Let's Set The Record Straight!
The stool of Soun of Ogbomoso and its importance in Yorubaland can never be underscored. Right from time immemorial, Ogbomosoland has been very peaceful; people live in harmony and co-existence within themselves despite their religious differences.
But the recent development in Ogbomoso within the imperial highness Soun of Ogbomoso, Soun in-council and some aggrieved Muslims against the Grand chief Imam of Ogbomosoland is worrisome.
Glory to Allah, and thanks to the game changer, the Oyo state police command, for facilitating face-to-face dialogue (online report) between Soun of Ogbomosoland and the Grand Chief Imam; your timely intervention towards peaceful resolution is highly appreciated by the entire Muslim world.
The functions of the traditional rulers have ever been taught in primary schools, such as utilizing alternative dispute resolution methods, i.e. meditation, reconciliation and litigation, to maintain peace and uphold justice in their domain, custodian of customs and traditions of the people, among others. Thanks to the imperial highest for establishing a robot father and son relationship to promote peace and unity Ogbomoso is known for.
Now, THERE IS NEED TO PUT THE RECORD STRAIGHT in order not to allow history to repeat itself. I believe that the customary laws of Oyo state (as amended) have never placed appointments and selection of pastors, chief imams or other religious leaders under the authority of any traditional rulers, and I don't think there is such a grant in the Nigerian constitution. So, the issue of the query to the Grand chief Imam of Ogbomosoland is tantamount to disparaging his personality and the office he occupied; it is also a total disgrace and mimicry to the entire Muslim not only the Ogbomoso Muslim community alone; such an act requires serious caution.
Nowhere in the world allows traditional rulers to dictate and pick leaders for other religions except here in the southwest and Ogbomoso in particular.
Your Highness sir, permit me to take you back to the era of slavery, when African leaders including our traditional rulers in the southwest in particular sold their citizens as slaves to the Europeans in exchange for gunpowder, glasses and other trivial gifts, these coldhearted attitude lasted for years until the same Europeans came back to abolish it in early eighteenth century.
The traditional rulers at that time never insisted on continuing their ways of life; instead, they succumbed to the truth and turned a new leaf.
If that is too far, what about the neighbouring city of Ibadan? Their tradition has been one king and several high chiefs; the tradition lasted until the reign of the late Oba Lekan Balogun, who sought the permission of the state governor to crown the high chiefs. Now, Ibadan has Olubadan as chairman council of Obas while others are Oba or sub-rulers in their different provinces. The same trend was experienced in the great city of Kano before now (Case till in court).
Also, the origin of the Ojude-Oba festival can be traced to the 19th century when Islam was first introduced to Ijebuland around 1879, during the reign of Awujale Afidipote. The king allowed the new Muslim converts to practise their faith freely without persecution or interference in their selection process. To show their loyalty and respect to the Awujale, The Muslim community paid the Awujale courtesy visit on the third day after the Ileya festival. Since then, the event has witnessed a lot of celebrities and dignitaries across the world to show that Islam places traditional rulers in high esteem. (All these are hypothetical evidence).
Your Highness, your name will be written with a golden pen on the Guinness Book of Records if you can rewrite history by giving the Muslims Community of Ogbomoland the autonomy to practice, and select their leader(s) particularly the position of Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland without the influence of royal palace in any form, that is our position. Change is constant and is now!
Each religion has its ways of appointing its leaders, especially in Islam. The position of Imam is so sacred that it requires highly skilled Islamic scholars in Al-Quran, Hadith and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) to make up the committee called (Shurah) to interview and screen all the intending candidates for the post of an Imam and Mufasir.
Because of its sensitivity, Islam does not take it with cheerfulness. And it can never be chosen on the appointment, personal discretion or rotational basis (turn by turn) as in the case of Ogbomoso and other parts of southwest states. This is the standard laid down by Allah (Subhanahu Wataallah) and demonstrated by our noble Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W).
On behalf of the Muslims Ummah of Ogbomosoland, southwest and Nigeria as a whole, I want to appeal to the Royal Highness the Soun of Ogbomosoland to use his wealth of experience, good office and personal self and the Soun in-council to please revise and modify this long tradition, in other to allow Muslims in Ogbomosoland to practice and appoint their leaders according to Islamic rites to be in line with global best practice in all Islamic countries.
My special appeal goes to the Aare, Bashorun Musulumi, Asoju, Parakoyi Adinni, and other aggrieved members of the Ayilara family to please, for Allah's sake, accept the judgment of Allah on the candidacy of the installed Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, knowing fully that the unity of Muslims in Ogbomoso and its environs are paramount.
The other Muslim factions should remember the day we shall all stand before Allah, tradition will end in this world and our duties and participation in the unity of Islam shall remain.
While encouraging the Grand Chief Imam SheikTeliat Yunus Ayilara to remain calm and be focused towards discharging his duty to Allah and the Muslim community of Ogbomosoland and beyond.
By: Hamed O.A
Badagry, Lagos.
Read and share until it gets to the appropriate authority in Ogbomoso.
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