It is high time that those who are learned in Islamic knowledge (the alfas) began to attach importance to skill acquisition, and vocational education cognizant of the unemployment and economic challenges facing the country.
This, if done, will help to save the Muslim community in the country from embarrassing situations and instances of having alfas getting involved in what are considered by all as morally wrong actions, which are clearly unbecoming and unseemly.
Founder of Darul Kitab College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Gaa Akanbi, Ilorin, Dr AbdulKadir Al-Jumuah Al-Salman Solagberu said this while giving his speech during the graduation ceremony held by the institution in Ilorin during the weekend.
A total of 605 students comprising 595 males and 70 females graduated from the 33-year-old institution on Sunday.
Dr Solagberu, also told journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com that being an alfa should not be considered as a meal ticket while noting that rather than opting to be seen as ‘a jalabi man’, getting equipped with vocational education will empower and make the alfas become entrepreneurs and employers of labour and also make them develop skills and knowledge necessary for learning and future success.
An alfa who is meaningfully engaged , he noted, will definitely not have his reputations stained by wrongdoings.
The popular Islamic scholar, who is the Mallamai Ubandoma of Ilorin, also noted that things have changed and an alfa will be susceptible to dishonest behavious if he is not earning salary or getting meaningfully engaged.
‘Anyone who says he is doing jalabi is doing yahooplus. You have to get engaged meaningfully to avoid being made to do what is unbecoming, or being made to become a mere tool of the politicians . Propagation of Islam does not stop you from having a job. Being an alfa is not a meal ticket. Prophet Mohammed had a job, it is only when alfas ensure that they are meaningfully engaged that we can end things that are unbecoming of mallams’ he said.
Also speaking, National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo AbdulMalik, a retired Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, commended Dr AbdulKadir Al-Jumuah Al-Salman Solagberu for creating a platform for acquisition of knowledge which is according to him obligatory for every Muslim.
He noted that Ilorin has gotten recognized by all as a city where Islamic education had thrived and later spread to the southwest.
Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo AbdulMalik urged the graduands to sustain this legacy by working towards establishment of such an institution in future.
One of the graduands, Lukman Imam Ambali said combination of western and Islamic education by young people who are Muslims is expected to make them unique and different.
‘Having western and Islamic education will guide me and make me shun dishonest behavious because I know my religion does not support morally wrong actions’ he said.
Dignitaries at the event include representative of the Emir of Ilorin, His Eminence, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu-Gambari, Balogun Ajikobi of Ilorin, Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf Okunrin Jeje, Danmasani of Ilorin, Alhaji Salman Alapansapa, Sheikh AbdulKadri Halifah Onikaun, Ajanasi Agba of Ilorin, Alfa Yusuf Mujitaba Bature Alfa Mekudi, Professor Jawondo, Alhaji Ganiyu Manjo, and Alhaji Razaq-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
