who died as a non-Muslim’, this is not permitted. This is by the consensus (Ijma’) of all Muslim scholars. This is not contradicted by saying Allah is the most merciful because the understanding of Allah’s mercy must be understood in light of the rest of the Islamic scriptures. Allah Almighty says in the Noble Qur’an:

“It is not befitting for the Prophet and the believers to seek forgiveness for the polytheists…”

Here ‘polytheists’ refers to all those who died all those who died as non-Muslims. Allah further says in the Qur’an that anyone who dies as a non-Muslim, he is either a polytheist or an unbeliever. Therefore we are not allowed to supplicate for those who have died as non-Muslims. We know that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had his uncle who was the most beloved person to him, when he died the Prophet (Peace be upon him) did not pray for him whatsoever.

Furthermore it is not sufficient that the deceased are those who believe in Allah Almighty and are monotheist like Unitarians. Allah sent Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as a Messenger to all mankind. Those who do not believe in him and follow his message remain unbelievers even if they are Unitarians. They are not considered Muslims which is why the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“No one hears about me, whether he is a Jew or Christian, and he does not believe in me and in my message, except he will enter the fire of hell, he is not Muslim.”

May Allah give us the wisdom to understand our religion and apply it in different contexts, ameen.

My dear brothers and sisters! Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the accession of King Charles III to the throne has been dominating airwaves in an unprecedented fashion. This has prompted a race to understand more about the new “Head of the Commonwealth” containing 2.4 billion people across the world, drawing Muslims into the vortex, too. Among this coverage has been the curious fondness and appreciation he has shown for Islam over the years.

Yes, the new king’s appreciation of Islam is well established for those who have followed his career over the long years of his time as Prince of Wales. His positive attitude towards Islam, is indeed something rare in the governing classes of the United Kingdom and is undoubtedly appreciated by Muslims, particularly considering the overabundance of Islamophobes in the ruling establishment attempting to make daily life more and more difficult for Muslims across the board.

In a speech given at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies—of which he is a patron—King Charles gave a speech entitled ‘Islam and the West’, in which he sated that:

“It is odd, in many ways, that misunderstandings between Islam and the West should persist. For that which binds our two worlds together is so much more powerful than that which divides us. Muslims, Christians – and Jews – are all ‘peoples of the Book.’ Islam and Christianity share a common monotheistic vision: a belief in one divine God, in the transience of our earthly life, in our accountability for our actions, and in the assurance of life to come. We share many key values in common: respect for knowledge, for justice, compassion towards the poor and underprivileged, the importance of family life, respect for parents. ‘Honour your father and your mother’ is a Qur’anic precept too. Our history has been closely bound up together.”

King Charles goes on to say:

“If there is much misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilisation owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure which stems, I think, from the straitjacket of history which we have inherited. The medieval Islamic world, from Central Asia to the shores of the Atlantic, was a world where scholars and men of learning flourished. But because we have tended to see Islam as the enemy of the West, as an alien culture, society and system of belief, we have tended to ignore or erase its great relevance to our own history. For example, we have underestimated the importance of 800 years of Islamic society and culture in Spain between the 8th and 15th centuries. The contribution of Muslim Spain to the preservation of classical learning during the Dark Ages, and to the first flowerings of the Renaissance, has long been recognised. But Islamic Spain was much more than a mere larder where Hellenistic knowledge was kept for later consumption by the emerging modern Western world. Not only did Muslim Spain gather and preserve the intellectual content of ancient Greek and Roman civilisation, it also interpreted and expanded upon that civilisation, and made a vital contribution of its own in so many fields of human endeavour – in science, astronomy, mathematics, algebra (itself an Arabic word), law, history, medicine, pharmacology, optics, agriculture, architecture, theology, music. Averroes and Avenzoor, like their counterparts Avicenna and Rhazes in the East, contributed to the study and practice of medicine in ways from which Europe benefited for centuries afterwards. Islam nurtured and preserved the quest for learning. In the words of the tradition, ‘the ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr.’ Cordoba in the 10th century was by far the most civilised city of Europe. We know of lending libraries in Spain at the time King Alfred was making terrible blunders with the culinary arts in this country. It is said that the 400,000 volumes in its ruler’s library amounted to more books than all the libraries of the rest of Europe put together. That was made possible because the Muslim world acquired from China the skill of making paper more than 400 years before the rest of non-Muslim Europe. Many of the traits on which modern Europe prides itself came to it from Muslim Spain. Diplomacy, free trade, open borders, the techniques of academic research, of anthropology, etiquette, fashion, various types of medicine, hospitals, all came from this great city of cities.”

