– Let’s buy into dream of hereafter- Ebiti
The Island Muslim Community (IMC) has restated its determination to build a cemetery, hospital, orphanage home and research centre towards ending challenges bedevilling the Muslim community in Lagos State.
Speaking during the event to raise funds for the projects tagged ‘Iftar with IMC 2.0’ the project coordinator, Alhaji Jaiyeola AbdulSalam said the essence of Iftar with IMC is not just to gather to break our fast but to update members of the community on the status of the four cardinal projects.
“Lands and buildings for the four projects have been donated by individual members of IMC. Our star project which is the cemetery, received a boost about three months ago when we got a donation of about 10,000 square meters at Ikorodu to build and develop the cemetery project. Alhamdulillah for the donor who has given us this land pro bono. We have done some work on the survey, we have done architectural drawings and have equally been able to do the total bill to finance it.
“It’s going to cost 211 million (today’s price) to develop the cemetery. The building of the orphanage will be rebuilt to meet government standards. The women and children hospital will be built at Sangotedo and the land donated to us in Osapa will be used for administrative, research and Arabic school.”
He urged members of the community to support the project financially and technically, create awareness on behalf of IMC and pray for the completion of the project.
The Chairman of IMC, Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti urged Muslims to key into social welfare projects to impact the Ummah positively.
“Let’s buy into the dream of the hereafter. I believe it is time for all of us as Muslims to start having institutions, not just only banks. Nobody is going to provide it for us except ourselves.”
Chief Imam Lighthouse, Imam Nojeem Jimoh, commended Muslim brothers and sisters who contributed towards the smooth running of the projects.
“I call on those joining us for the first time to try and emulate, who knows who Allah will use among us to take this project to the next level. Brothers and sisters, please come forward to contribute to the work of Allah and let Allah use you as He has used other people.”
The Ameerah Muslim Sisters’ Circle, Alhaja Adeyemi, appreciated members of the community’s passion for the project.
“I’m so proud of the Muslim Ummah to have gone this far in a short period. I encourage every one of us to accept the fact that whatever we give to Allah will be rewarded in multiple as promised in the Holy Qur’an. So, let us give our best. I pray Allah (SWT) to make it easy for every one of us.”
The Vice Chairman IMC, Alhaji Tijani Borodo, thanked the Muslim Ummah of VGC for hosting the gathering, noting that the primary objective of IMC is to bring all the Muslim ummah on the island together to do things that will please Allah (SWT).
The Guest Speaker, Senior Broadcaster, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Al-Imam Hussain Bin Hyacinth, said the engagement of the Muslim ummah in interest-based transactions is one of the major causes of humiliation experienced today and the outright solution is to go back to the religion of Islam.
He added that the Muslim Ummah’s major challenge is ignorance on the part of Islam and Muslims must go back to seek the right knowledge of Islam.
“We don’t practice what we study. Some of us have the knowledge but we don’t practice it and we use it to suffocate others. We use the knowledge for only our self interests.
“How then do we expect development and progress with this kind of attitude as an ummah?. We have a total number of 57 OIC member states which Nigeria is also a member. Looking at the total GDP of the Muslim ummah which is around 18 percent of the global GDP, despite that, we are still lacking in terms of material resources.
“We can never get a solution from those who are the causes and the principal part of our problem, the West in particular. So, no amount of aid or support that comes from the West can help us but rather drown us in the ocean of problems. Since the West has failed us, why don’t we try the East? Instead of wasting so many resources sending people to the West, why don’t we send them to the Arab world to study? Why don’t we try the east and see what will happen?
“The Muslim ummah is not united, owing to tribalism. We consider tribalism first; we are not bothered by the spirit of Islam. We can never make progress in as much as the goal we pursue as a people, as an ummah is to consider where somebody comes from first instead of competency.”
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