Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih (NASFAT) has urged Muslim clerics and Islamic organizations to emphasize the teaching of acceptable religious basics as well as Islamic jurisprudence principles, while cautioning people to be wary of overnight Imams and pastors. ayokinews.com reports
This was made known by Imam Abdul-Azeez Onike, the Chief Missioner of NASFAT, while featuring on a Channels TV programme on Tuesday. He emphasized the need of teaching followers religion’s goals and aims in a more holistic perspective.
Onike described overnight religious as “the ones that have retired and have nowhere to go again and then pick up the bible or Qur’an and start dishing out rulings.”
He denounced Deborah Samuel’s murder, as well as other instances of jungle justice and extrajudicial executions.
“We need to continue to allow the text to speak to us as we teach people the fundamentals of our religion. And that’s what NASFAT is doing.
“We are promoting principles of Islamic jurisprudence. If anybody gives you a verdict, you must find out how such a person arrived at the ruling.
“If somebody has been given the orientation that the religion preaches peace and primarily about justice, love, wisdom and goodness, when anybody tells you something different, he should seek a second opinion.
Read: Islam meant for people’s good, not other way round — NASFAT
“But if what the scholars, church or mosques are teaching you is about enmity and they cannot quote the Qur’an or even if they quote the Bible, you let them know fundamentally that our religion is for peace, our religion if for goodness and justice,” he said.
Onike, who also happens to be a member of the American Academy of Religion said, “If anything wants to discourage that achievement, we will take it aside for a while, and that is our religion.
“People need to know the objective of our religion. People need to know how to arrive at making Islamic ruling.
“People don’t need to be scholars to understand this. If a doctor recommends 10 dose of Paracetamol for you in the morning, 10 in the afternoon and 10 in the evening, you will not use it.
“We are imploring our people to know those who have studied this religion, overnight Imams, scholars and pastors and always seek a second opinion.
“The overnight scholars are the ones that have retired and have nowhere to go again and then pick up the bible or Qur’an and start dishing out rulings.
“People like this will never allow the text to speak to them,” he said.
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