It is here King Charles highlights a sentiment rarely appreciated in the Western world:

“Medieval Islam was a religion of remarkable tolerance for its time, allowing Jews and Christians the right to practise their inherited beliefs, and setting an example which was not, unfortunately, copied for many centuries in the West. The surprise, ladies and gentlemen, is the extent to which Islam has been a part of Europe for so long…”

King Charles is not only praising what Islam has bought to the Modern European world, but emphasising that Islam is an intrinsic part of European history, and its growth was influenced by Islam:

“…first in Spain, then in the Balkans, and the extent to which it has contributed so much towards the civilisation which we all too often think of, wrongly, as entirely Western. Islam is part of our past and our present, in all fields of human endeavour. It has helped to create modern Europe. It is part of our own inheritance, not a thing apart. Islam can teach us today a way of understanding and living in the world which Christianity itself is the poorer for having lost. At the heart of Islam is its preservation of an integral view of the Universe. Islam – like Buddhism and Hinduism – refuses to separate man and nature, religion and science, mind and matter, and has preserved a metaphysical and unified view of ourselves and the world around us.”

He has also praised many Muslim scholars and authors such as Rene Guenon, Seyyed Nasr and Martin Lings. In particular, when Martin Lings’ book “A Return to the Spirit” was published after his death, King Charles wrote a letter of admiration in which he praises a book written by a prominent English convert, about the last Prophet sent to mankind:

“One of Martin Lings’ greatest legacies was his remarkable biography of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).”

Kings Charles is not a closet Muslim, but clearly literate in some aspects of Islamic thought probably unparalleled in the history of the British Monarchy, being described as an “Islamophile” by some:

Others have been questioning this special pleading for King Charlie’s appreciation of Islam. While he appears to be in little need of such good will, the same cannot be said for other prominent figures in UK public life who have likewise expressed an appreciation for many aspects of Islam but have also been publicly maligned.

Dr Salman Butt, a Journalist, warns that:

“It’s good to celebrate positive news, but important not to fall into some traps, such as using events like these as a plaster to cover over a weakness that we might feel: requiring validation from a powerful or famous non-Muslim. If we do feel that, we need to take a step back and build our appreciation for Islam with knowledge and, more importantly, good deeds; since Ibadah (worship) increases our intelligence and reflective capabilities, and strengthens our Iman (Faith) and character.“

All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Safar 19, 1444 AH (September 16, 2022).

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Opinion

In this trying time, let our women try to be like Khadijah (AS)

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By Imam Murtadha Gusau

 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.

Dear brothers and sisters! The first Muslim on earth, the ‘Mother of the Believers,’ and ‘The Best of Women,’ are all descriptions of Khadijah Bint Khuwailid, the beloved and devoted wife of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

While her legacy continues to live until today, as a symbol for leading Muslim women figures, the love story between her and the Prophet remains to be one-of-a-kind.

Khadijah was known to be a successful trader in Makkah. She was born to a father who was a thriving merchant from the family of Quraish. When her father died, she inherited his business, and was keen on employing hardworking and honest employees to travel far on her behalf to export and import goods.

It was the integrity of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) that brought them together, as it is narrated that she had sent him an offer to work with her, after hearing about his honesty.

Through a friend, Khadijah asked Prophet Muhammad to marry her. Although at the time, he had no means to pursue marriage. But Khadijah was unfazed by differences in wealth.

At the age of 40, Khadijah married the Prophet when he was at 25 years of age. Together they had six children; two sons and four daughters.

After 15 years of marriage, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) received revelations from Allah. On the night he received his first revelation, Khadijah was the one whom he first told what happened. Without hesitation, she comforted, supported and believed him.

She also sought advice from her Christian cousin, who proclaimed that Prophet Muhammad’s revelations were from Allah.

Khadijah, the ‘Mother of the Believers,’ was the first person on earth to accept Islam.

Her devotion to the Prophet and holding on to him, for better and for worse, made her very special in his heart. Although it was common for men in that era to have multiple wives, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) never married anyone else during their 25 years of marriage.

Her endless support for the Prophet was seen in her patience and courage when the disbelievers decided to declare an open and total political and economic boycott against the followers of Prophet Muhammad.

She passed away three years after Hijrah at the age of 65. Aisha, the wife of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) after the death of Khadijah, says that whenever a goat was slaughtered, the he would send some meat to Khadijah’s friends. Aisha says when she mentioned it on one occasion the Prophet told her:

“I have great regard for her friends, as she has a special place in my heart.”

It is narrated by Aisha that Prophet Muhammad said of Khadijah:

“She believed in me when no one else did, she embraced Islam when people disbelieved me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one to lend me a helping hand.”

It was narrated that the Prophet also said:

“Maryam (Mary), the daughter of Imran, was the best among the women (of the world of her time) and Khadijah is the best amongst the women (of this nation).”

And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.

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Darkness at Noon: Prof. Muhtar Hanif Alhassan, 1954-2024

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Abdalla Uba Adamu

 

It was with heavy heart that I took a phone call that informed me of the passing away of my bosom friend, Prof. Muhtar Hanif Alhassan in a hospital in Cairo on Thursday March 21, 2024. I have been aware of his illness. I and Salisu Ɗanyaro have been monitoring his unfortunately deteriorating health. In the end, the sun sets at noon for an incredibly bright, brilliant, super intelligent unassuming quite genius from Kano, northern Nigeria.

