When Allah (SWT) said to the Prophet (SAW) that “… and you see that the people will enter Allah’s religion (Islam) in multitude…” Q.110:2, many people may not understand the wisdom behind the revelation of this verse until recently when an entire community left Christianity and Idol worshipping to embrace Islam.
What looked like a drama turned out to be a real manifestation of Allah’s statement “… He guides whom He wills…(Q. 28:56) when the entire community in Oke Odan via Tatonukou in the Republic of Benin willingly and voluntarily embraced Islam through the preaching of Le Congres De Musulman, meaning, The Muslim Congress (TMC), the Benin Republic Chapter.
The news of their conversion was confirmed to Muslim News on Saturday, September 25, by the Chief Imam Le Congres de musulman, Imam Sirajudeen Yusuf.
He said the entire community of 60 both males and females and their children embraced Islam, adding that they performed the first Salatul Asr of their lives on Muharram 1443AH, 13th Friday, August 2021, after the Kalimah was pronounced.
Speaking further, Imam Yusuf said some were Christians and some were idol worshippers while some were Muslims only by name.
He said though their conversion was by the mercy of Allah, it was made possible through one of them who invited the TMC to the community after listening to one of their preachings.
“He invited us to the community to preach the pristine Islam to them. Alhamdulillah, they loved it and decided to accept Allah as their Lord and worship Him alone. We made them profess the kalimah and since then, we have been visiting to lead them in prayer, teach them ablution and sermonize on the practice of pristine Islam,” he noted.
Speaking one month after their conversion, Imam Yusuf said, “We have made a small hut as a temporary mosque. We have been sending some of our brothers to lead them in prayer until last week, when we appointed our link persons, Jidmoh Adjai and Yussouf Semayon, to lead them. We have given them some mats and kettles but still need more.
Another Salat Jumat was held on Friday, September 24, as some of the new converts – especially their women adorned in Hijab of different colours, which was facilitated by the Al-Muminaat, the Believing Women Organisation, Benin Republic Chapter.
