By Haroon Balogun

Eminent Islamic scholars, Prof. AbdulGaniy Akorede Agbarigidoma of Al-Hikmah University and Sheikh Tajudeen Abdulkareem Al-Adaby, Mudeer, Modrasatul Khairul Adaby, Ibadan have sensitised Imams and different mosque leaders on how to deal with the culture of wining and dinning at burial ceremonies by some Muslims. 

The scholars gave the charge during 2022 annual Imam conference organised by Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU), Lekki, Lagos on the topic ‘Rights of the Deceased’ and ‘Responsibilities of the Bereaved’ .

The even which was held at the Jubrin Ayinka Multipurpose hall of Lekki Central Mosque, Lekki, had about 2000 imams of various mosques and Islamic teachers and preachers in attendance.

The manners to which burial ceremonies are held among Muslims in the South-West have been a major source of concern. 

Offer prayer for the dead, don’t wine, dine — Prof. Agbarigidoma 

Speaking on the topic, Prof. AbdulGaniy Agbarigidoma encouraged that prayers should rather be offered for the deceased than throwing up wasteful parties and celebrations.

According to him, “The Prophet (SAW) said we should be mindful of death. It is part of remembrance of death to return the entitlements of people, seek forgiveness of sins from Allah and observe voluntary prayers. We should have a record for people’s belongings at our disposal. Almighty Allah made reference to death at 140 various places in the Qur’an. This points to the fact that He wants us to be mindful of death.

The varsity lecturer explained how to take care of sick persons in Islam and established that the sick can use different medications inasmuch as they are halal (lawful/permitted) in Islam. He also sensitized the imams on how to perform the Islamic rites, comprising ritual bath, shrouding, prayers, among others, in the point of death.

“I brought a 17-minute video to provide practical guide. I called attention of the Imams to the fact that when somebody dies in Islam, it’s not a call to wine and dine. Rather, we should offer endless prayers for the deceased.

He thanked LEMU for organising the seminar, saying creating awareness is very key.

“Awareness is what most people lack. The program is a huge one. It is a form of seminar for the Imams, who are expected to extend the awareness and knowledge to their congregation. With this program, the Imams would be well informed so that they can spread the message. All these will reform our society,” he noted. .

Causes of proliferation of alien practices in Islamic funeral rites —Prof Gbadamosi

Chairman of the occasion, Professor Tajudeen Gbadamosi, who is also President of Lagos Muslim Community, blamed the desire to satisfy cultural pressures and extort material gains as some of the reasons for alien practices being introduced to funeral rites by Muslims.

Lamenting unimpressive turn out of Imams at the conference, Prof. Gbadamosi said

“There is cause for some pessimism. For example, in this type of conference now, we have about 200 Imams, when in fact, we have thousands of Imams in Lagos State. You may, therefore, wonder what effect can 200 people have on this kind of society in this type of situation.

What the programme is meant to achieve

Chief Imam of LEMU, Sheikh Ridwan Jamiu said, the Annual Imams Conference was a ‘train the trainers program’ meant to enhance the knowledge of Imams and also foster unity amongst the Muslim religious leaders.

“We have so many practices that are inimical to Islamic tenets and are contradictory to the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). We have been sensitising people about it from our own end. But if other Imams do not have that level of awareness about the Sunnah, whenever one Imam says something somewhere and another Imam contradicts it, it creates confusion in the minds of our audience.

“But when the Imams come together and see the true guidance on the matter, everybody is convinced about it and imbibes it. It therefore means that our congregation will hear the same thing when it comes to funeral rites and practices.

“Our expectation from the participants is to be convinced of the message and have open mind so that the message can be beneficial to them. And whenever they go back to their masaajid, they should impart and disseminate this knowledge to them. Their congregation will also understand Islam better and these practices that are alien and dangerous to our faith can be abandoned.”

“Participants were drawn from all parts of Lagos State: Ibeju-Lekki, Eti-Osa, Mushin, among others. We usually cooperate with the Lagos State Central Mosque whose Imam would instruct them to send delegates. We then provide buses in areas where we have conglomeration of Imams attending.”

Other discussants at the event included Sheikh Ishaq Adebayo Tejidini, National Missioner, Rahmat Islamiyyah Society of Nigeria and Sheikh Qamardeen Ajala, Chief Imam, Ajadi Lawal Central Mosque.