IMAM URGES WEALTHY MUSLIMS TO ASSIST LESS PREVILEDGE
By Hassan Danladi Idris
The Chief Imam of Morris Central Mosque Minna the Niger State Capital, Sheikh Attahiru Bala Dukkku, has appealed to Nigerians especially the wealthy Muslims to assist the poor and the less previledged amidst economic hardship facing the country.
Sheikh Attahiru stated this in an interview with some Journalists shortly after leading the Friday prayers in Minna.
The Imam stressed the need for government at all levels and the wealthy in the society to do more to help the poor in order to reduce poverty and crime in the country.
He also charged traders to desist from hoarding and unnecessary inflating of prices as it is against the teachings of Islam and such act will attract Allah’s wrath and punishment in the hereafter.
Earlier in his Friday Sermon, the Imam urged Muslims to embrace reflection and self examination as steps of achieving Jihad al-nafs (struggle against the soul).
He explained that Jihad al-nafs is the struggle against evil ideas, desires and powers of lust, anger, and insatiable imagination, placing all of them under the dictates of reason and faith in obedience to God’s commands, and purging all satanic ideas and influences from one’s soul.
“This struggle is considered as the major struggle (al-jihad al-akbar) as it is much more difficult than fighting in the battlefield, for in the struggle against the self, one has to constantly battle enemies that are hosted inside his own existence”.
The Chief Imam added that Islamic ethical teachings indicated that the one who succeeds in this struggle can rise above and beyond the level of angels, and one who fails in this struggle will descend to a level lower than the level of animals, and may even be grouped among the legions of the devil.
He highlighted some steps to achieve Jihad al-nafs to include reflection where a Muslim is expected to devote some time every day to contemplate about his duties towards God, Who brought him into this world.
Other steps include Self-examination, and evaluation.
