Muslims Urged to Build for Allah
Lagos
Muslims in the country have been called upon to commit portions of their God-given resources towards building mosques where they can worship Allah, as benefits derivable from such a venture, are bountiful.
This call was made at the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos during the re-launching of the N75 million ongoing mosque project for the school.
In various lectures/talks delivered at the occasion by eminent islamic scholars the topic: "Mosque Building In Islam," speakers stressed on quranic injunctions on the need and requirements as muslims to strive to live up to their faith by observing the teachings of the quran, particularly, as it concerns mosque-building, purity, prayers and charity (zakat).
According to the chairman of the occasion and Executive Director (Finance), Flour Mills, Nigeria, Alhaji Olalekan Saliu, "by no means shall you attain righteousness unless you spend in Allah's cause to that which you love. And whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well" Q3: 93.
He reminded both muslims and non-muslims that wherever they invest in building for Allah (God), they are investing in the future, pointing out that Allah made it known in the quran that when one spends out of what he has been blessed with, you are engaging yourself in a trade that can never perish. This he said was because one is surely going to leap the reward even here on earth as Allah has promised to bless whosoever single-handedly or collectively build a mosque with similar abode.
"Allah is the best provider and the mosques are for Allah alone. So invoke not anyone along with Allah," he said and therefore enjoined all and sundry to endeavour to contribute towards the realisation of this laudable project for Allah and mankind.
In a brief history of the mosque project, a former Vice Principal of the college, Alhaja S. T. A. Ajala, who is the Principal of FGC, Ogbomoso said the idea was conceived in 1983 occasioned by the need to have a place of worship for members of staff and students who used to go from place to place in search of where to worship and practice their faith, even under the scorching sun and rains.
She said following these attended hardship, formal representations were made to the appropriate authorities which led to the approval and acquisition of land in 1996 and the foundation stone-laying on May 14, 1999.
She commended all those who have contributed so far towards the project which she said has reached window level and therefore would like to see the mosque completed in good time to save the muslim community in the school from the hardship they face in observing their faith.
The chief host and the principal of the college, Mr J.A. owoseye said it was the school policy to allow spiritual development of the students hence muslims and christians are allowed some hours on each day of their worship to exercise their faith and worship God.
He, therefore, pointed out that with the increase in number of muslim staff and students, there was need for a befitting and more spacious place of worship that would dignify Allah and elevate mankind.
He expressed disappointment over the slow pace of work on the project which he attributed to lack of funds and urged well-meaning Nigerians and philantropists across the countryirrespective of religion or tribe to rally round the muslim community of the school to complete the mosque to the glory of God.`
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