A foremost Islamic organisation in Nigeria, Nasrulahi-l-Fatih Society, popularly called NASFAT has instructed its members not to organise and participate in cross over Tahajjud (vigil).
It is a common practice in Nigeria for mostly Christians organisations and some Islamic bodies to organise December 31 to January, cross over night.
Many Muslims organisations and scholars however kicked against the act, calling it a pagan practice and alien to Islam.
They argued that Islam has its own new year called "Muharram" which is the first month of the Islamic months as contained in the Hijrah calendar.
There are also complaint of immoral act during the vigil as against Islamic doctrines.
NASFAT branches across the country in years before now, is one of the Islamic bodies that organise the cross over Tahajjud.
The national headquarters of the organisation however issued a memo dated 25th December, 2019 prohibiting lits branches from holding 31st Decumbent, 2019 to 1st of January, 2020 cross over tahajjud.
In a memo obtained by iWitness NG, NASFAT said the said vigil is not one of the organisation's "programmes and thus no Branch of NASFAT Society is allowed to hold such in any manner."
The memo signed by the National Dawah Officer and Secretary, Mission Board, Mallam Animashaun Uthman cautioned its branches from organising such programme under any guise.
"It has come to the notice of the office of the Chief Missioner that some branches do organize this tahajjud under the disguise that they are holding other NASFAT-accepted socio-religious functions. This is not acceptable and I have the instruction of the CM to inform us that any Missioner that does otherwise will be sanctioned appropriately."
According to Wikipedia, NASFAT also known as Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria is a Nigerian Muslim prayer group sometimes referred to as a Muslim Pentecostal group. The group has over one million members in Nigeria. The group organizes prayer fairs where the recitation of prayers can be done by all without the agency of a clergy.
Find below the memo:
Read the memo below:
Date:25/12/2019
From:The Mission Board Secretariat
To:All Missioners(Branch,Assistant, zonal and National)
Subject:December 31st/January 1st cross over Tahajjud program. A Reminder of its prohibition.
Salam alaykum wa rahmatul laah wa baarakatuhu,
I write to remind us all that the above-mentioned type of tahajjud is not one of NASFAT programmes and thus no Branch of NASFAT Society is allowed to hold such in any manner.
It has come to the notice of the office of the Chief Missioner that some branches do organize this tahajjud under the disguise that they are holding other NASFAT-accepted socio-religious functions. This is not acceptable and I have the instruction of the CM to inform us that any Missioner that does otherwise will be sanctioned appropriately.
Missioners having any challenge on this in their Branches are to bring this to the notice of the Chief Missioner through the National Dawah Officer/Mission Board Secretary.
May Allah ease our affairs.
Animashaun Uthman
National Dawah Officer/Secretary,Mission Board.
Please let us have your view of this new development.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment