AHUON: Navigating To The Next Level

I postponed my rebuttal on “WHY WAS THE PROPHET NOT ALLOWED TO WRITE HIS WILL?”  to another week in order to write on the third Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON), which took place on Tuesday, May 13th, 2014 at the Main Auditorium of the National Mosque, Abuja.
The AGM, with today’s caption as its theme, charted a new course for AHUON, and provided it with new set of leaders in an electoral process devoid of chaos and rancour.
In his welcome address, the outgoing President of AHUON, Alhaji Nasir Mohammed Sala Koko, urged members to call to mind what obtained in the past concerning Hajj and Umrah operations, and compare it with we have today, to appreciate the tremendous achievements garnered during the period of his stewardship. He prayed for the continuation of the cooperation and support of NAHCON and the Saudi Arabian Hajj authorities in ensuring better services to pilgrims.
Alhaji Nasiru also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to address inflation ‘and stabilize’ the ‘exchange rate of Naira to dollar’ so that we can enjoy stable Hajj rates. In other countries, he said, pilgrims pay the same amount of money for five years running due to the stability of their currencies. Fluctuating Hajj rate, according to him, is giving Hajj operators a bad name, and denting their image.
On Hajj seat allocation to tour operators, Alhaji Nasiru, the outgoing President has this advice for NAHCON: ‘…competent, experienced and tested hajj operators are not getting enough allocations. When those with capacity, quality service delivery and genuine interest in the business are not patronized, then the future of hajj operation in Nigeria is best imagined. I hereby humbly request for upward review of hajj allocation by adopting 70:30% ratio between the public and private sector.’
The Special Guest of Honour, Alhaji Muhammad Musa Bello, Chairman/CEO of NAHCON dwelt on the cordial relation he enjoyed with AHUON under the leadership of Alhaji Nasiru Sala Koko. ‘I recall’ Said the Chairman, ‘how some five of you started this association many years ago, at a very great financial, psychological cost. Pioneering, you will agree with me, is a very difficult exercise.’ He then advised Alhaji Nasiru not to assume the energy and expense expended in forming AHUON as loss. ‘It is from today that you will start to rip the benefit’ of your collective exertions. ‘I am saying this,’ continued the Chairman, ‘because I knew what it was, and know what it is now’.
NAHCON Chairman was alluding to the pioneering effort of Alhaji Jelili Animashaun of Al-Hujjaj International Services, Hajiya Fadilat Isa Mohammed of Finest Travels and Tours, Alhaji Nasir Sala Koko of Nazia Air Services and Dr Abdul Waasi Gabadeen. These four together with late Dr Abdul Lateef Adegbite, who was the Chairman, Board of Trustees, initiated what we see today of ‘private sector involvement in the management of Hajj and Umrah operations in Nigeria’.
The Guest Speaker and Honourable Commissioner of Operations, NAHCON, Abdullah M. Mohammad Esq cautioned AHUON on ‘over speeding’ in trying to ‘navigate to the next level’, because ‘speed kills.’ Even though he did not have a written speech, the Commissioner spoke eloquently and addressed the topic professionally. He called on the new leadership of AHUON to seek to ‘harness, but not to disperse.’  He advised them to build on the good works that the outgoing executives started by addressing challenges, avoiding ‘personal, selfish interest’ in the discharge of their duties. Leadership, in his view, is key, because, he said in Hausa, ‘In kaga sallah ta lalace, to daga limanne.’ Meaning, the imam, being the one leading the congregation, is responsible, where the prayer vitiated. The Commissioner extoled the virtues of the outgoing executives in the selfless services they rendered AHUON. ‘In their dealings with me,’ he said, ‘from Alhaji Nasiru, the President, to the last person in the hierarchy of AHUON, none of them has ever asked me for personal favour. Wallahi, I don’t even know the names of their companies.’
