BEING THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE AMEER, LAGOS STATE AREA

UNIT, MUSLIM STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF NIGERIA (MSSN) BRO. ABDUR-

RASHEED ALLIY ON THE OCCASION OF THE ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
HELD AT YUSUF GRILLO HALL, YABATECH ON THE 5 TH DECEMBER 2010
(29TH DHUL HIJJAH, 1431 A.H).

The Chairman of the occasion,

The Special guests of honour,

Invited guest lecturers,

Brothers and Sisters in faith

ASSALAMU’ ALAYKUM

I welcome you all to this auspicious occasion where issues threatening the survival of our
nation and the promotion of wellbeing of its citizenry are given utmost attention. The
theme of this year annual symposium “the quest for good leadership” couldn’t have
come at a better time considering the fact that the incoming year is the year of elections
where respective positions will be contested for with the resultant formation of a new
government. Our responsibility as an Islamic organization that is youth-based is to
awaken the consciousness of the political elites as well the populace to the importance of
qualitative leadership to the development and wellbeing of a nation.

Islam placed a high premium on life as well as its wellbeing. The purity of thought, the
soundness of actions and the sense of duty consciousness synonymous with leadership
can only materialize in a leader that emerge from a conscious society built on a spiritual
template and nurtured with the promotion of greater good for the majority.

The Prophet was the perfect exemplar of qualitative leadership. He is the political and
spiritual leader of the Islamic state. Through a painstaking and meticulous efforts backed
by divine commands, he created a state that is reputed as the first United Nations devoid
of nepotism, where every individual in the fledging state is important and enjoyed equal
rights. He emphasizes the need to entrust position of leadership only to those worthy of it.
He (SAW) said:

“It is a sign of the end time to entrust leadership to those unworthy of it”
Leadership is a trust that will be accounted for on the Day of Judgement. Those entrusted
should see it as a heavy burden and strive assiduously to fulfill the trust. In Sahih
Muslim, the Prophet (SAW) said:

“Whoever was entrusted with leadership and died betraying the trust of the position,
except that Allah will make His Paradise unlawful for him”.

It is saddening that our nation today is riddled with unprecedented corruption and
embezzlement of public funds with impunity. It is more saddening that the culprits of
these dastardly acts are majorly people that profess religion. Let us remind them of the
statement of the Prophet (SAW), who said:

“Whoever among you is appointed to a public position and embezzle/steal a needle or

something higher (which he is not entitled to) except that it will become a theft that he
will carry on the day of Judgement” (Sahih Muslim)

The youth of any nation is her future hope. The richness of a nation, its productivity, its
ascendancy in the committee of nations is measured by the quality of its youths. History
is replete with roles played by youth of many nations as vanguard of change and tools for
reawakening and revitalization. However, Muslim youths are more equipped due to their
background and their rich spiritual and moral values. It is incumbent on government to
desist from paying lip service to youth development and evolve holistic programmes that
will cater for their multifaceted needs.

Lastly, I wish to remind us that we will all give reckoning before Allah, the leader and
the led and Allah is all Aware of our activities. Let us endeavour to make the best use of
the single existence that we are given as there is no second chance in the tradition of
Allah. Once again I greet is all and welcome you to this auspicious occasion.

ASSALAMU’ALAYKUM.