UMC tasks Muslims on spiritual purification

The University of Lagos Muslim Community (UMC) has enjoined Islamic faithful to use the Holy month of Ramadan to purify their souls, as this will reduce the high moral decadence prevailing in Nigerian society.

Speaking during the 17th yearly Ramadan lecture of the association, the Chairman (UMC), Prof. Hakeem Olaniyan, said the topic chosen for the lecture is unique, as it is imperative on every Muslim to purify his or her soul through spiritual process from its deplorable state.

“The heart is the troubled part of the body that makes the society turn for the worse. Those who do evil have an opportunity to reflect before they do it and after doing it. If they have a clean heart, they will surely desist from doing bad.”

He noted that continuous admonition would increase ethical values missing in the society. “We can not clean the human heart enough but we must continue to preach unto the human heart for it to do good and abandon evil. The more we abandon doing evil the better the society,” he said.

The Chairman of the occasion, represented by former Lagos State Solicitor-General, Lawal Pedro, said Ramadan has come to remind, enlighten and teach Muslims their duty and obligations to Almighty Allah during and after Ramadan. “The Holy month cleanses our hearts to continue to do what is right at all times,” he said.

The guest lecturer, an Islamic scholar from Iwo, Osun State, Dr. Sirajudeen Bilal Al-Asra, while delivering lecture on ‘The self reproaching soul in Islam’, said Ramadan is a month, which Allah used to clean and purify the human soul as fasting cleanse the body, mind and soul.

He said Nafs (Soul) is responsible for human behaviour, whether good or bad, and it is incumbent on the bearer of the soul to purify it at all times not to go astray.

“Allah created all the souls to do good but as regards the promise of Shaytan to mislead the soul from Allah’s part by inviting people to sinful deeds, so many will go astray by falling for Shaytan’s deceit.”
He noted that the sole reason the Holy Quran was revealed to mankind is to purify the soul.

“Purifying the human soul is one of the objectives of the Holy Quran. Allah swore with the bad soul and urged us to incessantly purify it because he disliked it. The bad soul is our enemy, it encourages bad deeds and we must replace it with a good soul.”

He mentioned that the soul is divided into three parts, though some scholars say it is divided into seven parts.

“The first is the inciting nafs (an-nafs al-ʾammārah), the self-accusing nafs (an-nafs al-luwwāmah) and the nafs at peace (an-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah), these are the three types of soul mentioned in the Quran and the other mentioned by scholars are: The nafs at peace (an-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah), the pleased nafs (an-nafs ar-raḍīyyah), the pleasing nafs (an-nafs al-marḍīyyah) and the pure nafs (an-nafs aṣ-ṣāfīyyah).”

He urged Muslims to stay away from theft, corruption, kidnapping, banditry and all kinds of evil acts prevailing in the society by seeking refuge with Allah.

“The first thing that cleans the heart is doing good. Showoffs, arrogance, selfishness, kidnapping and other evils pollute the heart.

“Today, people are involved in evil acts as if there is no tomorrow. Look at the level of corruption in the country? People steal from government to the extent of not remembering death. Forgetting that those who don’t know how they got the money, will spend it lavishly. On Judgment Day, they will be the one who will account for the money, not those who help them to spend it. So, what is the benefit of amassing wealth that you cannot finish spending?

“Also those caught involved in ritual killings, after eventually wasting a life, they will not get the money and will be punished in this world and hereafter. So, why kill for money when you will continue to receive the punishment till eternity,” he said. He advised Muslims to be cognizance of the five pillars of Islam enjoined by Allah.

“Let us embark in goodness that we can be remembered for, no matter the level of decadency in the society. An act of goodness done for the sake of Allah will always prevail as Allah is a kind God.”