By Bayo Ogunmupe
Reflections on Jumaat Greetings is the compilation of a selection of
Friday sermons by Ibrahim Babatunde Jose, the son of the late dean of
Nigerian journalism and publisher of the Daily Times of Nigeria. A
contemporary of mine at both the University of Ibadan and the Daily
Times, Tunde's sermons spanned over five years, a labour of love and
scholarship. It is a weekly message to friends and loved ones on the
issues of daily living and admonitions on godliness. Jose's Reflections
touch on diverse issues from the Tafsr of the Quran's suras to wider
issues such as democracy, federalism, corruption and leadership.
As a political scientist and researcher in comparative religion, the
author feels called to preach his weekly homily as a sense of duty to
God and the enlightenment of humanity. In this 372 page volume, Jose
reveals the emptiness in life and the good sense in obeying the words of
Allah in the sacred texts available to man. In essence, these weekly
sermons fulfill Jose's goal of directing all humanity to follow the path
of righteousness for; "Is there any reward for good other than good"
Sura Ar Rahman (Quran 55:60).
This fairly
voluminous paperback has 365 sermons on various topics such as failure
of leadership, terrorism, charity, justice, equity and fairness and
revolution. Its foreword was eritten by the Danmasanin Zazzau, Alhaji
Falalu Bello. Reflections was first published in December 2019; designed
by Sonia Graphics and Communication, Lagos, Nigeria and printed in
Great Britain by Print2Demand, Westoning, Bedfordshire. The beautiful
book carries three pages of index.
The
review of this book of wisdom starts from Hope Betrayed, the title of
chapter 2. Since chapter 1 is just an explanation of Salat ul Jumuah:
Friday Prayer; it is better to start the discourse from issues of
Nigerian national concern. The sermon starts with the quotation: "O my
sons! Go ye and enquire about Joseph and his brother, and never give up
hope of Allah's soothing Mercy: Truly no one despairs of Allah's
soothing Mercy, except those who have no faith." Quran 12:87. The sermon
is a discourse on the yawning gap between the haves and have-nots, that
the gap is getting wider by the day.
In two
pages, the author asks if there was hope for the wretched of the earth,
the hewers of wood and drawers of water? "What hope for their children
and their children's children when the hope of the present generation is
bleak and betrayed? Worrisome statistics are being churned out by local
and international organizations on the unbridgeable gap and deplorable
conditions of the poor in Africa. Are our leaders showing enough
concern?" An Oxfam report revealed that the four richest persons in
Africa own 40 percent of the wealth in the entire continent. The report
added that three of the richest African billionaires have more money
than the bottom 50 percent of the population of Africa.
The report said that Africa was rapidly becoming the epicentre of
global extreme poverty. While rapid reduction of those living on less
than $1.90 a day have been achieved in Asia, the number was rising in
Africa. Even after that report it has come to pass that Nigeria has
replaced India as the country having the highest number of poor people
in the world. "Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy, yet the fruits of
its economic growth are not shared equally. Poverty and destitution are
high: around 10 million children are out of school, a quarter of the
citizens lack access to safe drinking water and half are living below
the $1.90 a day poverty line."
"It is
estimated that $24 billion would be needed to end poverty in the
country, which is less than the combined wealth of the richest five
Nigerians. Their $29.9 billion is more than the country's entire 2017
budget." According to the author, compounding the tribulations of the
people are that wages are extremely low and are never paid as at when
due. Jose isn't surprised churches and mosques are filled to the brim
with the poor supplicating to God for help from the pharaohs who rule
over them; which brings him to the concept of hope.
"Hopefulness is an important characteristic of believers and an
indication of their faith. And, since believers know that Allah will
accept their prayers, they have come to regard the present terrible
condition as a part of their test and that eventually it will work out
for the best. Hope in Allah's mercy greatly influences a person's
attitude towards life, sincerity of worship and resolve. Even if they
lost everything, believers can start afresh without the slightest
feeling of hopelessness and with patience and enthusiasm;" Jose's
appraisal of Quran 12:87 and Quran 15:56.
My
second chapter for review is chapter 10: Jihad, Terrorism and Islam in
Contemporary World. It is a discourse of five pages detailing the
problems plaguing Nigeria and the modern world. The author discusses the
activities of Boko Haram insurgents in North East Nigeria. It prompted
him to revisit the concept of Jihad. This word Jihad "has been used in
the western press for decades, directly, subtly to mean holy war. As a
matter of fact, the term "Holy war" was coined in Europe during the
Crusades, meaning the war against Muslims. It does not have a
counterpart in Islamic glossary and Jihad is certainly not its
translation. The concept, holy war, is a wholly western creation, coined
by western historians."
"The etymology of
the Arabic word: Jihad, means struggling or striving and applies to any
effort exerted by anyone.... Jihad can be done with speech, the pen,
lobbying or picketing or the Quran by inviting people to the message of
Islam." Prophet Muhammed gave various guidelines on Jihad: "Do not
dishonor a treaty. Do not mutilate the dead. Do not kill women. Do not
kill children. Do not kill the old. Do not kill those without weapons.
Do not kill those engaged in worship (priests, rabbis). Do not cut down
trees. Do not burn crops. Do not poison wells of your enemies. Fight
only those who come at you." Jihad isn't a declaration of war against
other religions and certainly not against Christians and Jews....
considered as fellow co-inheritors of the Abrahamic traditions by
Muslims worshipping the same God. The prophet said: "The best jihad is
saying a word of truth in the court of a tyrant ruler."
It is the opinion of the reviewer that the slaying and dismemberment
of The Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi, at the Saudi embassy
in Istambul; the killing of Shiites in Nigeria and the revocation of the
Iran Nuclear Treaty are a repudiation of the tenets of Islam. Imam
Ibrahim Babatunde Jose, the author of this book is a graduate of
political science of Nigeria's premier university, the University of
Ibadan. He also holds a master's from the Graduate School of Government,
University of Manchester, United Kingdom, where he specialized in
communications and political development. Jose was also a Michelle
Jackson Fellow at Columbia University, New York, United States. He has
been a staff writer, Investigation Editor, Editorial Board member and
Editor, Times International at the Daily Times of Nigeria Group of
newspapers. Chief Jose was a part-time lecturer in the Department of
Political Science, University of Lagos. A researcher in comparative
religion, Jose later went into publishing with the now rested Lagos
Business Review. At 70 years, he just retired as the chief executive of
his family's commercial printing press.
I recommend this book to all who believe in God and the kind care and perusal of the King Faisal Foundation.
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