The Guest Speaker, therefore, urged the incoming executives and all AHUON members to emulate the commendable traits of the outgoing leadership. He said AHUON should be ‘one, united house’ where members are allegiant to the leadership, where personal opinions give way to that of the majority, and where members pay their ‘dues for the advancement of the association’. AHUON, he said, should spare no effort or expense in becoming ‘a professional body’, like Professional Institute of Hajj Operations in Nigeria.
After this opening ceremony, the meeting went into a closed-door session where outgoing officials made further presentations. Alhaji Nasiru gave report of his team’s stewardship where he traced stages of AHUON’s formation, challenges and achievements, from its infancy to the present position.
The Secretary-General, Dr Abdul Waasi’ Gabadeen presented the ‘Proposed Constitutional Amendments’ most of which was ratified by members. He ended by saying that the National Executive Council, ‘NEC members unanimously considered and ratified the appointment of DR. Abdul Waasi’ Gabadeen as the Executive Secretary of AHUON as from 14th May, 2014 for the 1st term of 4-years with no official salary attached to the office but allowances shall be provided for some basic services rendered or expenses incurred for the Association.’
I did not intend to speak for the duration of the AGM, but listening to what Dr Gabadeen mentioned of not attaching official salary to the Executive Secretary of AHUON, I had to speak. ‘Mr President,’ I began, ‘we are a business concern. We should be able to pay the salary of our Executive Secretary. Afterall, the person nominated and ratified for the post is well known to us. None of us here has put one-tenth of the efforts that Dr Gabadeen is putting, day and night, to ensure that we reach where we are today. We called him Secretary-General, which was an inadvertent misconstruction, he should have been General-Secretary, but Allah made him serve that purpose according to the real meaning of Secretary-General. That is what you have at the Arab League and the United Nations for example. They have Secretary-General, who is the CEO, who directs the entire body of the organisation. Yes, Dr Gabadeen was that and more for AHUON. He oversaw the secretariat, wrote all letters and speeches, represented us with excellence in local and international forums, and was a competent image-maker of AHUON. So, why should we not pay him full remuneration? I think should do that even if he rejected it.’
Members, with some modifications, accepted this proposition. Yes, there should be full remuneration for the office, and not the individual.
The elections brought in Alhaji Abdulfattah Abdulmajeed as the new President of AHUON, who hitherto, was the Chairman of AHUON, Lagos Zone. In his acceptance remarks, President Abdulfattah of AHUON started with Khutbatul Haajah (Innal Hamda lillaah…) which the Messenger of Allah enjoined us to start our public presentations with. He remaindered his listeners that Allah grants leadership to whom He pleases. On the achievements of his predecessors, he acknowledged their efforts in creating, nurturing and raising AHUON to what it is today; that his team will ensure that the tradition they established is built upon, sustained and navigated to the next level. ‘This is a transitional period in this industry.’ He said, ‘the period of Haram Expansion in Makkah and Madeenah. Before the expansion of the Haramain were taking 3 to 4 million pilgrims during Hajj, and about 10 million during the yearlong Umrah season. When the expansion of the Haramain is complete in two years or so, the number of pilgrims in Hajj shall be raised to 10 million and that of Umrah to 80 million.’ Therefore, the President advised members to be more committed in the activities of an industry from where we get our bread and cheese, and which, above all is the fifth pillar of our faith. The post Haramain expansion years will determine who will remain in the business and who will wiped-out the new realities, he said. He expressed gratitude the NAHCON for its advocacy and encouragement in ensuring standard service delivery to pilgrims, and sanity in the industry

