The Parable of Privileges and Responsibilities

Lecture Delivered at the 80th Birthday Thanksgiving of Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo

By Dr. Adebayo Tajudeen Ph.D,

الحمد لله رب العالمين اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ على مُحَمَّدٍ وأَزْواجِهِ وذُرِّيَّتِهِ، كما صَلَّيْتَ على آلِ إبْراهِيمَ، وبارِكْ على مُحَمَّدٍ وأَزْواجِهِ وذُرِّيَّتِهِ، كما بارَكْتَ على آلِ إبْراهِيمَ، إنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته.

Let me start on the note of gratitude to Allah, the Almighty the Most Beneficent and Most Merciful whosemercy is limitless on his servants.

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَاۤۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ. النحل 18

“And if you try to count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able to enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”

Allah Akbar! Some servants of Allah are just lucky. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) categorized humanity into 4 categories:

 والنّاسُ أَربعةٌ: فمُوسَّعٌ عليه في الدُّنيا ومُوسَّعٌ عليه في الآخِرةِ، ومُوسَّعٌ عليه في الدُّنيا مُقتَّرٌ عليه في الآخِرةِ، ومُقتَّرٌ عليه في الدُّنيا مُوسَّعٌ عليه في الآخِرةِ، وشَقيٌّ في الدُّنيا والآخِرةِ.

الراوي: أبو يحيى خريم بن فاتك • الحاكم، المستدرك على الصحيحين (٢٤٧٧)

“People are of four types: One who is granted ease in this world and ease in the Hereafter; one who is granted ease in this world but constrained in the Hereafter; one who is constrained in this world but granted ease in the Hereafter; and one who is miserable in both this world and the Hereafter.” (Narrated by Abu YahyaKhuraym ibn FatikReported by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn(Hadith 2477)

Our leader that we are celebrating today, Alhaji Abdur-Rasaki Oladejo, is one of the few privileged servants of Allah to whom plenty has been given in this World. May he be among those that will be given plenty in the hereafter. He is privileged because he has been given‘1’ and several zeros. That 1 is the blessing of Islam. It is the basket which can contain all other blessings. Whoever is not given Islam, no matter how much other blessings he has, he is just gathering zeros, I wonder which bank will honor a bunch of zeros on a cheque leave. Baba, you are blessed.

One of the zeros, that adds value to your one is long life. By all standards, 80 is an age of privilege whether in mundane life or spiritual realm. In every society, 80-year-old man/woman is an elder state man, who deserves all respects. Likewise, in Islam, Allah’s Messenger said in a narration on the authority of Abu Hurairah RTA

أعمارُ أمَّتي ما بينَ السِّتِّينَ والسَّبعينَ وأقلُّهم من يجوزُ ذلِكَ.

الراوي: أبو هريرة • النووي، المنثورات للنووي (٢٩٥) • حسن • أخرجه الترمذي

“The lifespan of my Ummah is between sixty and seventy years, and few among them go beyond that.” (Narrated by Abu Huraira. Reported by An-Nawawi in Al-Manthurat(Hadith 295)

It is a great privilege to live long because it gives an ample opportunity to correct our mistakes. It gives room for Tawbah.

خَيرُ النّاسِ مَن طالَ عُمُرُه وحَسُنَ عَمَلُه، وشَرُّ النّاسِ مَن طالَ عُمُرُه وساءَ عَمَلُه.

الراوي: أبو بكرة • ابن باز، مجموع الشروح الفقهية. (٢٧٦/٣٠) 

“The best of people is the one whose life is long and whose deeds are good; and the worst of people is the one whose life is long and whose deeds are evil.”

A quick rundown of your profile shows that you have tried your best in doing good to others. When long life is decorated with good health, both physical and mental wise, then one is highly privileged. Here you are at 80, Baba, you are still standing firm and still relevant in the committee of men. Alhamdulillah. فبأيءالاء ربكما تكذبان(Then which of the favors of your Lord will you [two] deny?)

However, to whom much is given, much is expected. Baba, you have been saddled with the responsibility of leadership. Leadership is not just for your family, not just an organisation in a State, but a regional body, the Muslim Ummah in the South West. It is a great privilege but comes with great responsibilities. We tend to take some things for granted and to Allah every blessing shall be queried. Leadership is one of them. It is a call to service and a great burden. If only we know the enormity of leadership, we would not be seeing every dick and harry running for this running for that. Someone who cannot manage a home made up one wife and two children, running to govern a State. Abu Dhar, a foremost companion asked the Messenger of Allah (SAW for an appointment.

يا رسولَ اللهِ ألا تستعملْني أي في منصبٍ قال: فضرب بيدِه على منكبي ثم قال: يا أبا ذرٍّ إنك ضعيفٌ وإنها أمانةٌ وإنها يومَ القيامةِ خزيٌّ وندامةٌ إلا من أخذها بحقِّها وأدّى الذي عليه فيها

الراوي: أبو ذر الغفاري • الألباني، غاية المرام (١٧٤) • صحيح

Abu Dharr said: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me to a position of authority?”He patted me on the shoulder and said: “O Abu Dharr, you are weak, and it (leadership) is a trust, and on the Day of Judgment it will be a cause of disgrace and regret — except for one who takes it with its due responsibility and fulfills what is required of him in it.

