It is sad and pathetic when a promising child goes to the university only to come back with with a rationalized, modernized, and liberal version of Islam. My experience today made me conclude that except a child has proper knowledge of the Deen before going for higher education, such child is in great danger of the above listed vices.
So, I was supposed to write an examination months ago but couldn’t make it as I was on wheelchair. Alhamdulillah, I was going able to go for another option with the class starting today not knowing there is a slight drama in the making that would make me reflect on some things.
The lecturer decided to introduce me and one other new guy to the class. He asked for my name and I went, “Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman”. He said, “Bashir… Samson?“.” Yes, Lukman Bashir Samson”, I replied. So, he went on to ask if I converted and I did not give a yes or no answer. He went on to tell me his names which consist of Muslim and Christian names, emphasizing that his father is a Muslim but he is a Christian then asked for what brought about my name. I replied, “How about we discuss that another time sir?” (Said that because our talk should be really interesting and I am not giving it to a 3 minutes talk that can cause commotion in the class).
So, lecture continued. The lecturer wanted to pray and went, “may Allah shower his blessings upon us in Jesu….”. I really tried not to laugh. In a setting where a lecturer prays this way and students see him as an authority, should it be surprising that many of our brothers and sisters have no problem praying like this or saying aameen to such prayer?
Though the class was about literature, he digress to religion and wrote on the board,
God – gods – religion
He wrote that because he was explaining world religions and said we all believe in one great God ( trinity was coming to my mind) and the way we worship this God is the only different thing. All religions have mediators/intermediary between God and man. Buddha in Buddhism, Muhammad in Islam and Jesus in Christianity. Immediately, my brain quickly reset itself back to factory settings. “Sir, We don’t consider prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to be an intermediary. We don’t even pray in his name”..
So, he went on again and advised against examination malpractices. He said, “Don’t think you will get to the examination hall you will see miracle o except God sends a jinn to you”. I quickly said, “Sir, God does not send jinns to help people, perhaps you mean angels”. Lecturer went on to make the argument, “nothing happens without God’s knowledge. A jinn cannot help you without God’s knowledge so if a jinn helps you in the exam hall, God sent it”
What a valid argument for someone who knows nothing about his religion. I quickly searched for pages in my life manual (Qur’an) in my head, I said, ” Sir, Allah says, (in Arabic)
Surah Al-Jinn, Verse 6:
وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقًا
‘And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the jinns, but they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief.
Therefore, a jinn helping you or someone seeking jinn for you is only an attempt to increase you in sin or disbelief. If such Jinn eventually helps you, Sir, you will eventually worship the jinn instead of God.”
This time, lecturer went on to make some points but I was just listening, the point was made already and students who should not be misled must have gained something. So, lecture went on…
The lecturer wanted to make some points from the Bible and pleaded with Muslims not to take it personal because he thought none of us knows about the Bible. Earlier, he advised us to study wide and not confine ourselves to just one field. He said he has seen a Muslim Mallam quoting the Bible and a pastor quoting the Qur’an. I said to myself, “Kalla sawfa Ta’lamuun (you shall soon know)”.
He used the Bible as a reference when telling us to stand with God alone and when bad things happen, God might mean good for us. He said, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men”. I said to myself, ” hmmmmn, 1Corinthians 1:25″. I wanted to ask if likening God to foolishness or even attributing it to God is a simile, metaphor, both or all literary devices combined together but I let it go…
Lecturer went on to talk about the Bible. Told us Genesis means beginning and the book begins the Bible, talked about the beginning of the world and the Bible ends in revelation, so, the Bible has 66 books in total. I wanted to ask which of the Bibles, protestant, catholic or charismatic version but I let it go…
He went on to talk explain how it went from Adam to Joshua. When he reached Cain and Abel, he said, Abel died and Cain married… I was like, “who did he marry?” but I let go…
He also talked about fearing the Creator not creature then said Satan lost because he saw himself as a creator. He said, “it is believed in Islam, Christianity and Judaism that Satan was an angel and he was sent away from heaven because he saw himself as a creator”. I quickly said, “Sir, in Islam, Satan was not an angel as angels cannot disobey God rather he was a Jinn. Allah says,
“And (remember) when We said to the angels: “Prostrate yourselves unto Adam.” So they prostrated themselves except Iblis (Satan). He was one of the jinn; he disobeyed the command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimoon (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc).” [18:50]”
The sin of Satan was arrogance leading him to disobedience sir. We got cleared on that and he didn’t talk about other religions again till the end of the class.
Alhamdulillah, I did not sound like a dullard so he could not go ” shut up my friend!” as I answered most of the questions he asked during the class. In a world where people talk about what they know not, control your minds, I wonder if I can ever be a good student as being a good student is accepting everything as they come. It is the first day and so much drama. If not for the different versions of trustworthy Anti-virus softwares installed in program file, only Allah alone knows how many viruses I could have gone home with today.
Train your Children, teach them pristine Islam.
… That we may think!
Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman, ACADIP. (Knowislam.com.ng)
English 