Re: What Happened At Saqeefah (1)

Re: What Happened At Saqeefah (1)

Ustaz Abubakr Siddeeq Muhammad

— April 4, 2014

Salam Ustaz. All what U have said regarding Saqeefah and d nomination of Abubakr lacks legal proofs even in Sunni books hence, what Mal Turi said is what we see in Ur books of reference. +234807 933 44 00

Assalamu alaikum, may Allah bestow more wisdom on you. I just read your rejoinder on what happened at Saqeefah (1). I’m trying hard to comprehend this statement “…My position regarding the Caliphate is like that of the pole in relation to the millstone” what does Imam Ali mean pls?… Your piece of Saqeefah, very interesting and cogent proof posed before the shi’as in the write-up is your statement “….I keep wondering why a shi’ah scholar will bother to us us “non-Muslims” to support a position.” May Allah protect us from the indoctrination of shi’ism. Lawal Lokogoma from mx +234705 582 28 25

You equally cleverly avoided the main issues viz;
1. How do you elect leaders in an Islamic setting?
2. Why is the mode different in all the 4 khulafau Rashidun ?

And although needless to repeat what a brother sent to you ….”If the prophet (SAWA) did not appoint a successor why did others appointed theirs just 2 years after and whose SUNNA were they following or is it an acceptable BID A.?”

Bissalam. Isa Mukhtar, Unity Bank Plc, Plot 785 Herbert Macaulay Way, CBD, Abuja, Nigeria, Tel: +234-9 2342553, 4616700  IMukhtar@unitybankng.com

Let me thank my Shi’ah friend, Isa Mukhtar for his vigilance on my write-ups, especially concerning Shi’ism. Often times he will be the first to person respond, even before I see the paper, LEADERSHIP FRIDAY; he normally reads the online version, and sends his queries almost immediately. The above email was actually a merger of two correspondences that he sent at different occasion on Saqeefah and other issues.

Isa Mukhtar’s questions on how to ‘elect leaders in an Islamic setting’, and ‘Why is the mode different in all the 4 khulafau Rashidun?’ are pregnant with issues. He even quoted ‘what a brother sent to’ me: ….”If the prophet (SAWA) did not appoint a successor why did others appointed theirs just 2 years after and whose SUNNA were they following or is it an acceptable BID A.?”

I cannot remember seeing any such message from the brother, but that will not stop me addressing the issues.

There is only a very thin line between the British monarchy and the Shia imams – both claim that their authority to rule is by birth right and God’s blessing – chosen by Him. It is called The Divine Right of Kings; they rule, not by the will of the subjects, but by the will of God.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, during coronations and ordainment into the monarchy, anoints British monarchs with Holy oils. Thus, the British Royal Family’s motto is Dieu Et Mon Droit (God and my (birth) Right – i.e. I rule with God’s blessing).

The shi’ah see the Imamate in the light of divine authority. Occupants of that office are divinely appointed, based on God’s choice, and that no other person has any right in such bestowment. To them, the issue of minority or majority is non-existent in what they see as God’s government. He alone has the prerogative of declaring the leader; the people have no say other than submit themselves to, and obey the designated Imam, and those to come from that lineage, because accepting him is submission to God’s will – The Divine Right of Imam, you may say.

What we see today among the shi’ah people of Iran of trying to trace Imamate lineage to establish divine right to the office, had its roots in fire-worship of their ancestors. The Persians had belief in “the Divine Right of their king (Chosroes), and that his spirit moved from one king to another through his descendants. When these fire-worshippers “converted” to Islam, they adapted this idea, claiming that the Imamah passed down from one Imam to another through his descendants.” Therefore, what many people failed to understand is this mixing, by Shi’ah-Iran, of their fire-worshipping and Zoroastrian practises of old with Islam.

My friend, Isa Mukhtar and his brother, whosoever that is, see succession to the leadership of the Ummah after Allha’s Messenger (SAW), through Raafidhi Shi’ah lens with its Magian, Zoroastrian foundation. Observation through this Shi’ah lens reveals imposition of leadership on the people, willy-nilly, as it is something decided by God.

