By AKEEM ABAS

The Muslim Community in Iseyin, Oyo State, have commended the leadership of the League of Imams and Alfas in the area for repositioning a wrongly positioned Qibla.

Imam Abdul-Hakeem Olajori, Chief of Iseyin land and some other congregants gave the commendation on Friday in Iseyin after the repositioning exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the congregants at the Iseyin Central Mosque had been observing their prayers for 60 years with the wrongly positioned Qibla.

The Qibla is the direction towards the Kaaba in the sacred Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayers.

Olajori said that the development was important in his life, adding that it portended a positive turnaround for the Muslim community and Iseyin in general.

He said that the relocation of the mosque in the fifteenth century and eventual return to the particular location over 60 years ago caused the structural defect in the position of the Qibla.

“This development is so important in my life as God has used me to bring about a positive change to the Iseyin Central Mosque.

“In the 15th century, the mosque was relocated and later brought back to this particular location again.

“Modernization came and the mosque was rebuilt with bricks and was already in use when our fathers discovered a structural defect in the direction of the Qibla,” he said.

He said that the defect had been noticed more than fifty years ago, saying the Muslim community held a meeting on this alongside the League of Imam and Alfas in Iseyin.

Olajori said it was unanimously agreed that there should be a bend towards the Qibla, which had been put into effect today, April 8 which is the seventh day of Ramadan.

“The grave of our late father, Imam Alalukimba, that was there has been relocated to a better place, without which we would not have been able to do this.

“Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) warned that we should not face the burial ground or grave while praying.

“So the relocation of the grave was also a decision unanimously arrived at by the Muslim Community, Late Imam Alalukimba’s family and representatives of Ijemba community,” he said.

He expressed hope that the correction made on the Qibla position would change the minds of many worshippers that have stopped worshipping at the mosque because of the old structural mistake.

Alhaji Isiak Folorunsho, an indegene and a businessman, told newsmen after the Jumat service that he was very happy on repositioning of the Qibla without any rancour among the people.

He expressed delight that the Muslim community was unanimous in taking the decision to bring about positive changes in the structure of the historical worship place.

“Many of us met the structural defect when we were born and majority might not know about the defect. We are happy today that this correction has been done.

“It will attract many other young ones that saw the defect as an aberration and would hitherto not want to worship there, it is a welcome development,” he said.

Some other congregants described it as an indication of better things to come as praying against the Qibla was against the tenets of Islam. (NAN)

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