Earlier today, I went for physiotherapy. I left the clinic then went to the car park within the hospital’s premises so we had to wait for other passengers.
The driver pleaded that I should go to the front of the taxi as a woman refused to sit at the front. I was about to decline when a woman (Muslim) sitting next to me said scornfully, “She will not allow a man to sit by her side”.
I looked up to see the woman who will not sit near a man and behold! She is a sister in Niqob. Pleased, I quickly asked her to sit down near the other Muslim sister that obviously despises the Niqobite for not wanting to sit near a man. Anyone that uses Taxi well in south west Nigeria will know that two people cannot sit at the front of taxis without body contact. Don’t even mention Micra in Ibadan.
So, I began to wonder. If no one was ready to stand up for this sister, she might be embarrassed, called names and fingers will point at the other Muslim sister saying, “Is this one not also a Muslim?”, the niqobite will become the extremist while the other sister is going to be a true representation of Islam.
I have put it in previous articles that many oppression we see against Muslims today are mostly helped by Muslims who understand little or nothing against Islam. The one who despises a Muslim for avoiding body contact with a non-Mahram, in public(Museebah of the highest order), what would she say against free mixing?
We have continued to suffer in the hands of liberals. they present themselves as knowing much about the religion, while the non-Muslims rush to embrace them, crown them Sheikhs and make them representatives of Islam. They don’t wear the Hijab, Khimar, Niqob, beards, etc It becomes a bigger problem when they start to call these Arab cultures. If you can’t wear it, keep silent. It is part of being a believer that one says that which is good or keep silent.
Except that there is correctness of ‘aqeedah, collective da’wah and jihad against victimization and oppression becomes difficult. Also, there is a need to revisit the unity in diversity we clamour for so we are not buried in UNITY IN HYPOCRISY.
Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman
English 