I first met Muhtar in June 1993. He had returned from Sussex University, Brighton, UK after his doctoral studies in 1992, and people kept saying we should meet as we had so much in common—but of course he was much much brighter than I was, or would ever be. Although I also attended the same university, I had finished my PhD (or DPhil as they prefer to name their doctorates) in 1988, so we missed each other, as he came to Sussex a couple of years after I had left.

Our interface was computing. In early 1990s computer technology was making heavy inroads in Kano. Business Centers were being set up. The pioneers were Abacus Computers (Adamu Sufi), City Business Center (Abba Lawan Daneji) and Midtown Business Center (Faruk Ɗalhatu).

Having spent a year at the University of California as a Fulbright Senior African Research Scholar at UC Berkeley, from 1991 to 1992, I came back from the US heavily loaded with a vast amount of shrink-wrapped original software costing thousands of dollars, and a lot of Shareware software (try-before-you buy) on dozens of 5.25 floppies. This gave me a a high vantage position in software useability stakes in Kano and I became the main supplier of software to all and sundry—even establishing my own ‘company’, Tangerine Dream Computer Services.

Despite hungrily devouring dozens of magazines available on computing in those days (PC Plus, PC Magazine, Computer Shopper, PC World, etc.) sold by a cantankerous Lebanese lady, Nadia, in a corner shop near Beirut Road mosque in Kano, I was not a hardware expert. A colleague at Bayero said I should meet Muhtar whom I don’t know, but whom I was told was a genius. We met after Friday prayers one day in June 1993 in BUK. We formed a lifelong partnership. I can proudly proclaim that Muhtar taught me a lot about computers, programming languages and software useability.

Born in Galadanci, Kano city in September 1954, Muhtar was named so by his father, a Qur’anic teacher, at the advice of the father’s friend. Years later, as he related the story to me, he said decided to add ‘Hanif’ to his name officially, thus becoming Muhtar Hanif Alhassan.

He attended Gwarzo Boarding Primary School, a unique experimental primary school in Kano of the period. He finished in 1968, making us contemporaries (although he was a couple of years older than me). His excellence in leaving school certificate examinations earned him a place at Federal Government College Warri, Delta State from 1969 to 1973, one of the first Kano indigenes to have such opportunity. He graduated with distinction. Towards the tail end of his secondary schooling, he applied for a Russian (then as Soviet Union) scholarship. While waiting for the outcome, he was admitted at the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the breeding ground of northern Nigerian intellectuals and technocrats where he reconnected with many former Gwarzo Boarding friends such as AbdulRazzaq Ahmad Muhammad-Oumar and Bashir Ka Saidu, forming a trio of highly motivated intellectual young people.

His application to Russia was successful and he was awarded the Foreign Aid scholarship purely on merit. He was placed at the Kyiv State University, Kyiv, Ukraine from August 1974 to September 1975 where he obtained A levels with distinction in Maths, Physics and Chemistry. This merged with his undergraduate studies for two years. His excellent results earned him admission in August 1977 to a Masters degree at the Belarus National Technical University, Minsk, in Electric Drives and Automation with specialization in Industrial Automation. He graduated with very good grades in 1982. Up to his passing away, Muhtar could speak passable conversational Russian.

On his return to Kano after eight years in Russia in 1982, he served his National Service at the Nigerian Mining Corporation, Jos, where he was absorbed after the service year. On a visit to Kano, the late Prof. M.K.M. Galadanci grabbed Muhtar by the hand and took him straight to the Faculty of Technology, Bayero University Kano and introduced him to the Head, Department of Electrical Engineering, then Abubakar Sani Sambo. Abubakar and Muhtar were classmates at SBS. They were both geniuses. Muhtar was immediately employed as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department. In 1989 he was a beneficiary of the last remnants of Kano State government’s scholarship generosity in the era and he was fully sponsored for a DPhil program at Sussex University. Many BUK staff attended the university, including Abubakar Sani Sambo himself. Muhtar finished in his DPhil in 1982, specializing in Control Systems with focus on – Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors in Position.

Muhtar’s brilliance in computing, robotics and early Artificial Intelligence even in the crude years of the 1980s were clear enough to make Bayero University Kano appoint him the first Director Management Information Systems (MIS) to automate the decision making process in the university from 1993 to 1995.

He was in this position until he was hijacked by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi in 1996 where he was appointed Director MIS and Deputy Director Computing Services and Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science. While there, he led a team of IT Professionals responsible for establishment of a robust information system for the University. This was solid enough to make Inland Bank Nigeria Plc engage him to automate their operations—becoming one of the first few Nigerian banks to do so in the late 1990s.

In 2004 he was literally hijacked by the then Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Ahmed Almustapha who had just been appointed the RG of CAC, and wanted the best to automate the Corporation. He knew of Muhtar and lost no time in bulldozing Muhtar to transfer his services to CAC. Muhtar served as Director ICT (Information Management System) CAC for seven years, leaving in 2011. While at CAC he led that team that transformed the Commission’s processes from manual to Web based transactions using electronic workflows over a rugged intranet that spans the 36 states of Nigeria. CAC is still benefitting from this innovation.