Electing ‘leaders in an Islamic setting’ is by seeking the consent of the governed. In other words, such leader ‘requires the approval of the Muslim Ummah.’ This vital requirement of contractual agreement between the leader and the people is conspicuously absent in Shi’ism. The Sunni modus operandi is Shura, mutual consultation (Quran, 42:38), in electing the leader. That was the process adopted in choosing the four Rightly Guided Caliphs; it was not based on hereditary succession or the “divine right of the Imams”!

I have established in my response to Sheikh Turi on Saqeefah that Abu Bakr became Caliph through Shura under the consensus reached between the Ansar and three Muhajirs. I have shown also that, given the circumstance in which the Saqeefah meeting was convened, many prominent Muhajirs were not in attendance. To rectify this omission occasioned by the Ansar, a General Bay’ah was held a day later, in which 33,000 Sahaabah swore their oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr. This bay’ah, “consent of the governed”, gave Abu Bakr the contractual right to rule over the people.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs were chosen through the same process. They way of achieving this process may vary from one companion to another, but the purpose was the attainment of people’s approval through mutual consultation.

Overtaken by ill-health, Abu Bakr consulted a number of Companions regarding their position on the next caliph. He summoned Abdur Rahman bin Awf and said: “Tell me about Umar ibn Khattab.” Abdur Rahman replied: “You are asking me about something of which you know better…By Allah, he is even better than the opinion you hold about him.” Then he (Abu Bakr) called Uthman bin Affan and asked him: “Tell me about Umar ibn Khattab.” Uthman replied: “You know him better than us.” Abu Bakr said: “Still, O Abu Abdullah!” Uthman answered: “Indeed, in my opinion, his inner self is better than his outer self and no one among us can parallel him.”

Abu Bakr did not stop there. He consulted all the prominent leaders of Ansar and Muhajirs on the eligibility of Umar. He consulted Sa’eed ibn Zayd and Usayd ibn Al-Hudayr – as well as other great leaders of the Ansar and the Muhajirs. Usayd said: “Indeed, after you O Abu Bakr, I consider him (Umar) the best… No one is more suited to bear the burden of this Caliphate.”

The only dissenting voices in the Shura process to Umar’s caliphate were Abdur Rahman ibn Awf and Talhah. These nay voices however, joined the ayes after listening to Abu Bakr’s exposition of the matter.

This consultation was widened with the involvement of all major figures of the Ansar and the Muhajirs who gave their “consent of the governed” to Umar. During that enlarged meeting, Abu Bakr said to the people:

“I have not appointed any relative of mine as Caliph, and I have not installed Umar as Caliph on my own. I have rather done it only after holding consultations with men of sound judgment. Are you then agreed to his being your Caliph?”

Hearing this, they (the masses) said: “We all agree with your choice and opinion.”

Following this, he (Abu Bakr) said: “You should then carry out Umar’s orders and obey him.”

During his final days on earth, Umar appointed six persons, the remnant of the ten (men to whom Paradise had been guaranteed), to be members of (an electoral) council (shura), and he put it up to them to make the choice for the Muslims. Umar said to them:
“I have deliberated on the matter of Caliphate and have reached the conclusion that there is no difference among the people in this affair as long as it is one of you. If there is any difference, it is within you. Therefore, this matter is entrusted to the six of you: Abdur Rahman, Uthman, Ali, Zubayr, Talhah and Saad.” He concluded by adding, “This matter will remain amongst you alone…deliberate (amongst yourselves)! Choose one of you.”

A tiebreaker was obviously needed among this six-man Board of Electors, so Umar including his son Abdullah with a caveat: he will not be a candidate for Caliphate. He said:

“Abdullah ibn Umar will be there as adviser, but he shall have nothing to do with the matter (i.e. of being Caliph)…If three approve of one of them, and three approve of another, get Abdullah ibn Umar to make a decision.”

Uthman was elected as the next Caliph. Talhah was not able to take part in that assignment as he has travelled outside Madeenah. He returned on the day that people pledged their allegiance to Uthman. He was asked to give his own oath to Uthman, but he asked: “Do all Quraish approve of him?” And he was told they did.

