Former Commissioner of
Home Affairs, and famous preacher, Dr. AbdulHakeem Abdullateef has urged leaders at all levels of governance to jettison personal gain, but put Nigeria first in all activities and develop the country for the unborn generation.
Delivering a lecture titled “Preparing the next generation of Muslims for the task ahead” at the the maiden graduation ceremony organised by Lekki Muslim Ummah, LEMU, for the new Huffaz (Quran Memorisers), held at the Jubril Ayinla Multipurpose hall, Lekki Central Mosque, Lagos recently, Abdullateef said no one can attain peace without the Quran, adding that no matter the level of western education a Muslim may acquire, he is ignorant without the knowledge of the Quran. Five young Huffaz received certificates for memorising the whole Quran.
Abdullateef said: “I will first congratulate the Lekki Muslim for taking the lead. This community has led in several sphere. They have put together a mosque that can be described as one of the best in the country. May Allah bless the leadership and follower-ship of this community. The roles that mosque should play in our lives are what the mosque is playing. I also congratulate the parents who have invested so much in the lives of the graduating children.
“The most important thing Allah has placed on us is the Glorious Quran. Learning it and understanding the meaning is a very important thing in our lives. You cannot practice Islam without the Quran. No one can attain peace without the Quran. Unfortunately, today, some Muslim are looking for the peace where they cannot get it. You cannot get peace through business, children, family, power or position. The only source of peace is with Allah and the Quran is the word of Allah. Whoever follows the Quran, no matter how terrible the situation is, Allah will make a way for him. Again, whoever ignores the Quran, he will suffer in life and becomes blind in the Hereafter. Without the Quran, you are not Muslim, you cannot practice Islam without the Quran.
“I urge you all, especially the leaders of this country, do not think about personal gain in the project Nigeria, rather, let us begin to develop this country for the unborn generation. No matter the level of western education you may acquire, if you cannot read the Quran, you are ignorant.
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| From left: Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Shaykh Ridwan Jamiu, Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Yunus Olalekan Saliu (standing) and Guest Lecturer and former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, AbdulHakeem AbduLateef at the Graduation Ceremony of Lekki Qur’an Memorisation College held recently. |
“For the children to understand their roles, the parents have to play their roles first. Many parents do not give Quran education to their children, while those who do so, yet refuse to pay the teachers. We spend N200,000 to N300,000 on our children primary and secondary education every session, yet we find it difficult to pay for Quran education in Arabic school where they are going to learn the essence of life. Some even pay as low as N100.
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| First set of graduates of the Lekki Qur’an Memorisation College with the Arabel CEO, Alhaja Sherifah Andu (right), Alhaja Mulikat Lawal (left) with the graduands from 2nd left: Hanif Oyewale, Hassan AbdurRahman, Yusuf Olopoenia, Abdullah AbdulHakeem, and AbduLateef Anthony. |
“The family institution today is collapsing because people do not understand what the Quran says about it. The Quran without the meaning is useless. The Quran is not only a prayer book. It lets you understand your roles as a husband and as a wife. It is erroneous to believe that Muslim should not be in politics. Muslims should not seat and watch how things work, they should make things work. The Quran you have memorised guarantees you better political, social and economic life. You are going to have peace that is unparalleled,” he said.
