By
Godfred A. Polkuu, GNA
Bolgatanga, Sept 1, GNA – The Ahmadiyya Muslim
Youth Association of Ghana has held its 39th Annual National Rally in
Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region with a call on Muslim youth to shun
distorted doctrines of religion and adhere to the teaching of the holy Quran.
The Association, which was established by the
second caliph to the Promised Messiah to inculcate the love of Allah and the
Holy Prophet Mohammed in the Ahmadiyya youth, brought together members from
across the country and beyond for the three-day rally.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme:
“Self – Reformation,” Mr Abdulai Jaladeen the Upper East Regional Director of
the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) said one of
the most important aspects of Islam was “Self-Reformation through divine
awareness, filtering the senses from evil, restraining the human soul and
purifying the heart.”
He said the theme and the purification of
one’s soul was to enable them to get nearness to Allah almighty, adding that
“indeed the whole concept of morality and spirituality is to purify the soul.
It is only then that the soul starts glittering, receiving and reflecting the
utmost radiation of light from Allah.”
Mr Jaladeen said Allah had emphasised the
importance of purification of the soul in his book when he said “Nay man is
fully aware of himself even though he puts forward excuses. Q75:15-16,” and
explained that man may hide behind his excuses, yet he had the ability to
discover the ulterior motive behind his intention.
He noted that self-reformation could be
achieved from the teachings of the prophets, and indicated that “Allah sent
them for the very purpose of self-reformation and so he entrusted them to this
mission so that they can invite people to it.”
According to him, prophets were sent to cure
nations because purifying the soul was much more difficult than curing the
body, and said prophets were “doctors of the heart” and there was no other way
to cure those hearts except through the prophets.
Mr Jaladeen called on all Ahmadis to live
exemplary lives and be shining symbols in society, and prayed to Allah to
forgive them their shortcomings.
Alhajj Maulvi Noor Mohammed Bin Salih, Ameer
and Missionary-in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, said “any
effort that is made by man and yet that effort is such that it does not propel
you from a lower to a higher stage, then you should know that you have not
achieved any reformation.”
He said reformation in religion was for them
to move away from “the distorted teachings of religion which had been tempered
with by man and misinterpreted to move away from such teachings to the pure
unadulterated teachings. In the case of Islam, for instance, Quran and not
fairy tales told by some mallams.”
Alhajj Bin Salih said Ahmadiyya was not a new
religion, and explained that it was a re-representation of Islam in its purest
form and in conformity with the Quran and the practical example of the Holy
Prophet.
Speaking on the theme, the Ameer said “reformation
is not just for the individual alone, it is for the individual as much as the
individual becomes a part and party of society because it is a collection of
individuals who come together to form a society.”
He observed that there was “gross indiscipline,”
lawlessness, high rate of corruption among the citizenry, which called for
sober reflection to identify the challenges and to fine ways and means to
rectify these problems.
Mr Nasir Ahmed Bonsu, President of the
Ahmadiyya Youth Association in Ghana said the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth
Organisation was the youth wing and backbone of the Ahamadiyya Muslim
Community, and disclosed that the event brought together 3500 participants from
all the ten regions, and was graced by other participants from Mali, Nigeria, Ivory
Coast, Burkina Faso and Uganda.
He said it was established by the second
caliph to the Promised Messiah on the precept to inculcate in the youth the
love of Allah and that of the Holy Prophet Mohammed and added that “to strive
for the welfare of humanity” was their core value as an organization.
GNA