He came to Uthman and the latter (Uthman) said: “You still have your options open; if you refuse to give me the oath of allegiance; I shall reject the Caliphate (for myself).”

Talhah said: “Will you really reject it?”
Uthman replied that he would.
Talhah asked: “Have all the people given you the oath of allegiance?”
Uthman replied that they had.
Talhah said: “Then I approve; I shall not go against the general consensus.” He gave Uthman the oath of allegiance.

World Hijab Day: Dear Respected Sister!

World Hijab Day: Dear Respected Sister!

Sheikh Muhammad Mahmud Turi

— March 14, 2014

In the name of Allah who states “o prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, And the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when out of doors); that is most convenient, that they should be known 9As such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft – forgiving, Most Merciful“Ahzab: 59.
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon His noble servant our master Muhammad (s) and his pure progeny.
Jimadal – ula, the fifth month of Islamic calendar remind the Ummah at least two important historic event namely; the birthday of Sayyidah Zainab, the audacious daughter of Imam Ali and sister of Imam Husain (as). She patiently endured the persecution at Karbala where her brother was brutally and mercilessly murdered by Yazid’s army in the 61st year after hijra.
Secondly, the demise of Sayyidah Fatima al – Zahra (as), daughter of the noble messenger and wife of his brother and chief warrior Imam Ali son of Abi Talib. Her heavenly departure was due to untold persecution she was made to suffer which culminated in her martyrdom on the eleventh day in the eleventh year after hijra seventy days only after the demise of loving father, the prophet (s) at the age of about twenty.
The piece I write about this week is on hijab. The hijab international day was observed on February 1st in 50 countries across the world. America, Indonesia, Pakistan, Britain, Ghana, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria were among the active participants among others.
Interestingly, in the event held in Abuja and some major cities in the country, wives of prominent politicians – executives, senators, ministers including a reverend sister Agatha attended in what we may regard as hijab. Initiated by sister Nazma Khan, a Bangladeshi in America, after a campaign for support from Muslim organizations in a New York school where she studied, sequel to a thorough analysis on the way the women in hijab were intimidated. It is essentially to declare to the world that wearing hijab has nothing to do with barbarism but rather a sign of liberty and freedom in Islam and Judao – Christian civilizations.
Hijab literally means a cover, a veil a barrier or a protection. In addition to the physical cover however the ethical dimension is highly emphasized. So the philosophy behind hijab in Islam is to protect the society from immoral tendencies that may come up due to immodest dressing. The Jilbab referred in the verse above is the outer garment that women were asked to wear which covers and protect them from molestation as Allah said. So it means that a woman should cover herself completely with exception of face and palm. In fact covering of the face is also encouraged in case of extremely beautiful women. So Hijab, in this context is not peculiar to Islam alone as it is very apparent in Judeo – Christian cultures to date.
The rationale behind the piece is to call the attention of our respected sisters to embrace this culture in compliance with the command of Allah as an obligatory duty not a matter of choice at all. Q24: 31. By extension I emphasize the same on Christian sisters alike as the culture is clearly evident in the Judao – Christian scriptures.
The wives of the prophet – mothers of believers – were first commanded to observe the hijab and avoid what Allah referred as “dazzling display like that of the former times of ignorance” Ahzab: 33. In the same way, Allah warned the companions of the messenger emphasizing the need for communications between the messengers’ wives from behind a veil where necessary.  Ahzab: 53.
There are so many misconceptions about hijab that must be clarified to achieve the desired objective: Wearing hijab is obligatory. It is not optional for those who feel like. And the rationale as we observed is to cover all the body the beauty. So all the beautiful Atamfas, lace, materials and other fashionable clothes should not be exposed except to those permitted by the shari’a.