He went back to academia, this time to Nile University in 2011 becoming the Head of Electronics Engineering Department, and later, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). In 2013, he was, once more, headhunted, this time by Prof. Vincent Ado Tenebe, a former colleague of his at ATBU and then the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Prof. Tenebe employed Muhtar on December 11, 2013 as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Sciences in the then School of Science and Technology. He was posted as the Director, NOUN Special Study Centre, Public Service Institute of Nigeria.

However, at Nile University he was due for promotion to Associate Professor, and the University had sent his papers for assessment. The result came back positive and he was duly promoted Associate Professor of Computer science with effect from March 2, 2015, even after had left the university. NOUN therefore merely endorsed this position in January 2016 through another set of positive assessments.

I was appointed the Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria in February 2016. When I reported, I was hugely relieved to see that Muhtar was already a staff in the university. Right there and then, I felt more than half of my job would be easy. On taking over, I met a chorus of protests from students about missing results, miscalculation of results, website glitches, etc. The MIS system of NOUN at the time was outsourced to external contractors.

After studying the situation for over three months, I created a brand new Directorate of Management Information Systems (DMIS) and made Muhtar the Director. I gave him only one task: bring back our data. No more outsourcing. And no limit to resources. These were two things Muhtar wanted to truly excel: resources and targets.

And he did deliver. By 2017, and despite howls of protests both from within the university and from the companies feeding fat on NOUN’s huge number of students, Muhtar had come up with a robust MIS system, NOUN Portal StudWare, that withstood a series of hacks.

Within two years, we had cleared all student results backlogs, created an effective internal monitoring mechanism and dispensed with the contractors who were charging the university billions to run a system a dedicated team of just five people could. But then, Muhtar was equivalent to more than 10 people when it comes to coding. It was difficult to see how he could fail, with the following specialties in his belt: Computer-aided analysis of magnetic fields, object-oriented programming solutions to engineering problems, data-driven applications, web based data communications (xml, etc.), Design and simulation of control systems, Computer control, embedded systems, mobile technology, m-business solutions, microcontrollers and microprocessors, near-field communication, digital signal processing, Artificial Intelligence and GIS technology.

Based on his numerous publications and designs (web pages, software applications etc.), NOUN promoted him to Professor of Computer Science in 2021. Yet, once more, he was hijacked by Al-Muhibbah Open University (AOU), Abuja in 2023, leaving NOUN on a leave of absence. As Allah willed it, his stay at AOU was brief before he was afflicted with illness. He was eventually rushed to Cairo for advanced treatment. His situation deteriorated, and on Thursday March 21, 2024, Prof. Muhtar Hanif Alhassan returned to Allah (SWT).

Quiet, unassuming, gentle, but with a laser-sharp brain, Muhtar was not only able to sort computer problems, but also willing to teach others – and in this, he found a willing student in me. We forged a life-long partnership. While I dealt with the marketing of our talents, with focus on software, Muhtar was the ‘engineering’ division, dealing with hardware. We formed a fair of early computer educators in Kano.

Our initial partnership was catalytic in introducing quite a few innovations in Kano computer circles. The main one was the development of a Hausa-language word processor. Muhtar had developed a prototype while on his D.Phil. program at Sussex as a personal side project, and which he named Marubuciya/the writer, giving it a feminine name that would delight feminists. He sought my input on its useability. I then requested Muhtar Yusuf (with the nickname of ‘Banana’ due to his curved shots in playing soccer which he was good at when younger) from the Department of Nigerian Languages with specialization in Linguistics. The three of us started a critical analysis of the word processor – Muhtar was coding, I was testing while Muhtar Banana was proof-reading it from linguistic perspectives. The project started in my living room in campus housing on Sunday November 21, 1993.

The process was a fascinating exercise in translation, as the team wanted a word processor where Hausa typists would easily understand the menus. The team relied on Muhtar Yusuf for input into appropriate equivalency to use. Expressions such as ‘okay’, ‘underline’, ‘italic’, ‘bold’, proved particularly problematic to translate in Hausa as single words, without creating hyphenated equivalents. This would not only be awkward in the spaces provided for coding such expressions, but can become confusing to neophyte computer users when convoluted translations were involved. Without any interest from the university, or any sustainable funding from outside sources, the Marubuciya development team became stuck with a prototype.

I then decided to reach out to City Business Center in the city of Kano to test the prototype. Surprisingly, the operators indicated that they were quite comfortable with the Microsoft Word menu structures and do not wish to learn all over again on another word processor. However, their main challenge was lack of a TrueType font that will capture Hausa language glottal consonants (Ɗ, ɗ, Ƙ, ƙ, Ɓ, ɓ). These were not found on any computer keyboard. That gave me a new assignment – to create the Hausa ‘hooked’ fonts. That was the beginning of the development of ‘rabiat’ and ‘abdalla’ Hausa fonts.

