* Concludes training forum in Abuja, Lagos, Oyo
By Mujibat Taiwo Alamutu/ Abuja
Building a sound Muslim home requires the joint efforts of both the husband and wife. While the husband looks for legitimate means to provide the needs of the family, the wife takes charge of the home front and the upbringing of the children.
These were the key points raised by speakers that graced the formal closing ceremony of the 29th National Al-Mu’minaat Training Forum (NATF) held on Saturday, December 30, at Government Girls Secondary Schools, Maitama, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, with the centralized theme, ‘Strengthening the Muslim Home’.
It was attended by representatives of notable Muslim organisations including Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) and Alfathu-l-Qareeb Muslim Organization of Nigeria (Qareeb), among others.
Muslim News gathered that the NATF Abuja which featured fiqh, guidance and counselling, hadith classes Qur’an classes, health talks, was attended by delegates from FCT, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina, among other Northern States.
The Lagos Zone which held its at Vanguards Academy, Ijebu-Ode, had participants from Lagos, Ogun and Edo/Delta States.
The third Zone, Oyo attracted delegates from Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Ondo and Ekiti States at Al-Ameen Comprehensive School, Oyo town, for the training programme held between Thursday, December 28 and Monday, January 1, 2024.
Societal vices threatening foundation of homes: Hajia Shafi’i
The guest speaker at the Abuja Zone’s formal closing ceremony, Hajia Bushrat Adeola Shafi’i, a Director at the Lagos State Ministry of Education noted that the foundation of many homes with their very existence is being threatened due to plethora of crises in the society, stressing that it has distanced many families from Allah.
She said, “There is no gainsaying that there is serious crisis in our homes, and this is not just starting. It is something that has been there for a long time but it is now finding its way into Muslim homes, shaking its foundation. I hereby call the attention of our sisters to these ugly situation for them to guide against this crisis in their respective homes.
“Many homes are far from Allah. Some people only believe in their power and the power of their achievements rather than depend on Allah for everything they need. They think the more they strive the more they get, irrespective of the will and power of Allah.”
The guest speaker underlined financial problem as another factor shaking the foundation of Muslim homes, noting that it has torn many homes apart.
“Basically, the foundation of everything is finance. For you to sustain and be able to live comfortably, you cannot take away the issue of finance. So in most homes, there is unemployment or underemployment. Those who are even working are not earning enough that can take care of their families. This has created a lot of crisis at homes, which causes members of the family to be separated from one another.”
The guest speaker urged Muslim parents to return to Allah by taking their religious obligations with seriousness, while also working on their moral and financial stability from halal (legitimate) sources, in order to make the home and society a better place.
“The first thing is to flee to Allah. All of us should return to Him, that’s is the only hope that we have today. Realising that Allah has made us to exist and He is the one that has the capability over our sustenance. So whatever we want to do, we should be dependent on Him and make sure that we always maintain a very good relationship with Him.
“We should also be spiritually upright. Both the husband and the wife should observe all religious duties, starting from the daily solawat, fasting, reading the Qur’an, chanting adkhar, doing voluntary acts of ibaadat,” she said.
“Then we should also be morally sound. Being morally sound means we need to do things differently. Today, we find out that the slogan: “the end justifies the means” is the motivation behind people’s actions. So, we see people engaging in a lot of atrocities. Eventually, what they want to achieve is that they want to acquire wealth. That is why you see a lot of internet fraudsters, a lot of people doing rituals, just for wealth. But as Muslims, we must be morally sound and upright. Earn a living from legitimate sources.We must move away from all the vices in the society and distinguish ourselves as the best community that Almighty Allah described us to be.”
We have roles to play in strengthening our homes – FCT Amirah
Addressing the delegates, the FCT, Abuja Ameerah of the Muslim Women Organisation , Hajia Mutiat Modupe Sadiq said the prevailing moral decadence which has penetrated many homes and by extension, the society informed the choice of the theme.
According to her, “There are many cases of divorce and broken homes in the society. This development calls for serious concern. We are beginning to experience this in our midst as well. And if one considers the way children of nowadays are behaving, including children of Mallams and Mualimaat; some of them are into internet scams. A lot of atrocities is now going on. We have serious roles to play in strengthening the foundation of the home. That was why the organisation chose the theme.”
The Ameerah quoted Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as saying that ‘Women are the builders of the home’.
“The Prophet (SAW) also said that ‘The paradise of a child lies beneath the feet of their mother’, which is our motto. It is a woman that can strengthen the home. Though, men also have roles to play, they are not always around. They are outside, looking for job and seeking for what the family will survive on – clothing, feeding and accommodation. So, the women are the ones at home. If we can bring up these children in the way of Almighty Allah, the society will surely change for better,” she said.
We’re witnessing loss of Islamic, societal values: National Amirah
The representative of the National Amirah of Al-Mu’minaat, Dr. (Pharm) Hafsat Daud Adesina noted that the Abuja version of the camp was great. She expressed satisfaction with the turnout of Muslim women from various states.
“We have turnout from all the local governments in Abuja. We have from other states like Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Benue, among others. We can also see that post-Covid, people are now coming out to attend programmes physically. At least, the last two years we were not able to have it, but AlhamduliLlah, this is the second we are having after the pandemic,” she said.
Also speaking on the choice of the theme, Dr. Adesina lamented the prevalence of moral decadence in the society, saying the Al Mu’minaat hopes to correct this through the family unit, particularly the mothers.
“This year’s theme is very apt. If you see the decadence that has happened within our community, you will realise that the family unit has a problem. And if there is a problem in the family, it means the community will also have a problem.
“The kind of homes we see now is where the father goes left, the mother goes right, and the children are scattered all over. There is nothing that is holding them together; no societal values, no Islamic values. Everyone is just doing what they feel is correct. That is why we have come up with this theme to call us back to what we are supposed to do as mothers of the believers. This is the era we should all return to the basis. We need to come together as mothers to chart a way forward on how to take care of our homes,” she said.
There is nothing as good as bringing Muslims together: Participant
One of the participants, Hajia Hadeezah Temitope Ahmad, a disease surveillance officer with the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), stated that the camp was lovely. She was excited by many aspects of the camp activities, stressing that she would be taking home a lot of lessons.
Though, it was her first time at the Al Mu’minaat camp, Hajia Hadeezah wished she had been participating for a long time.
“It’s a lovely one. There is nothing as good as bringing Muslims together, to remind ourselves of our responsibilities to ourselves, our homes and our society. The world we live in today is designed to essentially negate everything we stand for as Muslims. So every opportunity to remind ourselves who we truly are and what our core values as Muslims are, especially for the young and aspiring mothers, is very important.”
Hajia Hadeezah Ahmad advised that children should also be involved in the camping programme, and urged that awareness be increased to involve more people.
