Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
"Subhanallah walhamdulillah walailaha illa Allah wa Allahu Akbar mil'a maa alima, adada maa alima, wa zinata maa alima." Glory be to Allah, the Unconquerable and most Merciful. May the peace and blessings of Almighty Allah (SubhanaHu Wa Ta'ala (SWT)) be upon the soul of the noble Messenger Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (SAW)), his entire household, companions and all deserving followers of his right path till eternity. Today will remain indelibly inscribed in the anals of Okeho, a home town of Late Sheikh Ahmad Saruq Adedaresile-Lawoya, not only for customarily praying for him and host of other deceased relatives but also immortalizing him and his ideals till eternity. Necessary accolades is given to the Chief Imam of Okeho and his entire chieftains, the His Royal Highness Oba Dr. Rafiu Osuolale Mustafa, the Adeitan 1, Kabiyesi the Onjo of Okeho and the paramount Chiefs and all deserving good people of Okeho and its suburbs. The scholars of repute, socialites of fame and title holders of celebration, you deserve unhesitating homage.
Today's opening symbolizes an epoch in the crystallization of scholastic efforts of Muslims in Okeho in general and Lawoya dynasty of Oyo State Nigeria in particular. Sons and Daughters of Lawoya dynasty home and abroad, this honour is actually dedicated to you. Masjid, Musalla, Jami'u, Haram are synonymous household names of Muslim place of worship. Aside from the fact that 'everywhere on earth is made sacred for a Muslim to worship', Masjid remains a sacred place purported for spirituality of essence. Conyrary to Christians in relation to church, Muslims belong not to a Masjid, and this means that denomination finds no definition as far as Muslims' worship center is concerned. This is the more reason why barrier of clime, colour, race or language stands difused with regards to Muslims' place of worship. No denomination, group, infraction or sect finds relevance in who should engage in spirituality in the Masjid. It is to this end that the ownership of Masjid is strictly transmitted at the opening, to the Trustees of the generality of Muslims. Masjid built is tagged a form of endowment with the intention of its reward accrued to the scholar personified to be immortalized, this time around Shaykh Ahmad Saruq Adedaresile-Lawoya. So the Masjid opened today is neither subjected to sales, mortgage, letting, and its land belongs to Allah.
The building of Masjid is made to face the Qiblah '(...So face the direction of the Qiblah (Qur'an 2:144)'. It is a symbol of unity, uniformity, single and simple common devotion, and of course spiritual upliftment. This informs Masjid's importance in their multiplicity. The fact that Masjid contains neither mysteries, sacrament, priesthood nor of presence of wonder-working deities, saints and divinities primes Masjid as a place of reverence. In contrast, Masjid is a place for Salat (daily and Jum'at), Da'wah (preaching), socio-religious and political instructions such as Madrasah, shelter from rain, cold and heat, and for Servants of Allah to concentrate on Dhikr (remembrance of Allah).
Furthermore, the noble Messenger hinted that: 'Determined journey should not be made towards any Masjid other than the three main Masjids in Islam: Masjid al Haram in Makkah, Masjid an Nabawiy in Madinah and Masjid al Qudus in Jerusalem'. In these mentioned Masjids, there appears assembly for addressing peoples affairs, Da'wah (preaching) hall, religious and allowable social and political platforms particularly Daru n Nadwah in Makkah. The Madinan Masjid contains a raised platform for counselling and consultation notably meant for 'Ahlu s Sufah'. The glorious Qur'an alludes to this when saying: '...In houses which Allah enjoins His praise to be chanted...(Quran 24:36). This shows that the acclaimed place of Allah on earth is Masjid.
As an important lubricant which drives the vessel of Islamic sociological, a Masjid built today is not in any way different from the 9th century Qairawaniy Masjid in Tunis, 10th century Azhar Masjid in Cairo, 12th century Cordova Masjid in Spain and of course the 17th century Isfahaniy Masjid in Republic of Iran. To a large extent, most of the above mentioned Masjids later metamorphosed into full-fledged research centers and universities reeling out higher research and scientific outputs to better the lots of humanity.
