The Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU) has organised a workshop themed, ‘Towards a sane society’ as part of efforts to enlighten Muslims on strategies to attain a harmonious society as well as promote a healthy community that is free from unethical behaviours.
The event was LEMU quarterly da’wah workshop. The keynote speaker, Yunus Adeniji Raji, said Islam provides a blueprint for creating a sane, harmonious and just society.
“Islam is a comprehensive way of life that emphasises the importance of establishing a society that is built on the principles of justice, equality, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their race, religion, or social status.”
He said that the pursuit of a harmonious and balanced community has been a long-standing aspiration of humanity. “Throughout history, societies have grappled with various challenges, ranging from inequality and injustice, insecurity, drug abuse and moral decadence. By addressing these issues, we can create a society that is not only functional, but also compassionate, equitable, just and sane,” he said.
Raji noted that education should be accessible to all individuals in a sane society. According to him, by promoting education, the society can empower individuals to contribute positively and make informed decisions.
He further said: “Islam encourages the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual growth.” The Quran, he said, states: “Read! In the name of your Lord who created” Surat Al-Ala (Quran 96:1). This verse highlights the importance of seeking knowledge and understanding the world around us.”
Raji stated that by adhering to Islamic principles, the society can be free from discrimination, violence, and moral decay.
“It is our collective responsibility to work towards establishing such a society, where every individual is treated with dignity and respect,” he said.
The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Sheikh Ridwan Jamiu, lamented the breakdown of morals in the society, noting that there is no longer sanity.
“There’s no sanity in the society. No sanity in politics, family, the educational system and virtually everything. How do we sanitise it when it’s obvious that this insanity can affect us too if we want to claim to be sane in society? We or our children may also be caught up in this kind of insanity. We need to look into our situation to address the insanity in society and talk about steps to take in order to sanitise it as much as we can. That is what informed the topic,” the Islamic scholar said.
Jamiu expressed optimism that the workshop would have a lasting impact on the participants.
A director at Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Alhaja Hamidat Mojisola Sanni, said that parents must be intentional about parenting to tackle the moral decadence in society.
“The level of moral decadence in the society is very appalling. The youths are no longer guided and parents aren’t there for them.
Some parents are unparented. We also have parents that are parented but the search for money, hustling and bustling of life has made them abandon the primary responsibility of parenting. So, we just leave our responsibilities as parents, as if it will just happen. Unfortunately, there’re so many pull factors outside that are ready to pull the children away from us and they’re getting stronger by the day,” she said. She also urged parents not to undermine the place of prayer in parenthood, saying they must always seek Allah’s support and guidance.
“We also can’t undermine the efficacy of prayer. Remember the prayer of Prophet Ibrahim. Up till today, we’re still benefitting from it. So we shouldn’t undermine the effect of prayer as parents. We must always pray for Allah’s support. So that in the hereafter we’d be there with our family. May Allah guide us a right.”
In his address, a cardiologist and chairman Dawah Committee of LEMU, Dr Abdurrahman Funsho, noted that the family is the nucleus of any society and that children form their behaviour from observing their parents.
He said that parents are losing focus on their responsibilities in guiding their children to become morally upright adults.
Funsho also said that people in the community must start taking action to correct the ills in society.
“The challenge we have generally is that we complain things aren’t going right, but at the same time, we refuse to participate in the process to correct them. If we don’t participate, things will not change. Newton’s first law of motion says everything is going to stand still as they are until you move them. If we keep complaining without action, nothing will change. So it’s fundamental to our politics that all of us particularly those who feel strongly that we’re going in the wrong direction to take action for our country to move better and serve the majority of our population. We need to stand up and take action.”
-The Guardian