Being Human is being Muslim
I live and work in Nigeria, which in the last decade or so has been hard hit by conflict -between predominantly Christian-farmer and predominantly Muslim-herder communities; one ethnic group against another; religious fundamentalists and the state. The narrative promoted from this development is that people do not like each other across divides. Secondly, only persons who look like you and come from the same part of the country will like you, so you should like them, and only them back. Recently, I was relieved to learn that it is a fallacy and to understand why it appears to be a truth; many seem to believe.
Nigeria lost senator Uwajumogu a Christian, from Imo state, southeastern Nigeria, in December 2019. On February 13, 2020, his family and friends held an evening of tribute to honor his memory, at the National Christian Centre, Abuja. The wife of the deceased, sister Eileen, was my senior in secondary school. Some of us old girls of Federal Government Girls’ College Bida, therefore, went for the tribute session. The Family welcomed us, Christian, and Muslims alike. My namesake and I sat through when the Christians rose to pray and sing. We were treated with respect and gave respect in return.
After the tribute session, we old girls greeted our bereaved sister and her children, and we bid each other goodbye. My son, Samir, was waiting for me. I waited, expecting our car to follow the flow of other cars to where I stood, and then I got a call; ‘mummy, the car won’t start.’ When I got to where the car was, it was past 9 pm and dark. All my schoolmates had left. All guests were streaming out. We opened the car bonnet to check the battery, beyond the creaky noise it made each time we attempted to start it, the car was silent. Ya salamu! And then I looked forward, and parked in front of us was a car, whose headlight flashed. I went towards that car and asked for help. It was a Christian male. He came out, examined our car, and went back to his car. He fetched cable I later learned was called a ‘ jump cable’ consisting of wire and pegs. He opened the bonnet of his car and connected those pegs to the batteries of both cars and asked me to start our car. Allahu Akbar, that car engine came to life.
Alhamdulillah, relief flooded me. We introduced each other and thanked Mr. Victor immensely. He said it was nothing; God used him to help. Indeed, it was divine providence. I learned a life lesson that day as to what really matters. It is not that we define ourselves as Muslims or Christians but that we see ourselves first as humans. That is how we prove that we are indeed true believers. It is what will draw others to our faith, and earn us respect and dignity. Judging others or deciding who is good or bad isn’t what Islam expects of us. Let’s leave judgment to Allah - remember, the nonbeliever who gave a dog water, made Jannah.
The Qur’an in Maida 5: 69, tells us:
Lo! those who believe, and those who are Jews, and Sabaeans, and Christians - Whosoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
Loving peace, lending a helping hand, and showing gratitude for the sake of Allah is what it means to be Muslim. On our way home, Samir and I engaged each other in a conversation about the lessons from the evening. What was the probability that gentleman would still be there at that hour? And that he would have a jump cable -those of us who live in the global south know that having cars well equipped with all emergency tools was not common. What was the probability that he would stop to help? It did not matter that he was also a guest - we have seen or at least heard of people walking away from someone calling for help.
We concluded Allah, Ar Rahim, Al- Wadud wanted us to learn the lesson about his mercy and enduring love, and ability to make all things happen. An - Nafi never forsakes, and Al - Fatah grants a way. Al-Hakim also gives wisdom, so the next day, we went to get our jump cable - something I never knew about until I needed it.
People don’t hate people because they are Muslim or Christian. They distrust each other because they don’t understand each other, and what you don’t understand, you fear. It then becomes difficult to see the humanity in each other. It is the reason why there is the perception that people don’t like others across divides.
The old principle of reciprocity is alive. It doesn’t matter where you come from - people recognize dignity and kindness and respect. When you give, you get back, in manifold ways. Piety is a state of mind; Piety is empathy. It is to recognize that we are nothing without the infinite mercy of Allah, that we are not better than the next person we describe as ‘the other’ Someday we might find ourselves becoming that ‘order someone who is excluded and treated as not part of the mainstream. Someone invisible.
Thirty-eight years ago, as a student in FGGC Bida, we were innocent pre-teenagers from different parts of the country. We were the country’s experiment in unity after a bitter civil war whose consequences are still imprinted on the soul of the country, preventing us from becoming a true nation. In Bida, we learned, ate, plotted, and played together; we were raised on tolerance and respect.
I am glad for the honor to pay the last respect to a man described as a lover of his people, gone in his prime. Senator Uwajumogu was just 54 years when he slumped and died. Dying could not have been part of his agenda that day, but it was his day to go. As Muslims, we know- kulli nafsin zaikatul maut (every soul shall taste death), but are we ready for the journey? May Allah guide us and ease our affairs.
Bi’iklas, Amina Salihu,
Ph.D. Abuja Feb 21, 2020
