Friday Sermon

In the name of Allah Who states if anyone saved a life, it will be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land” Quran5:32

Peace and blessings of Allah be upon His noble servant, our master Muhammad (SAW) and his purified progeny. Sha' ban is a very significant, historic and eventful month.

The events include the birth of Imam Husain (AS), on the 3rd, 3 years AH; Imam Ali Zain al – Abideen (AS), 5th, 38 years AH; Abul Fadhl al-Abbas 4, 26 years AH; Ali al – Akbar whose birthday is considered a day of the youth in the Islamic Iran, and Imam Muhammad al – Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance on 15th, 255 years AH.

Equally, the Islamic Movement commemorates the birthday of Sheikh el-Zakzaky on the same date. Nisfu Sha' ban or 15 days is uniquely observed preceded its night full of significant activities.

The Islamic movement traditionally commemorates the event in a colourful celebration centrally in the presence of its leader. (COVID-19) pandemic is today’s topic.

Based on the Johns Hopkins University monitored data, the global statistics on infection above 800,000, with death nearing 40,000; United States (164,603), Italy (101,739), Spain (87,956), China (82,240), and Germany (66,885) accordingly topping the list.

The disastrous pandemic terribly affects the global economy and other sectors of human endeavours. As such, the economy faces an unprecedented recession that could not be precisely predicted.

Oil prices now languish at 17-year lows as a pandemic threatens global recession on market dynamics. The recent forecasts on pension funds purchase in stocks before the end of the terrible quarter was estimated within a range of about $20 billion to over $200 billion by Wall Street.

Several strategists expect a lower rate of the range raising concerns on what could happen next month.

It is very clear that as the international community places their nations in lockdown, they equally take passionate measures to ensure the welfare of their citizens with extraordinary stimulus packages.

In a Fox interview, President Trump has signed the US $2.2 trillion emergency funding package “could go up further because we’re going to help Boeing and we’re going to help the airlines.”

He also added that there are many companies that were “in great shape three weeks ago all of a sudden they are you know, struggling for survival. These are companies that never thought about survival”.

It is critical to understand that companies who did not.

2. Think about survival and piled on record debt to waste billions on share buybacks were not “in great shape three weeks ago” and their managers should be fired, not rewarded with bailouts and bonuses. With the US, currently, the epicentre of the pandemic, over 1,000 New Yorkers have died and more than 38,000 have been infected.

Dr Ross MacDonald, the chief physician at Rikers Island, expressed a need to decongest prison facilities to avoid a humanitarian disaster, as hundreds of staff and prisoners tested positive.

Such measures were comprehensively taken in European and Asian countries covering special researches on the (COVID-19) to save humanity.

Like America and Asia, the African data is on the increase. The situation in Nigeria also takes the same trend with the lockdown of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun, in addition to other states placed by their respective governors following their situation.

The need for comprehensive and well-managed measures especially for her population and economic equations cannot be overemphasized.

Invariably, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky (H), remains a great personality symbolizing peace, patience, endurance, unity and progress. For more than four years, he was a victim of heinous persecution on an unprecedented scale.

On baseless reasons, he and his disciples were attacked by the Nigerian army between 12 to 15 December 2015 where about a thousand innocent citizens were brutally massacred.

Ever since the Islamic Movement requests for his unconditional release, his wife and other detainees; release of those buried in mass graves for proper Islamic burial; compensation for destroyed facilities and bringing to book the perpetrators.

International and local human rights and civil liberties groups persistently call for justice though falling to the deaf ears of authorities.

In what the chair of the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, an august umbrella of about 30 Islamic and other nongovernmental organizations of Global network for justice, Masoud Shadgerah described as a late but positive response from authorities was the assessment of the Sheikh and his wife's health 8 months back by foreign experts from India.

He said if the government had done well, that could have been a starting point to the solution of the pending problem.

It could be recalled that the Sheikh and his wife had very complicated health problems when they were allowed assessment more than six months ago consequent to his lawyers insisted requests. Then, visiting consultants arrived in the country and successfully ascertained their condition.

The Sheikh was diagnosed with multiple complications as he lives with many pellets including his remaining eye.

His wife also has similar complications. The experts certified as observed much earlier that they needed medical attention of experts abroad. No sooner, the report was made public, individuals and organizations renewed calls for prompt

action including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Later, the Sheikh

3. went to India for medication but due to alleged connivance of the two governments, he finally returned unattended. Since then, their situation continued deterioration in detention facility from which they were finally transferred to dilapidated Kaduna prison.

In different press releases, by the Chairs of London based Islamic human rights commission, Academic and Media fora of the Islamic Movement, the alarm was disturbingly raised with regard to the condition of elderly and ailing Sheikh and his wife in the dilapidated facility amid an increasing spate of the (COVID-19), reiterating the urgent and unconditional release for the duo.

In view of this, I want to emphasize this for the Nigerian government to bring an end to this problem by obeying the Justice Kolawale verdict of 2016 on their unconditional release and compensation which all peace-loving citizens and our well-wishers strongly emphasize.

At this juncture, it is pertinent to state the fact that leadership is not a privilege but a big responsibility that must not be taken for granted.

Leaders should know that they are custodians of the people and are accountable to Allah for this trust given to them. And the essence of governance is to ensure justice and improve the socio-economic well-being of the society.

Shaikh Usman Bn Fodio, the great social reformist of our region, in an oft-repeated quote said " a kingdom can endure with unbelief, but it cannot endure with injustice.

Wassalamu Alaikum.

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