THE Muslim Congress (TMC) has held its 31st annual National Islamic Training Programme (NITP) across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In South-West Region II, no fewer than 733 participants from Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Ondo states converged on SPED International Secondary School in Oyo, Oyo State, between December 20 and 23 for the four-day training programme, which has been described as a cornerstone of spiritual and educational development within the Muslim community in Nigeria.
In Abuja, at the opening of the programme on Saturday at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Kubwa, the guest lecturer, Mr AbdulSemiu Adewale, said Nigerians, irrespective of religious and tribal affiliations, should embrace the culture of peace and unity.
The programme with the theme ‘Sound Creed’ was aimed to deepen faith and promote unity within the Muslim community by emphasising the principles of pristine Islamic creed.
Speaking on the significance of the event, the National Amir (President) of TMC, Alhaji AbdulWa’asi Bamgbala, described the NITP as a vital platform for comprehensive Islamic education.
He stressed the importance of prioritising faith in Allah and encouraged participants to practise Islam with sincerity and dedication.
At the closing ceremony of the programme in South-West Region II, the guest speaker, the Chief Imam of Fountain University, Osogbo, Dr Sirajudeen Bakrin, underscored the necessity of a sound creed for every Muslim committed to practising pristine Islam.
Dr Bakrin said adherence to Islamic creed fosters humility, submissiveness and peaceful relations within society, countering misconceptions that it promotes rudeness or intolerance.
During the fiqh session, the Mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafi’i, delivered a lecture on ‘The Forbidden Trade’ wherein he condemned the glorification of internet fraudsters and warned that illicit trade undermines a nation’s economic stability.
In his tafseer (interpretation) of Quran 2:177, Sheikh Qamarudeen Ballo explained that true Islamic faith must serve as the foundation for attaining righteousness, whether on an individual or national level.
The ‘Personality Profile’ session featured retired Justice M.A. Abass, a former President of the Customary Court in Oyo State.
Justice Abass advocated nurturing healthy relationships between parents and children, emphasising its critical role in fostering personal and national development.
At the opening of the Abuja event on Saturday, the guest lecturer, Mr AbdulSemiu Adewale, said Nigerians, irrespective of religious and tribal affiliations, should embrace the culture of peace and unity.
According to Adewale, it is important to understand the importance of peaceful coexistence as a tool for national growth and development.
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He said: “Unity is at the core of Islam. The first thing we try to do is to achieve unity among ourselves. We now project that through the society. Once we are at peace with ourselves, we can now be at peace with the society.
“You cannot have a person that is conflicted, that has problems within themselves and say they want to achieve unity. If they don’t understand what they themselves are, how will they understand their relationship with their neighbour and the people at work? And that is how Islam can bring about that unity.
“Unity and peace, as I have said, are at the core of Islam. And wherever you have people who understand Islam and practise that Islam, you’ll find peace and unity and the society is bound to benefit from it.
“We want peace in our society, irrespective of tribe or religion, and with this, we will have a lot of common grounds which we can now use to build a society for ourselves and the world at large.”
He added: “What we are simply talking about is the oneness of Allah. It permeates everything that a Muslim does. In fact, it is like when you plant a seed, it is the roots that every other thing that you see outside takes its sustenance from. That is what aqidah is in the life of a Muslim. That is why a Muslim should get it right otherwise everything that germinates out of that aqidah, if it is not right, will not be what Almighty Allah (SWT) intended for us. That is why it is so important.
“And part of understanding that aqidah is for us to also understand tawheed (the oneness of Allah). The oneness one Allah we mentioned is in three parts. One, He is our Creator; He is the one that is worthy of being worshipped and He further describes Himself with certain names and attributes that further expand on the nature of Allah that make us understand Him better.”
The National Amir of TMC, Alhaji Bamgbala, called on parents and religious leaders to guide youths to the path of Islam through constant engagements that will cause them to become conscious of Allah.
“As Muslims, we should know that one of the instruments that can be used to propagate the cause of Almighty Allah are the youths. They are so vital and so important that we need to handle them with care.
“As parents, we know our primary assignment. The Prophet (pbuh) made us understand that we are all shepherds and we will be asked how we directed our flocks (the children). Muslim scholars also have very important roles to play. They should engage the youths through lectures, advocacy and mentoring which are the ways we can assist them.
“These can also be achieved through workshops and seminars. This is one of the responsibilities that Almighty Allah has put on our shoulders as religious leaders,” Bamgbala stated.
