Why Many Muslims Go Back To Their OId Ways…

…After The Holy Month Of RAMADAN

• What Sheikh KEHINDE TIJANI Said

Ramadan 1444AH (2023) which was just concluded, no doubt, left Muslims with lots of lessons they must not throw away. After the completion of the strict observance of the 29- or 30-days fasting period, Muslims are expected to continue the modest lifestyle they have adopted till next year Ramadan. But this is not the case on many occasions as Many Muslims get totally derailed thereby returning to their old sinful ways immediately Ramadan ends.

City People Reporter JAMIU ABUBAKAR (08085185886) had a chat with the National Missioner of Alfathu-L-Qareeb Muslim Organization Of Nigeria, Sheikh Dr. Kehinde Tijani FadluRahman. The well-grounded and highly revered Islamic scholar revealed the expectations of every Muslim in the month of Ramadan, he gave an insight on why many Muslims easily go back to their old ways after Ramadan. He also advised fellow Islamic scholars on how best to achieve delivering a well understood message of Allah to their audience. Below are excerpts from what he said

“The month of Ramadan is a period of re-orientation. Almighty Allah has positioned the pillar of Islam to be a period of re-orientation, re-education, revalidation, and re-evaluation. The underlying principle of Ramadan is in Q2:183. Allah says that Fasting has been prescribed to you as it was prescribed for those people before you so that you will learn self-discipline. So that you may be God conscious.  Prescription is a medical terminology. That is to show that as human beings, we have ailments; physical and spiritual. And this is the period that Almighty Allah wants to heal us of those ailments.

“As Muslims, the reading of the holy Quran is mostly done in the month of Ramadan by many Muslims. Though some Muslims engage in the reading of the Quran on a daily basis while some people will engage more in the reading of the Quran during Ramadan. And that is why we have places of Tefsir where people would be given explanations about the holy Quran. It beholds all Muslims to learn consciously at that time. This is because they have missed the 4 walls of the classroom, they are now engaging themselves in the mosque during the month of Ramadan.

“The Mosque is the centre of learning in the history of Islam. So, when we go to a mosque in the month of Ramadan, we go there to learn with full concentration. Not just to admire the scholar or the reciter. Most of us live in fantasy. Oh! He has a beautiful voice. But that’s not what we need. It is good on its own. It is part of reading the Quran. The knowledge being passed is very important to us.

“It is because many of us do not concentrate on the learning. That’s why immediately after Ramadan, all we have learnt will just vanish. Because our minds are not there. We only listen, not with attention. And if you do not listen with attention, there would be no retention. When there’s no retention, there would be no adequate reproduction. So, my message to the Muslims is that in the month of Ramadan, we should listen attentively. That’s what Almighty Allah has told us that when the Quran is being recited unto you, listen; Keep quiet! Because that quietness would bring in the attention. It is then you would be blessed with whatever you have listened to.

“My message to the Muslims is that we should listen attentively to the scholars. Then the scholars who want to teach the word should have pure intention. I think Seidina Ali was reported to have said that whatever comes out from the bottom your heart will enter in the heart of the listener and whatever comes out just on the lip service, it will just stop at the ears, not inside. It will just stay outside the ear. So, we as scholars and teachers, we should examine ourselves.do we want to impress people listening to us or we want to pass the message of Almighty Allah. If it is the impression we want to give, it will live at that impression but if you want to pass the message, the message would be passed. It would be assimilated and it would be applied. May Almighty Allah bless His Ummah!

LET’S MEET SHEIKH KEHINDE TIJANI

Sheikh Dr. Kehinde Tijani Fadlu Rahman is an Islamic and academic scholar par excellence. He is a rare breed of scholar the Muslim Ummah take pride in. Dr. Kehinde Tijani, who has long bagged a PhD In Arabic Literature is the twin brother of the renowned Islamic scholar of blessed memories, Sheikh Taiwo Tijani who founded two prominent Islamic organisations in Nigeria; NASFAT and Fathiu Qareeb. Dr. Kehinde has excelled in both his Islamic education and western education. He is well read and possesses quite intimidating credentials worthy of emulation by the younger generations of Islamic scholars. Prior to his doctorate degree, he studied Arabic language at the University of Ilorin in Kwara State. He then proceeded to the University of Ibadan, Oyo State for Post Drama Diploma in Education before he went further to acquire 2 Masters degrees; one in Communication Art (specialising in Advertising) and the other in Arabic Language from the UI and Unilorin respectively. SHEIKH Kehinde Tijani rose from being education officer to director cadre in the Federal Ministry of Education. He is retired but not tired as he is fully into the service of Allah occupying the position of the Chief Missioner of Fathiu Qareeb Society of Nigeria.