Hijab is not a uniform simply a cloth which must be LOOSE and UNATTRACTIVE as a condition. That is why black is preferred and is the most used by strictly observing sisters including the orthodox catholic across the world. So is not any designed Abaya a woman can wear in the name of hijab.
Another misconception about hijab is that many thought it is DONE FOR THE STREET. As such when a woman goes out she dresses in her hijab. But she dresses FASHIONABLY AT HOME irrespective of WHOEVER IS PRESENT. This is very wrong as the hijab is meant to serve as BARRIER OR PROTECTION against all men that are neither LEGALLY TIED IN MARRIAGE with a woman nor CLOSELY RELATED IN SUCH A WAY MARRIAGE IS NOT PERMISSIBLE between them. In fact, even if the marriage is permitted on conditional basis, like the case of a husband’s brother that can marry his brother’s wife in the event of death or divorce, the woman must put on her hijab on any encounter with him not to talk of house aides like drivers whose services were either employed by husbands or the women themselves.
In addition to this, sisters of one’s wife must put on their hijab in his presence as abomination of marriage between is temporary since they can marry in the event of death or even divorce of the sister.
So it is OBLIGATORY for our respected sisters to OBSERVE HIJAB in any ENCOUNTER with men, be it in their RENTED RESIDENCES, OFFICES, HOSPITALS or at any other place. Thus the need for girl child education is very apparent here. The flowery designs and what not – KUNSHI must not be displayed to other people not allowed. And use of sock in such a situation will become necessary until it fades to avoid exposure.
However, there is no blame for ladies to appear adorned before their; fathers, sons, brothers, brothers’ sons, sisters’ sons, their women, and slaves whom their right hands possess. Ahzab: 53.
Likewise there is no problem with the adornment of women before the men prohibited in marriage either on direct biological or and marital relations. These include women married by fathers, mothers, daughters, sisters, father’s sisters, mother’s sisters, brother’s daughters, sister’s daughters, foster mothers (who gave suck), foster – sisters, wives’ mothers, step – daughters under one’s guardianship born of wives who were gone in, wives of sons and two sisters at a time in a wedlock. Nisa: 22 – 23.
Going by the rationale behind hijab Muslim sisters are EXPECTED TO BE VERY CAREFUL in their mode of dressing as SCHOOL or PROFESSIONAL UNIFORMS. Stakeholders must play an ELDERLY ROLE IN FAVOR OF MORALITY at all organizations. Thanks to the ONGOING CAMPAIGN in our tertiary and the larger society in the name of MODEST DRESSING.
At this juncture, it is good to share with our esteemed readers few ordeals of some sisters – names withheld – that accepted Islam in America as recorded by Carol L. Anway, in her book Daughters of another path:
The only obstacles that have been placed in my way as a woman have not been from Muslims or Islam, but from the society in which we live. One often feels like a fish swimming upstream in America, like constantly explaining hijab. I have been denied jobs because of my hijab and have been otherwise openly discriminated against. Nevertheless I am truly grateful for hijab. It is liberating in a sense that pro – era women will never know. I feel honored to represent Islam in such a powerful way as to be recognized as Muslim wherever I venture out.
My perception of being a woman has changed. I no longer find freedom in tight pants and miniskirts, but through hijab and modesty. I no longer believe that men and women have to be the same to be equal and that there are roles each are better suited for. At the same time, we all, men and women have our unique, individual talents and need to have the opportunity to nourish them.
I cover from head to toe –gloves, socks, the whole package. I wear a hair cover under a cloak, and I wear a veil. I anticipated so many problems, yet I can hardly believe how easy it has been. I even veiled for three and half years in the united states with no problem. So many people learned about Islam because they were curious about the veil. It is a bit hot, but when the temperature gets over 100 degrees everything is hot to wear! I greatly prefer this dress to anything. Especially people who understand the reason for the veil and dress have been supportive and respectful. I get special treatment everywhere I go here and in the states. Old Muslim ladies will do anything for me. I get great seats on planes, people let me in front of them in lines, and sometimes merchants here in this country will give me free gifts or free service.


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