Bismillaah
Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem
THE
DEGENERATION OF THE GENERATION
(Being excerpts of a
sermon delivered by the Chief Imaam, Fountain University, Osogbo, Sheikh
Abdul-Hafeez A.A. Adedimeji, in the University Main Mosque on Friday, 22nd
of Sha'baan, 1435 A.H. corresponding to 20th June, 2014 C.E.)
My dear muslim brothers
and sisters! Prices of commodities are sky-rocketing! The women are walking on
the streets half-naked! The mosques are empty! Allaah's injunctions are not
being implemented in the lives of people! Thieves, crooks and fraudulent people
are being celebrated, appointed and nominated to occupy the exalted positions
meant for men of impeccable character! The so-called honourables are, in fact,
devoid of honour and integrity in their handling of affairs of fellow
compatriots! The pious people are being castigated, ridiculed and called names
that they do not deserve! The Mujaahiduuns are being molested, chained and
imprisoned in most countries of the world all in the name of global war against
terror!
What we notice is the
fact that the leaders and the led are telling themselves what each of the two
groups want to hear and not what they need to hear! Deceits, empty promises and
exaggerated achievements (the so-called dividends of democracy) are the leaders
are feeding the followers with while the followers pay them back with
sycophancy, sabotage and double tongue! Our leaders are dealers in the trade of
self-esteem and personal aggrandisement. They become elated when they are praised
to heavens but they get stroppy when they are served with home truths they
deserve to know about themselves! Generally speaking, people are shameless in
the way they call others to act in their interests while Allaah's injunctions
and compliance with His dictates are being relegated to the background! Politicians and leaders in positions of
authority are busy reminding us through campaigns, jingles and rallies that
voting is our right and we should defend our votes on election day but fail to
emphasise that wearing hijaabs and praying on time at schools and workplaces
are our our rights and we should defend these natural and religious rights? Who
is fooling who?!
Dear listeners! Fornication
and adultery are gradually being accepted as realities of the modern time while
the institution of marriage is being relegated to background as many people
prepare to shun it! Women are being encouraged to abandon their traditional
role of child rearing and home management in the name of women emancipation and
sexual equality! (The international Beijing Conference of 1994 resolved that
women worldwide should be giving 35% of public positions and various
governments including our own are blindly complying with it not minding the
social implications of abandoned children that will lack necessary
home-training that all human beings need in other to be truly humane!) Indeed,
in many countries, many states, many ministries, many agencies and many government
parastatals of the world women are now piloting the affairs of men! I pity the
present-day child who is either entrusted to the hands of ill-trained
house-girls and nannies or forced on the day cares, nurseries and creches at the
tender age of one or even younger as if he\she is motherless! The dictionary
definition of the word "crèche" is amusing and annoying at the same
time. According to A.S. Hornby's Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, a
crèche is "a place where babies and children are looked after while their
parents are working, studying, shopping, etc." For Allaah's sake, is
either working, studying or shopping much more important that looking after the
special gifts of nature?!
Religiously speaking,
any work, study or shopping that denies a child that is below two years of
his\her mother's company four hours does not worth the sacrifice. Allah has
prescribed who and how to cater and shop for the nursing mother where He
decreed thus: {233. The mothers shall give suck to their offspring for two
whole years, if the father desires to complete the term, but he shall bear the
cost of their food and clothing on equitable terms. No soul shall have a burden
laid on it greater than it can bear. no mother shall be treated unfairly on
account of her child} (Suuratul-Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verse 233). In the light of this verse, we
can see that any woman nursing a child that is younger than two years and still
being saddled with the responsibility of earning or shopping that will be
detrimental to her interest and overall wellbeing of the child is being
unfairly treated and subjected to shoulder a burden she cannot conveniently bear by nature. You
will all agree with me that a child that enjoyed constant and breast milk at
his tender age is more likely to be healthy, mentally stable and humane than
the one deprived of this critical need. Modern scientists and psychologists
have attested to this fact.
Nowadays, just because
of the inordinate ambition to acquire material wealth and the urge to purchase
all what we want and not necessarily what we need, we have orphaned children
whose parents are still alive! The apathy of duty on the part of these parents
is manifested in the fact that they do not have time for their children. These
children are the real orphan sif we have to stick to the great Shaowqi's
definition of an orphan when he stated thus:
ليس
اليتيم من انتهى أبواه من همّ الحياة
وخلّفاه ذليلا
إنّ
اليتيم من حظّه أن رزق الحيا أمّا تخلّت أو أبا مشغولا
Gradually and
one-by-one, muslims' countries are being occupied by foreign forces and their
common wealth are being accessed by enemy governments!