Fellow Muslims, you would remember in the olden days our fore-fathers used to perform hajj (holy pilgrimage) on foot with nothing less than three to four years on the journey. One year is spent before reaching the Makkah environment. The second year is spent waiting for the Arafah period. After the completion the rites, pilgrims used to return home enroute Cairo, Egypt, with imminent stop-over at Azhar Masjid to mingle with scholars and pupils for more knowledge. It was the new knowledge acquired during the brief stop-over that constitutes part of the take-home feedback given to well-wishers on their return from hajj.
In a similar vein, Masjid serves the purpose of hostel facility for the way-farers, abode of religious personages (Sufiyyun), court, arbitration center, nikah, naming among others. The mosque in this capacity would act as teaching and learning center, center for Tafsir during Ramadan, Maolud Nabiyy, Esoteric worships such as Adhkar of Wirdi and Friday Kubura, and lots more. The unity of the Muslim Ummah of Okeho is a paramount task, the purpose a mosque of the nature serves well.
Mosque planting in this capacity offers vast array of opportunities and eye-opening to the fact that 'what in life is there that a man can do and a woman cannot do it?' By extension, however, this great feat put in place by a woman of Islamic nurture is a honour every well-meaning individual yearns for. One thing is to be blessed with children another thing is to train them in a religious way capable of being succor to parents, relations and others. Shaykh Ahmad Saruq Adedaresile-Lawoya Masjid Okeho, Oyo State is a plus one in the socio-religious history of Okeho Muslims. Fervent honour in this direction goes to one in a million woman Alhaja Saudat Olajumoke Atole Adeyemi (Nee Saruq Adebayo Adedaresile-Lawoya). It is our prayer that Allah accepts this for you as an act of Ibadah.
Fellow worshippers, training of children tops the priorities of favour in life. Today's event inscribes the name of Shaykh Ahmad Saruq in peoples' memory and it lingers on forever. One important lesson that serves as take home from this mosque opening event is the importance of training all children irrespective of their gender. In fact, the noble Messenger Muhammad (SAW) proverbially advised on this when he said: 'Whoever trains a male child has trained only a single person and whoever trains a female has trained a nation'. By implications, however, the incomparable similitbetween a nation and individual's product is better imagined.
Let us recite Ayatal Kursiy (Qur'an 2:155), Suratul Qadri (Qur'an 96), Suratu t Takathur (Qur'an 93) and Bismillah with Suratul Ikhlas (Q111) twelve times and At Tashahhud (At - Tahiyyatu li Llah) till the end for Allah to repose of souls of late Alhaji Ahmad Saruq Adedaresile, Alhaji Abdul Wahid Kewulabi Uthman-Adedaresile, Shittu Saruq Adedaresile and hosts of other people who had transmitted to the glory in the family in particular and in Lawoya dynasty in general. For all those who are still alive we pray اللهم انا نسالك فعل الخيرات وترك المنكرات و حب المساكين وان تغفر لنا وترحمنا ونسالك حبك وحب من يحبك وحب من تقربنا اليك يا ارحم الراحمين يا ربالعالمين. meaning: 'O Allah, we ask You good deeds and drive us away from evil, give us love for the less privileged. Forgive us and bless us. Give us wherewithall to love You and to love those who love you and the love of those who would make us to be closer to you, the Oft Blessing, the Lord of the worlds.'
Till we meet in another edition, thanks for your usual support. Ma'as Salaamah.
# Masjid and its roles
# Endowment by woman
# Training of female child
DR RAZAQ BOLAWAYE UTHMAN, IMAM & MISSIONER ANSAR-UD-DEEN SOCIETY OF NOGERIA IPAJA BRANCH LAGOS STATE NIGERIA. © Copyrights 2025/1446AH.
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