Prof. Muhtar Hanif Alhassan was a genius, pure and simple. He was not loud, he was shy, with a hidden sense of humor (and full of Russian jokes). Unobtrusive, Modest. Team player. He was truly a loss to Kano and northern Nigeria as whole. May Allah (SWT), forgive him, receive him in His Rahama and grant him eternal rest.

Abdalla, is a Professor of media and cultural studies at Department of information and media studies, Bayero University, Kano. This was first published on his Facebook page. 

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Friday Sermon: Paying Zakah, giving charity, helping the orphans, poor and beedy brings love, peace, unity, mercy and blessing to the nation!

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By Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.

Dear brothers and sisters! Islam is a religion that gives the message of love, peace and unity. It wants its followers to live in peace, unity and harmony in the world along with people of other religions and assist each other in making the world a better place. It is this moto of making the world a better place and helping others that Islam emphasises on charity.

In Islam, charity holds such a great place that it is an obligation on Muslims in the form of Zakah. In Islam, Zakah is one of the major pillars of Islam, and those who are wealthy enough, for them it is mandatory to give Zakah. However, when it comes to paying Zakah, there are different misconceptions that are prevalent among Muslims. The lines below discuss the importance of Zakah in Islam and the general misconceptions people have regarding it.

In Islam, Zakah is the fourth pillar. Zakah refers to purification in general and purification of wealth in particular, therefore, those Muslims who have wealth over a certain ratio, they are liable to pay Zakah on it and give it to those who are less fortunate and don’t have sufficient means to live their life in a standard way.

Pertaining to the question of Zakah, the skeptic ones ask the question that why do they have to pay from their hard earned money and wealth to the others? The answer to which is as follows:

Besides the fact that Zakah is an obligation and fulfillment of it leads to a Muslim getting reward from Allah Almighty and intentional swerving from it leads to a Muslim receiving punishment from Him, there are other reasons which one can find pertaining to the importance of Zakah.

1. Helps in Building The Society – The first benefit of Zakah is that it helps those in the society who are less fortunate. For example, if one class of society keeps on gathering all the money and does not provide anything to anyone else, then the rest would stay in the same plight and the society would be distributed in sections. Therefore, when the wealthy of the society give Zakah, it means that the ones, who are non-wealthy, get a chance to enjoy a better lifestyle.

2. Circulation of Money – The second thing that Zakah brings to table pertaining to its being an obligation is the fact that it leads to circulation of money. Zakah is a form of charity and any charitable deed means that the money gets out of the hands of the ones who are already filthy rich with it. Thus, this way the money gets out of the circle of a few people and circulates in the whole economy.

3. Develops a Sense of Sacrificing – Thirdly, Zakah also gives and teaches the message of sacrifice. Wealth is perhaps one of the major elements which people love the most. Therefore, when a person gives from his or her wealth, it actually means that he or she loves the order of Allah Almighty more than their personal liking and they are willing to sacrifice the thing they love for the order of Allah the Magnificent. In the Noble Qur’an, Allah Almighty says:

“The alms are only for the Fuqara (the poor), and Al-Masakin (the needy) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah’s cause, and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.” [Qur’an, 9:60]

From this Qur’anic verse, the following people who deserve Zakah can be extracted:

1. The Poor – These are the people who don’t have means to live their life properly and live below the line of poverty.

2. The Needy – These people are also poor, however, because of their pride and bashfulness they don’t expose their poverty.

3. The Collectors – These are the people who are given the duty of collection of Zakah from other people, however, they themselves cant afford to live a normal life.

4. The New Converts – People who convert to Islam are also eligible as Zakah recipients as with their conversion to Islam they need assistance and help for a new start in life.

5. To Free Slaves – The money of Zakah can also be spent on freeing the slaves as well.

6. To Help Someone Pay Debt – Those who are in debt and cant afford to pay it off on their own are also eligible for Zakah.

7. In Cause Of Allah – Zakah can also be given to people who strive in the way of Allah, especially in the form of fighting the usurpers.

8. For Travelers – Zakah can also be given to the travelers and wayfarers as they might need the money when it comes to travel arrangements.

Respected servants of Allah! Besides the major misconceptions of Zakah, Muslims often find it difficult to calculate the amount of Zakah liable upon their possessions. There are many ways one can adopt to to calculate the charity amount, however, the one which nowadays seems much reliable is to use a Zakah calculator. Zakah calculators are often especially designed by taking all necessary measurements in control that help in knowing the amount accurately. If you are one looking to calculate the total amount of charity on your personal belongings, you can do so by asking the reliable scholars.

Or you can use one of the popular mobile phone application which you can install in your smartphone to be able to calculate the amount of charity.

