Sultan’s counsel to ‘digital’ religious leaders

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) who is also President of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, recently condemned pastors and imams who are after material things while their followers get poorer. The Sultan read this riot act while speaking in Akure, Ondo state capital, at the 2019 annual Ulefunta public lecture. He came hard on religious leaders some of whom he accused of preaching violence to their followers.

Speaking at the event, Sultan Sa’ad urged religious leaders to take caution; adding that good leaders are expected to teach their followers about how to salvage their lives. “Don’t politicise religion. God does not belong to any political party. The bible doesn’t belong to any political party, so with the Quran. If you are a good Pastor or Imam, teach people how to salvage their lives,” he said.

The Sultan also said “This life is a temporary one, the permanent life is eternal. There is a lot of materialism out there”. Imams and Pastors move in convoys with guns, big vehicles saying they are the founders of this church, this Islamic movement; all in the bid to make worldly things for themselves while their followers are there shouting ‘Halleluya’, shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. “They are getting richer and richer and the common man is getting poorer and poorer” the sultan said.

The Sultan further said that while religious leaders must keep telling the truth, Nigerians must not get tired or be afraid of coming together to talk, no matter how tough, bad or negative situations might seem; adding that once we are able to sit down at the dialogue table, we would surely resolve all issues.

As the leader of all Muslims in Nigeria, Amirul Mu’mineen Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar emphasised that mutual communication is very important in our collective hope and efforts at achieving peace and social cohesion. He warned that taking up arms against one another can never be a solution to any of our differences. Rather, such an option is only a means to accentuating those things that divide us. His Eminence, thus, urged religious leaders to always preach peace and to also caution their followers against picking up arms to kill one another because God Almighty created life. This is why the Sultan asked, “How and why then should you take what you didn’t create?”

Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar urged Christians and Muslims to see one another as neighbours. He recalled that he and about 187 world Muslim leaders once wrote a letter through the Pope to all Christian leaders in the world, with a title: “The Common Word.” He explained that there is a common thread between Christians and Muslims, calling for friendship between all.

The Sultan actually spoke well. Indeed, this isn’t the first time Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar would read a riot act to religious leaders. He had done so several times in the past and we believe he would always do the same each time an opportunity to do so presents itself. It isn’t news anymore that peaceful co-existence has remained Sultan Sa’ad’s catchphrase since he mounted the sultanate throne. He is known for proselytizing this virtue with whole-hearted commitment. Of all the words, preaching, advice and caution that came from the Sultan at the Akure occasion, the message that caught my attention most is his counsel for our men of God.

Materialism, ostentatious lifestyle and the characterization of everything that shouldn’t be in the character of a religious leader including deeds divinely classified as forbidden have regrettably become common traits that define the personality of many of today’s religious leaders. For instance, some Muslim scholars and leaders have become more ‘boko’ or modern than many elites who traditionally claim to be western-oriented in their thoughts and actions. What a modern breed of ‘digital’ religious leaders! Indeed, the public and private life lived by some men of God actually make them look more like men ‘of contradictions’ than ‘of God’.

When you sometimes come across the convoy of a religious leader in cities and on highways, you would be prompted to easily conclude that it was that of a minister because the convoy of some of today’s men of God has everything (from personnel to equipment) that you can find in the convoy of a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria including a siren-blaring pilot van, back-up vehicle, chief detail, orderly and armed security men. I really do not know and cannot understand why a religious leader should be so much bothered about material though ephemeral elements of this worldly life.

We are aware of the verse in Qur’an 20:77 wherein Allah (SWT) reminds us not to forget our portion (of the good things) in this world. Yet, human response to this Qur’anic injunction as he goes in search of his share of the comfort of this world should recognize the prophetic virtue of modesty. The Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) teaches us, as believers, to be modest in everything we do. We are required to exercise moderation in our taste of the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, and the houses we live in. the Prophet (SAW) said, “The best of every affair is its middle course”.

Of course, no one is saying that religious leaders or scholars are excluded from enjoying their rights to ownership of wealth and property. Similarly, Islam does not prohibit them from utilizing the legitimate earnings that accrue from their lawful sources of livelihood and commercial activities. However, the manner in which some religious scholars romance with highly placed public officers makes one to doubt if such scholars would have the moral courage to speak the truth or let it be told especially when persons in positions of authority have lost integrity and are seen to be deviating from the path of justice and fairness to all.  A situation where a corrupt public officer or a wealthy criminal remains popular in the eyes of religious leaders for the simple reason that their personal interests are being catered for calls for soul searching among our ‘men of God’.

I once learnt of a religious leader who said, ‘Everything is welcome from those who have. The prohibited (Haram) shall become legitimate (Halal) when it gets to our hand’. I hope this is not true of anyone who qualifies to be called an Islamic scholar. But if this insinuation turns out to be true, then it would lend credence to Sultan’s remark that the gap between religious leaders and their followers is getting wider as the former gets richer daily while the latter gets poorer.

Our religious leaders and scholars are advised to sincerely fear Allah (SWT) and allow that feeling of awe to permeate their public as well as private life. They need to interrogate their conscience with Qur’an 2: 44 wherein Allah (SWT) says: “Do ye command people to do good while ye forget (to do good) yourselves…” May Allah (SWT) guide our digital scholars and keep us all on the path of righteousness, amin. Wishing Nigerians a happy 59th independence celebration!