An Islamic Cleric, Dr. Folorunsho Ahmad Hussein Saddam Hanaaullah Fagba has called on the Nigeria authorities to embrace the Islamic model of economic development so as to bring the country out of its state of economic doldrums. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); js">

The University of Ilorin Lecturer, Dr. Ahmad Hussein Saddam while delivering a lecture at the Ashraaf Islamic Foundation 2^nd Maolid Nabiyy themed: Islamic Perspectives on Economic Development: Options for Nigeria, said Islam has a vibrant economic framework that can bring any country out of economic lethargy.

He said that, “Zakat is one of the institutions, a very powerful institution that can raise the Muslim world from poverty, even the world from the poverty.

“Zakat is one of the institution that we need to institutionalize. We have not institutionalized it and we are wasting a lot of wealth. Institutionalizing it is by individualizing the payment of zakat.

“In Malaysia, Google, the zakat house in Malaysia you would see it. I don’t think we have a building that is as high as the zakat house in Malaysia. What are they doing there? They pooled all zakat of the Muslim people in Malaysia in that arena and utilize it for the good of the people.

“I assert within myself that if every Muslim within Nigeria who is qualified to pay zakat pay it and we pool it together, it would be more than the 2020 Nigeria budget.

He further said that individual economic activities is a formidable catalyst that can catapult the nation to economic sustenance.

In his narration, he said that, “When prophet Muhammad was growing up, he was a working youth. His zeal to work and develop himself economically led him to working for Khadija, the great merchant.”

“Why did Allah directed our noble prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to go and work? Allah has the power to let him remain seated and everything he want would come around him from now till his death. But it is to serve as an example, the mission Allah has led him to promulgate to be an exemplary leader of that mission. Allah wants him to serve as an example that is why he directed him to work.”

“Anabi Muhammad Rasululah was developed economically. He enhanced Khadija’s business to a great extent. What is important is that every individual must first be developed economically. It is our respective economic development that would be summed up and brought together to develop the nation’s economic. That is the way I see it.”

“Alhaji Aliko Dangote, everybody knows what his business is doing to the economics of this country. Femi Otedola; everybody knows the role his business is playing in the economic development of this nation, likewise every other person that does his/her own business.”

“So without everybody’s economic development the nation cannot be developed because you and I are the nation. Islamic permits individual economic development, that’s why you have to work, you just have to work, because Islam recognize, acknowledge and encourages individual economic development.”

The cleric sighted the past prophets of God as an example in other to support his submission that everybody must eat from his/her handwork.

“Allah said every person; he didn’t say every Muslim – He said every person is to eat from the work of his/her hand. Prophet Dawud as a prophet of God was a blacksmith.”

“Anabi said let each and every one of you carry his hoe, go into the bush, cut trees, pack it, carry it on your back, go and sell it outside and eat out of it. It is better for you than to be asking people, please give me fisabililaha.”

He further continued, “In what I coined as ‘The objective of Islam in human life and Human development’. Individual economic development would develop the nation economy, because it is when you are stabilized economically that you would be able to contribute your quota to the economic development of your nation. Someone who is struggling to eat do not have optimum sense of reasoning, when you are hungry, you do not think of any other thing.”

“How do we develop our country? It is obvious that Islam has good and vibrant facility for economic development.

“It was during Sayidinina Umar (A.S) that the concept of Baitul-mal was giving birth. What is Baitul-mal? It is a public dormitory where zakat and Sadaqat are pooled for the development of the state economy.”

“The role the establishment of baitul-mal plays in life of the Muslim people cannot be over-emphasized.

“Zakat is one of the institution, a very powerful institution that can raise the Muslim world from poverty, even the world from the poverty.

“Zakat is one of the institution that we need to institutionalize. We have not institutionalized and we are wasting a lot of wealth. Institutionalizing it is by individualizing the payment of zakat.

“In Malaysia, “Google, the zakat house in Malaysia you would see it. I don’t think we have a building that is as high as the zakat house in Malaysia. What are they doing there? They pooled all zakat of the Muslim people in Malaysia in that arena and now utilize it for the good of the people.

“I assert within myself that if every Muslim within Nigeria who is qualified to pay zakat pay it and we pool it together, it would be more than the 2020 Nigeria budget.

The Lawyer further called on everybody to be in harmony with one another.

“There is one thing I used to say when am given a chance to talk like this. It is high time we do away with our religious dichotomy. We are cheating ourselves, we are wasting our precious resources and we are destroying our future.

“When a Muslim sees a Christian and develop natural hatred towards him and a Christian would say ‘He’s a Muslim, he doesn’t have anything to do with him.

“We have problem because Allah that brought us together has a reason for not making us Umatan Waida (of a single religion or tribe). Allah says he has the power to make you Ummatun Waida (of a single religion or tribe), but I am not doing that.

“Who are we now to questions Allah’s authority for making us different and living together. Why can’t we study Allah and the rationale behind what he has done in our life?

“Let us forget about the prayers I am observing, it doesn’t concerns anybody. It is between me and my God, like, it’s between me and my God, like zakat, it’s between me and my God, the hajj I go to, it is between me and my God – leave a Christian to his church and his worship, but remember it is the same blood that runs in Adam that runs in everybody today.”, he continued.

Maolid Nabbiy is an annual Muslim celebration to mark the birth of the Noble Prophet Muhammad Rasulu Lah (PBUH).

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Abdulrahman Obaje

Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media, Information and Computer Technology Consultant. A quintessential Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist is based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.

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