Muslims must stand for equity, justice to build better society, say scholars

Muslims across the country have been urged to stand up for justice, equity, and fairness to avoid anarchy and disorder in society.

The guest speaker at the Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN) 35th triennial national conference and Chairman National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, said any demonstration or protest that accidentally led to the destruction of life and property is un-Islamic.

Hassan, while delivering a lecture on ‘Protest, demonstration & Civil Disobedience in the light of Islam’, said Muslims cannot afford to stand aloof when there are injustice and oppression in the land, they are expected to be the conscience of the society, but they should not participate in the destruction of properties.

“The Quran expects Muslims to lead others in doing good, enforcement of righteousness, and repulsion of evil. That is why Almighty Allah says in Q3Vs104 ‘let there arise among you a group of people inviting to all that is good enjoying what is right and forbidding what is wrong’ it is on the basis of this verse that Allah (SWT) described the Muslim as the best of mankind,” he stated.

The NAHCON boss noted that any attempt to be tongue-tie when there is injustice in the society would also make one be culpable and guilty.

“Allah (S.W.T) said we should fear fitnah because it is not only those who are wrong that will face the consequence, those who choose to be silent will also be subdued. That is why the Prophet (S.A.W) said the best Jihad in the sight of Allah is to speak the word of justice to an oppressive ruler,” he quoted.

He noted that when there is hunger, there will be anger, and where there is anger there will be a protest but Muslims must be very wary of protest and demonstration.

The National President, Alhaji Tajudeen Ojikuti, said the end result of the EndSARS protest was not indeed palatable to the extent that government property which belongs to all was destroyed and innocent citizen property was destroyed due to the fact that the initiators of the protest did not see this coming.

“ The government should look for a common forum or create fora where they can interact with the youths so that they can reinvent their feelings. We must create such a forum because this is the only way to reduce tension when people see what is either wrong or what they perceive as wrong.”

Member of Board of Trustee, Alhaji Folohusho Olaleye, urged parents to mentor their children on anger management.

“ Nigeria parent must recognize that they have a role in mentoring by creating room for youths to ventilate their feelings.”

He advised the youth to be patient, the EndSars protest has shown us that going out to the street may not necessarily solve the problem but aggravate what we have as tensions in the society and create further problems.

“I will advice them to maintain patient but I will also advise them to be creative because in the means of anger we still have many Nigeria youth who are creative and who are seeking for means of comparing themselves”.