Another worrisome
manifestation of the degeneration of this generation is the fact that few rich
people are getting richer while the overwhelming majority are groaning under
poverty and some are either passing their nights either in
uncompleted\dilapidating buildings, bridges or even living under scorning sun
with no shelter and abode at all! Surely, the Signs of Yaomul-Qiyaamah and
Amaaraatus-Saa' are manifest for everybody to see and feel! Are we really
progressing or retrogressing?!
Today, in our dear
society, we see religious leaders who promote hatred and utter incendiary
statements because of vain political expediency as we find teachers who connive
with students and parents to cheat. In our micro-society, there are reports of
lecturers who either extort money from students of sexually harass them or are
guilty of both. We have lawyers who break the law and we know how
criminally-minded people in high places decide to study law for the purpose of
knowing how to how to break it with ease. We find journalists who misinform the
public and media houses publishing rumours with some of them losing credibility
and reputation in the process.
More specifically with
our immediate environment, we remember at this juncture that our dear 400 Level
students are completing their academic sojourn in this citadel of knowledge by
next week Friday Inshaa Allah. After today, I may never have any opportunity of
standing in front of them as a tutor or preach to them as the Imaam. It is
based on this reality that I want to urge them to be good ambassadors of their
parents and this university. You should know that it is not the degree or the
class of degree that you bag that matters but what you do with it. Our beloved
children, you should know that education acquisition is a means and not an end
in itself. What is the essence of knowledge without piety and morality? The
ultimate aim of any knowledge acquired by man should be the fear of Allaah that
will translate to better dealings with human beings. Allaah the Omnipotent and
the Omniscient stated this unequivocally thus : {28. It is only those who
have real knowledge among His Allaah's slaves
that fear Him. Verily, Allâh is AllMighty, OftForgiving} (Suuratul-Faatir
Chapter 35, Verse 28).
Brothers and sisters, it is noteworthy to meditate over a statement
credited to the late American philosopher comedian, George Carlin, who lamented
the contradiction while x-raying the paradox of modern live thus: “We have taller
buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We
spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses
but smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees
but less sense, more knowledge but less judgement, more experts but more
problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
“We have cleaned up the air but
polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write
more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We have learned to
rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to
produce more copies than ever but we communicate less and less. These are times
of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits
and shallow relationships. These are the days for two incomes and more divorce,
fancier houses but broken homes….”
The purpose of education is
self-development, character reformation and the attainment of a total man. The
purpose of education is not just seeking employment. If one is employed by an
organisation or government, it is good. However, it is wrong to assume that the
only reward of education is material. Being educated and being rich are not
always the same as being rich does not necessarily translate to being
happy.
It is therefore desirable for our about-to-graduate students to think
of what they can do with their education in terms of wealth creation, selfless
service to others and spiritual rejuvenation. While the National Educational Curriculum caters for the
first and second needs through the introduction GNS courses like Entreprenueral
Studies and Skills Acquisition (GNS 202\204) and Citizenship and Conflict
Resolution (GNS 206), the proprietors and designers of this university cater
for the vital spiritual rejuvenation and Islamic integration
by making Islamic Ethics and Culture (GNS
203), Beginners' Arabic (GNS 105) and Arabic Conversation (GNS 204) for all
students of this unique university. In other words, you have been given a
balanced education that should enable you to swim in you in the murky waters of
life. Perhaps, your earliest exposure to the wider world will be your service
year where the corruption, nudity and favouritism that are orders of the day
will stare you in the face. Please, do not join the bandwagon. Always remember
the products of which university you are. Once again, try to be good
ambassadors of this university and, more importantly, good representatives of
Islaam, the religion that preaches peace, enjoins goodness and decrees decency.
Believing men and women,
as the holiest month of Ramadhaan is fast approaching and knocking our doors,
it high time for us all to repent, prepare to engage in good deeds fervently pray so that our world will
be a better place to be and our Hereafter is blessed with Jannatul-Firdaos.
However, in
accomplishing these tripod tasks of repentance, goog deeds and prayers, we
should beware putting all our efforts in a Hollow Pocket!
