A Don at the Crescent University in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Dr. Yunus Ismail has offered tips to Imams and Administrators on how to effectively manage the affairs of mosques in their respective domains to generate income and attract appreciable financial resources for the propagation of Islam in the state, particularly within Ogun Central Senatorial District
The Head of Islamic Law Department, College of Law of the Crescent University speaking as a resource person during a day capacity building workshop organized on Sunday in Abeokuta by the Egba Zone of Ogun State Muslim Council, stressed the need for the Muslim Clerics to start reflecting on the spiritual importance of mosques beyond the five- daily Solats(prayers), making references to the days of the Holy Prophet Mohammed in Makkah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), where mosque served as multiple religious purposes unlike the present situation where it is seen as just a place of worship
He called on them to begin the redesigning of mosques' architecture beyond just observing the five daily Solats to a more befitting place that can serve as multiple events centre with facilities for other religious purposes
A modern mosque according to him, must have good toilet facilities, qu'ranic school, space for the office and accommodation of imam and travellers in addition to a place to hold sharia panel sitting to resolve marital and other issues amicably among Muslims
The Islamic Scholar also stressed the need for mosque administrators and imams to start considering building event centre to serve as additional sources of revenue for the running of expenses the mosque
He added that every imam or administrator must have clear vision of how to actualize the expanded concept of a mosque and be strategic in planning towards it
Dr. Yunus maintained that there must be a process in place to effectively monitor the whole activities to ensure transparency in the running mosques' affairs, so as to earn public trust and attract more financial support for the mosque to propagate the cause of Islam
Similarly, Chairman of Egba Zone of the State Muslim Council, Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Tunji Kalejaiye charged participants to make good use of knowledge acquired during the one- day workshop to improve on the ways mosques are being managed in their respective communities, so as to attract the interest of wealthy Muslims in contributing financially to the physical and spiritual growth of mosques
Also speaking as special guest, Alhaji Tajudeen Adisa Olori who is the Somori Adinni of Egbaland, represented by the Secretary of Egba Zone of Muslim Council, Abdufatah Adigun admonished Muslim Clerics to always be models for others to emulate their leadership characters of honesty, transparency and accountability in the running of mosque's affairs
Another special guest Alhaji Bakai Ajao Okedara , the Asiwaju Adinni of Egbaland was also represented at the workshop
Imam Abdulateef Oderinde equally urged fellow clerics to imbibe the culture of using Islamic Calendar to plan their daily activities
He also reminded them to always preserve their dignity to earn trust and respect of wealthy individuals in order to attract more financial support for the development of their respective mosques
The one-day capacity building workshop also attracted participants from six local government areas making up the Egba Zone of OMC including Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro, Ifo, Obafemi-Owode and Odeda
In another development, Secretary General of the Ogun State Muslim Council , Asiwaju Kamaldeen Akintunde Esq tasked Muslims to play active role in electoral process in the determining the choice of leaders that will emerge in the forthcoming 2027 general elections, saying their involvement in politics will go a long way in protecting the interest of Islam
He particularly challenged Muslim women not take a backseat in seeking for elective positions, calling on them to strive to contest for any position of their choice
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