“Somebody is hungry, and you are preaching to the person. Give the person food, and the person will listen to you, to want to know your Jesus” – Prophet Israel Oladele.
During a discussion with Sheikh Adnan Rashid and Suboor Ahmad, we briefly talked about why Muslims leave Islam for Christianity in this part of the world. For me, most of them leave due to financial and spiritual problems.
When you encounter the so called ex-Muslims, they spend time telling you about issues with an individual, their psychological and spiritual challenges in Islam. Very few would tell you they converted because the Qur’an is not the word of God or that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not a messenger of God. This should not be surprising in a society where majority believe Islam and Christianity are one.
Yesterday, I came across the video of one Prophet Israel Oladele ( we don’t have Prophets in 2019). In the video, he was BLESSING Muslims financially and encouraging taking Muslims as friends not enemies. What did he do wrong?
For me, Prophet Israel Oladele did nothing wrong at all. Rather, he deserves to be commended. If we leave say he is a philanthropist he is doing it well, especially giving help to “neglected” Muslim elders. On the other hand, if it is a marketing strategy to bring more sheep to his Church, he is really doing it well.
You call him a scam but, right in your own eyes, an elderly Muslim woman was crying in appreciation of the self acclaimed Prophet’s benevolence and heartily prayed for him. In the same video, I could see grinding machines meaning he was going to empower those old women.
The old woman in tears had said, “Allahu Akbar kebirah! I found a helper! What you did for US beats OUR imagination…my child brought me here…” She went on to explain her condition.
While we sit, accusing him of doing business, deceit, people are on Google even on YouTube searching for “Prophet Israel Oladele contact”. Yes, they are!
The truth is, the ‘Ummah needs to do more. We need to pay attention to the psychological and financial needs of our brothers and sisters. Zakah is a very great tool in seeing to these issues.
Like I told brother Suboor Ahmed, the Church keeps organizing seminars – empowerment, health, physiological and marriage. You go to these seminars seeing lots of Muslims and worse, they get invited to the church service(s)
What of adoption! Islam has laid great emphasis on the reward of taking care of orphans. What do we have today? Hundreds of thousands of orphanage homes belonging to Christians. Believe it or not, Christians adopt orphans than Muslims.
Some weeks ago, a sister sent a message to our Facebook page asking that we create a platform that addresses the challenges of Muslims with HIV. They also want to get married but they cannot and we are not talking about it. Many of them are totally depressed. Well, they have to wait till Europe and America or a Christian foundation does. Then, we start to rant unnecessarily.
The Almajiri kids, out of school and no parental care, roam the streets begging for money, food and water. We started to claim they are OUR Muslim children when a reverend decided to see to them.
In an article I wrote, “Rev. Matthew Kukah and The Almajiri Children: A Story of Frogs for Dinner“, I also pointed out why we couldn’t ask the children not to accept what we never offered them especially when it is necessary.
However, it is important that any conscious Muslim know that, the life of this world is vanity and short. One’s religion is too expensive a price to pay for what the stomach demands.
It is necessary to remember that day that Prophet Israel Oladele will not be able to help himself leet give money or bags or rice. We need to fear that day when what would be save us is our religion, then, nothing else we matter.
We need to be conscious of the fact that guidance is very expensive and exchanging it for worldly gains is misery and misfortune per excellence.
Allah says,
“Surah Al-Hadid, Verse 20:
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.”
Watch Prophet Israel Oladele’s video, we pray Allah guides him to Islam. Aameen.
Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman
English 