Muslim scholars in Osun State have cautioned imams in the state refrain from making inciting statements as the political atmosphere is beginning to gather momentum ahead of the next year’s governorship election.

Speaking at the Osogbo Central Mosque during a seminar organised by the Association of Youths and ‘Ulama’u (AYU), for imams drawn from different parts of the state, the Mufasir of Osogbo and facilitator of the seminar, Sheik Maruf Isola Olawale, appealed to the imams in the state to shun sentiments and always focus their preaches on genuine issues.

Sheik Maruf Isola explained that the seminar was designed to guide the imams and Muslim clerics that participated on the best way to promote and propagate Islam in the most appropriate manner as practiced by Prophet Muhammed (SAW) without infringing on the rights of other people.

He admonished the imams to refrain from inciting preaches that could trigger crises and disturb the peace enjoyed in the state. Sheik Olawale said imams must be careful in making political comments during their sermons because majority of their followers would take their words as direct order.

According to him, “It has become necessary for us to be proactive and guide against any action or utterance that may cause crisis in this state as we are approaching the 2018 governorship election in this state and the political gladiators and already warming up with their antics and intrigues.

“I advise imams in this state to remain focus and concentrate their sermons on the teaching of Islam, not politics. During the month of Ramadan, our Imams should centre their lecture on issues that concern Islam and Muslims rather than politics and politicians”.

Sheik Olawale commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for his developmental strides in the state and prayed that God will provide another quality person like Aregbesola to continue when the governor complete his tenure next year.

“Our prayer is that God will give us another person like Aregbesola that will succeed the governor next year and sustain the current development projects put in place by Aregbesola for the good of the people of Osun, he added.

He advised the imams not to declare support for any governorship candidate or aspirant yet. His words: “Allah will give the direction concerning the next governor of the state and imams would be informed appropriately about the candidate chosen for us by Allah and the imams would hint all the Muslims in their respective mosques.”

One of the resource persons, Dr Ishaq Lawal, a lecturer at the department of Arabic Studies, Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, in his lecture highlighted the challenges facing the Imams and other Muslim clerics in the course of propagating Islam.

Delivering the lecture titled ‘Islamic scholars and da’wah methodology in the 21st century: issues and challenges’, Dr Lawal enumerated the qualities of a genuine preaches and true propagation of Islam. He said an Islamic Scholar must be knowledgeable and versatile

The chief imam of Ila-Orangun, Asheik Salahudeen Abdul-Hameed and a prominent Muslim cleric in the state, Dr Kamoruden Kehinde Busari delivered separate lectures during the seminar.

Update news