Dear brothers and sisters! There are several misconceptions related to Zakah that have become prevalent among Muslims. The lines below address those misconceptions and give the true version of them:

The first misconception that people have pertaining to Zakah is that it is to be paid in the month of Ramadan only. Although Ramadan is a month of being charitable, however, it in no way means that a Muslim must pay Zakah in this month only. Rather, the time when a Muslim becomes liable for paying Zakah, a year from that time is the time frame within which Zakah is to be paid. Therefore, the duration of year is what needs to be kept in mind and not the month of Ramadan for giving Zakah.

Zakah is only and only liable on the Halal earnings of a person, therefore, there is no chance that Zakah can be relied upon as a means of purifying the wrongly earned wealth. Hence, it is only liable on Halal earned wealth and should be paid on it only.

The third misconception related to Zakah is that it is only liable on gold. It is wrong. The gold mentioned in Qur’an and Hadith is as a standard unit of measurement, therefore, anything whether its cash, silver, stocks, livestock, property or another asset that is worth the same amount as the gold mentioned by Islam, it is liable for Zakah.

The general misconception is that it is the husbands who are liable for paying Zakah for the jewelry of their wife. It is wrong and as jewelry is the personal property of the wife, therefore, she must pay its Zakah and if she is unable to do so then she needs to sell the jewelry to pay Zakah or until the jewelry is below the level of being liable for Zakah. However, if the husband is willing to pay Zakah on behalf of the wife, he can do so, but it is not mandatory on the husband.

The other misconception among people is that they think that Zakah is liable only on the wealth that is in excess of the requisite amount of wealth. They believe that the requisite amount gets exempted once one reaches it and anything in excess is Zakah deductible. It is also wrong, and all of the wealth becomes Zakah deductible once one reaches its requisite figure.

Also some Muslims think that they cannot give Zakah to their poor relatives as they are a part of their family. The relatives who are not in blood relation with you such as parents, spouse, children, and siblings, any relative other than that is eligible for Zakah and should be paid Zakah.

In a nutshell, Zakah is a mandatory tenant of Islam and the objective of it is to help the society share the bounties of Allah and give a chance to the unfortunate ones at a better life. Therefore, every Muslim must gain knowledge about Zakah and ensure that it be paid to the deserving people.

Respected brothers and sisters! Sincerely speaking, one of the greatest means of building peace, unity, love and social harmony in Islam is through giving and spending. Allah Almighty said:

“O you who have believed, spend from that which We have provided for you before there comes a Day in which there is no exchange [i.e., ransom] and no friendship and no intercession. And the disbelievers – they are the wrongdoers.” [Qur’an, 2:254]

And Allah Almighty said:

“Those who spend their wealth [in Allah’s way] by night and by day, secretly and publicly – they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.” [Qur’an, 2:274]

And spending in the way of Allah Almighty is one of the biggest challenges faced by man due to his love of and concern for wealth. Allah Almighty said:

“And you love wealth with immense love.” [Qur’an, 89:20]

And the Prophet (Peace be upon him) informed about the temptation of wealth:

“Verily, there is a Fitnah (trial) for every nation and the trial for my Ummah (nation) is wealth.” [At-Tirmithi]

And some have become slaves to wealth. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Wretched is the slave of the Dinar and the slave of the Dirham.” [Bukhari]

A person who is stingy with what Allah has given him thinks that doing so is better for him and does not pay heed to the Allah Almighty’s words:

“And let not those who [greedily] withhold what Allah has given them of His bounty ever think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, of what you do, is [fully] Aware.” [Qur’an, 3:180]

Dear brothers and sisters! Wealth is a trust that people were entrusted with. Allah Almighty said:

“And spend out of that in which He (Allah) has made you successive inheritors. For those who have believed among you and spent, there will be a great reward.” [Qur’an, 57:7]

These are the ones for whom Allah blesses their wealth and multiplies their reward in the hereafter. Allah Almighty said:

“Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.” [Qur’an, 2:245]

And one of the most important criteria by which a person’s faith (Iman) is measured is charity. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“And charity is proof (of your Iman/faith).” [Muslim]

And it is a great transaction with Allah Almighty and striving in the sake of Allah with one’s wealth. And in it is salvation for a person from a painful punishment. Allah Almighty said:

“O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment? [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you only knew.” [Qur’an, 61:10-11]

And whomever wants to nurture and protect his wealth should spend from it for the sake of Allah. Allah Almighty said:

“Say, “Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills of His servants and restricts [it] for him. But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] – He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers.” [Qur’an, 34:39]

And in the Hadith Qudsi Allah Almighty said:

“Spend and I shall spend on you.” [Bukhari]

And whatever a person spends for the sake of Allah Almighty is what they will find in front of them on the Day of Resurrection. And what remains in his balance will be the procession of the heirs. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“For whom among you is the wealth of his heirs dearer to him than his own wealth?’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, there is no one among us for whom his own wealth is not dearer to him than the wealth of his heirs. ’The Messenger of Allah said: For indeed his wealth is what he has sent forward, and the wealth of his heirs is what he retained.’” [Bukhari]