What is a Hollow Pocket?
A Hollow Pocket leaks
away the good deeds that are not well done.
A Hollow Pocket may
manifest in various forms of good deeds are not
rewarding because of some undesirable things attached to them. Take a
look at these deeds and actions:
*Somebody performs
ablution in the perfect manner but he\she wastes water in the process (A
manifestation of a Hollow Pocket).
*Somebody gives charity
to the needy people but he\she humiliates or causes inconvenience to them in
them in the process (A manifestation of a Hollow Pocket).
*Somebody regularly
observes superogatory prayers in the night (tahajjud), engages in
non-obligatory in the day (Saowt-Tatawwu') and obeys the Lord but he\she is
irresponsible in his dealings with the relatives, (A manifestation of a Hollow Pocket).
*Somebody bears the
self-denial of hunger and thirst in Ramadhaan but cannot restrain
himself\herself from bullying, cursing and abusing others while fasting (A
manifestation of a Hollow Pocket).
*A woman wears long
garment hijaab that islamically ordained but either prefers the tight and
shape-reflecting one or still uses perfumes while outside her home in other to
tantalise men (A manifestation of a Hollow Pocket).
*Somebody cheerfully
welcomes his\her guests and entertains them well but resorts to backbiting or
condemning them whenever they leave and
depart for their homes (A manifestation of a Hollow Pocket).
Please, for Allah's
sake, avoid putting your good deeds in A Hollow Pocket! Good deeds that you
labour to do on one hand but that will be easily wasted by not earning their
rewards on the other hand.
My dear listeners, we
are in an era of many paradoxes in the lives in the lives of contemporary
muslims. Here are some glaring examples:
*Somebody claims that
he\she is unable to perform hajj because of huge financial requirements but
he\she can afford to spend hundreds of thousands of naira or even millions on
tourist travellings, "owanbe" or "aaremise" parties, lavish
baseless ceremonies like "house warming", political rallies and
celebration of chieftancy titles. Don't we realize that attainment of Allah's
pleasure and enjoyment of His stupendous treasure cannot come cheaply!
*Somebody cannot afford
to buy "Ileya" ram because of its high price in recent times but
he\she has enough money to purchase ipad phones, blackberries, laptops, et
cetera in order not to be left in new vogue. Don't we realize that attainment
of Allah's pleasure and enjoyment of His stupendous treasure cannot come
cheaply!
*Somebody is so busy and
committed to his\her job to the extent that there is no time to recite even
just ten verses of the Glorious Qur'an in a day but he\she "manages"
to get time to make dozens and scores of phone calls, hundreds of telephone
chats and spends hours watching different television channels on either DSTV or
STARTIMES devices every day. Most muslims are fans of either Manchester United,
Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and the likes at the expense of
religious knowledge and time management. In fact, it is claimed by some
observers that ordinary football unites nowadays and religion divides! Should
that be the case when Almighty Allaah has posited that Islaam is the grand
unifier thus: {103. and hold fast, All of You together, to the Rope of Allâh
(i.e. This Qur'ân), and be not divided among yourselves, and Remember Allâh's
Favour on you, for You were enemies one to another but He joined Your hearts
together, so that, by his Grace, You became brethren (in Islâmic Faith), and
You were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved You from it. Thus Allâh
makes his Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,)
clear to you, that You may be guided} (Suuratu Aal 'Imraan, Chapter 3, Verse 103). Don't we realize that attainment of Allah's
pleasure and enjoyment of His stupendous treasure cannot come cheaply!
Lastly, I want all you
to remember that you are muslims and your bodies and souls should be devoted to
Islaam in the forthcoming special month of Ramadhaan. Do not allow yourselves
to be distracted by which country qualifies for either quarter finals, semi
finals or even final match of the on-going world cup tournament. Leave Messi,
Ronaldo, Drogba, Odewinge, Onyeama et cetera and devote time for your Lord in
these approaching weeks of blessing, forgiveness and salvation form hellfire.
Once again, leave FIFA and deal with Allaah the Giver. If you have to be with
FIFA at all, let your FIFA means: Fasting Is For Allaah and not: Federation of
International Association!
O Lord! I pray that You
guide and forgive me and my beloved ones who are the muslims worldwide so that
we will stick to righteousness that leads to blissful life in this world and
the Hereafter.
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