According to the narration of Abdullah bin Umar from the Prophet, all of us are leaders, but our area of jurisdiction differs.

كُلُّكُمْ راعٍ وكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عن رَعِيَّتِهِ، والأمِيرُ راعٍ، والرَّجُلُ راعٍ على أهْلِ بَيْتِهِ، والمَرْأَةُ راعِيَةٌ على بَيْتِ زَوْجِها ووَلَدِهِ، فَكُلُّكُمْ راعٍ وكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عن رَعِيَّتِهِ.

الراوي: عبدالله بن عمر • البخاري، صحيح البخاري (٥٢٠٠) • 

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.

The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his subjects. A man is a shepherd over his household and is responsible for them. A woman is a shepherd over her husband’s home and children and is responsible for them. So each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.”(Narrated by Abdullah ibn ‘Umar Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (5200)

Baba, when Allah asks the leadership of Ansaru-UdDeen about the affairs of Ansaru-Ud-deen, He will ask you about the affairs of all the Muslims in the South West. When Allah asks the leadership of NASFAT about the affairs of NASFAT, He will ask you about affairs of all the Muslim in the South West. He will ask you: how did you meet the regional body and how did you leave when you leave?.As a regional body, your core responsibility is to bring together the ummah in the region under one umbrella; the umbrella of Islamic brotherhood. Allah has instructed us in Surah Aal Imran:

وَٱعۡتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبۡلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِیعࣰا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ۚ. 103

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.”
(Surah Aal ‘Imraan, 3:103

The unity or separation of an ummah depends largely on the leadership style of its leader. As a Muslim, the leadership style of the Prophet SAW remains the best for us.

سَيِّدُ القومِ خادِمُهُم

الراوي: [جرير بن عبدالله] وأبو قتادة • الألباني، ضعيف الجامع (٣٣٢٣) •

The leader of a people is their servant.”

Allah instructed his Messenger to carry along his followers in decision making so that he can give them sense of belonging.

فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةࣲ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِیظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَۖ فَٱعۡفُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ وَشَاوِرۡهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَمۡرِۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمۡتَ فَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَوَكِّلِینَ. آل عمران 159

“And by the mercy of Allah, you were gentle with them. And if you had been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in affairs. Then when you have decided, put your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him.”
— Surah Aal ‘Imraan, 3:159

It was this style that he used in Madina to bring together the ever contending clans; Aws and Khazraj as well as the Jews under the constitution of Madinah.

You are expected to use all your resources both material and otherwise to unite the Ummah in the region so that you can leave the organisation better than you have met it. By the time Allah will be asking you about this body, may Allah make it easy for you to excel.

Ditto, to all team that are working with you, starting with the two Vice Presidents, my mentor AlhajiRafiuAdisa Ebiti and Alhaji Wale Sonaike and all other executives. It is you, our elders who say: Ajejeowokan o gbeerudori. One tree can never make a forest. It is your responsibility to rally round the President so that we can all have a regional body that will represent us well in the Nation.

Let me end this brief talk with a Dua that hardly would the Messenger will hardly end a session without saying it.  

اللَّهمَّ اقسِم لنا من خشيتِكَ ما تحولُ به بينَنا وبينَ معاصيكَ ومن طاعتِك ما تبلِّغُنا بِه جنَّتَك ومنَ اليقينِ ما تُهوِّنُ بِه علينا مصيباتِ الدُّنيا ومتِّعْنا بأسماعِنا وأبصارِنا وقوَّتِنا أبدًا ما أحييتَنا واجعلهُ الوارِثَ منّا واجعل ثأرَنا على من ظلَمَنا وانصرنا على من عادانا ولا تجعل مصيبتَنا في دينِنا ولا تجعلِ الدُّنيا أَكبرَ هَمِّنا ولا مبلغَ علمِنا ولا تسلِّط علينا من لا يرحَمُنا الراوي: عبدالله بن عمر • الشوكاني، تحفة الذاكرين (٤٨٢) •

O Allah, apportion for us fear of You which will serve as a barrier between us and disobedience to You, and obedience to You which will bring us to Your Paradise, and certainty (in faith) which will make the calamities of this world easier for us to bear. Grant us enjoyment of our hearing, our sight, and our strength as long as You keep us alive, and make them the inheritors of us. Let our revenge be upon those who wrong us, support us against those who are hostile to us, do not make our affliction in our religion, do not make this world our greatest concern nor the limit of our knowledge, and do not place in authority over us those who will not show us mercy.

Narrated by: Abdullah ibn Umar

I pray Allah to grant you all long life, coupled with good healthand wisdom to succeed. I extend my salutations to all our mothers and fathers in the audience.

Wasalamualaykumwa rahmatullah wabarakatuh.

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