Some people incorrectly think that they are the true owner of the wealth. Indeed, the wealth is the wealth of Allah Almighty that he directed to them in a manner that they did not expect. Allah Almighty said:

“And give them from the wealth of Allah which He has given you.” [Qur’an, 24:33]

And through charity Allah Almighty diverts the afflictions, tribulations, and calamities from a person, and from a nation. As the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Good deeds ward off destructive evil. And the giving charity secretly quenches the wrath of the Lord. And joining the ties of kinship increases the lifespan.” [See Sahih Al-Jami’ of Sheikh Albani]

And charity extinguishes the bad deeds. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Charity extinguishes bad deeds committed just as water extinguishes fire.” [at-Tirmithi]

Respected servants of Allah! Indeed spending and giving charity have etiquettes. And from among the most important etiquette is sincerity to Allah Almighty in it. For not having sincerity nullifies and reduces its reward. And some give charity for the sake of showing off, reputation, boasting or bragging. And doing this will result in the severe punishment on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“The person with wealth will be brought (in the hereafter)…he will say: ‘I would nurture the ties of kinship and give charity.’ Then Allah will say to him: ‘You have lied.’ And the angels will say to him: ‘You have lied.’ Allah, Most High, will say: ‘Rather, you wanted it to be said that so-and-so is so generous, and that was said.’” [at-Tirmidhi]

And from the etiquettes of giving the obligatory charity (Zakah) is to spend it as prescribed and to not delay it. For if one has to pay Zakah on his wealth or crops or trade, then he must pay it at the proper time. And it is from the pillars of Islam. And the most beloved means of getting close to Allah Almighty is to perform the obligations. So to avoids the wrath of Allah Almighty one should not delay it without an excuse.

And from the etiquettes of the obligatory charity is that he should seek out the truly needy. And not give to those whom he does not know. For the Zakah is not correct unless it is given to those deserving of it. And Allah Almighty explained the different types of categories that qualify for Zakah.

And from the etiquettes is to not nullify the charity through reminders of it or injury. Allah Almighty said:

“O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders [of it] or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day.” [Qur’an, 2:264]

Rather one should view giving charity as a favour from Allah Almighty because He the Almighty gave him the wealth and blessed him. And saved him from his inner greed. The wise believer views the needy person as the one who has favour over him because he accepted the charity from him and he gave him the chance to gain reward from Allah Almighty. And some of the righteous would say:

“By Allah, I see the poor person as having favour over me. And if Allah Almighty did not make him accept my charity I would have been denied the reward from Allah Almighty”

And from the etiquette of giving charity is to view the charity as a grace of Allah upon him that The Almighty enriched him and did not make him in need of taking charity. Rather He the Almighty made his hand the upper hand and made him the one who gives and not the one who takes. And it is a great grace that requires striving to be grateful through obedience to Allah Almighty and giving plenty of charity. And having compassion for the poor and needy.

And the one giving charity should conceal it as he is able to do so except if there is a clear benefit in publicising it. Allah Almighty said:

“If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allah, of what you do, is [fully] Aware.” [Qur’an, 2:271]

And the Prophet (Peace be upon him) informed that among the seven whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will shade with His shade on the Day of Resurrection, the Day when there will be no shade but His is:

“…a man who gives charity and conceals it, so that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

And from the etiquettes is that the charity should be from good earnings, that is from lawfully earned wealth. As this is a reason for its acceptance and multiplying its reward. Just as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“‘No one gives charity from good sources – for Allah does not accept anything but that which is good – but the Most Merciful (Allah) takes it in His right hand, even if it is a date, and it flourishes in the Hand of the Most Merciful (Allah) until it becomes bigger than a mountain and he tends it as anyone of you would tend to his colt (i.e., young pony) or his young (weaned) camel.’” [Muslim]

And from the etiquettes of charity is to spend the best of wealth in charity and not put forth the low quality food or the corrupt wealth. Allah Almighty said:

“O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth. And do not aim toward the defective therefrom, spending [from that] while you would not take it [yourself] except with closed eyes.” [Qur’an, 2:267]

And a person has a greater reward from Allah Almighty if he gives charity with something that he loves from wealth, food or clothing. Allah Almighty said:

“Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love.” [Qur’an, 3:92]

Dear brothers and sisters! From the etiquettes of charity is to give priority to relatives if they are in need and they do not have anyone to help them. For their right is greater than that of others. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Charity given to the needy is (counted as) charity, and if it is given to relatives it is (counted as) two: charity and nurturing (the ties of kinship).” [at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa’i]

And the higher the degree of kinship, the greater the reward for the giver of charity.

And from the etiquettes of charity is to not take it back. For it is not permissible to take it back from the one it was given to. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“The likeness of the one who gives charity then takes it back is that of a dog who vomits then goes back and eats its vomit.” [Ibn Majah]

And from the etiquette of charity is that it is given in a state of health, wellbeing, youth and being in need and fearing poverty. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that:

“A man came to the Prophet and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what kind of charity brings the greatest reward?’ He said: ‘To give in charity when you are healthy and feeling miserly, and fearing poverty and hoping for a long life. Do not wait until the (death rattle) reaches the throat and then say: “This is for so and so,” and it nearly became the property of so and so (the heirs).‘” [Bukhari and Muslim]

And from the etiquettes of giving charity is to give it with a pleasant soul and not to hate giving it. For among the characteristics of the hypocrites is that:

“They do not spend except while they are unwilling.” [Qur’an, 9:54]

And as far as the believers, Allah Almighty praised them that their eyes welled with tears in sadness because they could not find something to spend. Allah Almighty said:

“Nor [is there blame] upon those who, when they came to you for you to take them along, you said, “I can find nothing upon which to carry you.” They turned back while their eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allah].” [Qur’an, 9:92]

Respected brothers and sisters! Once again, we are reaching out to you to join us in our noble cause to provide daily meals for 3,000 orphans throughout the noble month. As usual, your support will ensure that those orphans, widows and those in need can break their fast with dignity and nourishment. Every donation counts in making a difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters during this blessed, merciful and sacred month. Donate now to help us reach our goal and spread the blessings of Ramadan to those who need it most.

As usual, we sincerely seek your financial support, your help, your assistance, your donation and your contribution about the Ramadan Feeding for our orphans and the students under our care in our Islamic schools. Your support is highly needed for Allah’s sake, FISABILILLAH!

We sincerely solicit for your kind and sincere contribution towards the good and great work of Iftar for our orphans and our students; and the development of our schools and Islamic Center financially, materially and morally.

Our aim and objective always is to have a standard Islamic center and Arabic/Islamic schools for orphans and less privileged children.

We are soliciting also, if you want to pay your this year’s Zakah our great Islamic center is waiting for your kind and merciful gesture. Sincerely, your donation will help distribute iftar food for our orphans and our students.

Remember, the blessed and merciful month of Ramadan will not be the same without our families, but unfortunately this is not a privilege enjoyed by everyone. This is the reason we’re steadfast in planning to provide food for the orphans, widows and students under our care!

We planned to be distributing food package that worth amount up to 3,000 orphans In Shaa Allah, this year.

And your contribution is highly needed as usual. May Allah rewards all your efforts and your good deeds, ameen.

Allah Almighty says:

“If you support the course of Allah, He will support you.” [Qur’an, 47: 7]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever relieves his Muslim brother of a hardship from the hardships of this world, Allah shall relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Judgement. And whoever makes things easy for a person in difficulty, Allah will ease for him in this world and the Next. Allah is forever aiding a servant so long as he is in the aid of his brother.”

And he (Peace be upon him) said:

“Every act of goodness is considered as Sadaqah.” [Bukhari]

Please donate to our Ramadan iftar food package project. With your support we can provide essential food Items and help alleviate the difficulties and bring ease to the orphans, needy, women and children who have been affected the most by the insecurity, cost of living crisis, inflation and world economic crisis.

Please keep helping the cause of Allah with Allah’s money. Whoever gives for Allah, Allah will give him more. Donate to the Nagazi-Uvete Islamic Center.

This is our account details as follows:

1. Account no. – 0048647196, GTBank

2. Account no. – 1779691620, Access Bank

For more enquiries contact, Imam Murtadha Muhammad Gusau, the director and Imam Of the Center: 08038289761.

And to donate food directly or sallah cows and clothes, etc, contact the following Numbers: 08038289761, 08056557477.

Jazakumullah Khairan as you kindly contribute.

Dear brothers and sisters! Ramadan is a time of reflection, prayer, and, importantly, giving. Among the pillars of Islam, Zakah stands as a testament to our Iman (faith) and commitment to helping those in need, purifying our wealth, and cleansing our souls.

Zakah, is not just a charitable act but a mandatory obligation for those who meet the necessary criteria. It is a means to redistribute wealth in society, ensuring that the less fortunate are cared for, and serves as a reminder of the blessings Allah Almighty has bestowed upon us. Allah Almighty said:

“Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah’s blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” [Qur’an, 9:103]

Furthermore, the Qur’an warns us about the dangers of neglecting this duty of Zakah.

As many of us choose to fulfill our Zakah during Ramadan, the reward for our good deeds is multiplied.

This Ramadan, let us seize the opportunity to purify our wealth through Zakah, drawing closer to Allah and embodying the spirit of generosity and compassion that defines our Ummah.

May Allah accept our fasts, prayers, and charitable acts, and may He grant us the strength to fulfill our obligations with sincerity and devotion.

I pray, May Allah Almighty make us among those who give charity joyfully, plentifully and freely such that our left hand does not know about what our right hand spends. Indeed, Allah is All Hearing, Answering.

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our Prophet as our Lord commanded:

“Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.” Qur’an, 33:56].

Ya Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

Ya Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.

Ya Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.

Ya Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge.

Ya Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.

Dear servants of Allah! Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.

Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.

And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.

This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, 12 Ramadan, 1445 AH (March 22, 2024).

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