The Cotonou Times had a conversation with an Islamic scholar from the Benin Republic who gave us the honor to respond in Yoruba language to our many questions.
The Cotonou Times : Can you please introduce yourself ?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Thanks for having me. Your prayers will be answered and your Company will prosper. We ask for the increase of God’s pampering and care for our beloved Prophet Mohammed (SAW).
To answer your first question, I am your fellow brother,what I mean as your brother is that I am a Yoruba man, I am also your fellow brother in Yoruba language, I am also your fellow brother from Benin Republic and also well as your fellow Muslim brother. I am the Imam of Albuseri Mosque in the Àtakẹ́ area of Porto Novo,which is also the Koranic school of Alhaji Mamudu Àyìndé. I am his son Ibrahim Abdul Jalal,I run the mosque,I am the Imam who lead prayers. I was born in the Benin Republic,and I also grew up there where I went to school before travelling abroad.
The Cotonou Times: Why did you choose to become an Imam?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Being an Imam wasn’t my first job. We will again have to thank the Almighty, because I had other work experiences but God showed me the right path. When I say I had other experiences, I simply mean that before the return of my father from the Arab world, I was just there, lost and looking for a purpose in life because I didn’t know what to do. Back then I started to sing Apala but when my dad showed me the way explaining to me that his father was a muslim scholar , I decided to do my father’s job who was an Islamic scholar, it wouldn’t have made sense( although there is nothing wrong with it) that the son of an Islamic scholar becomes a musician. I then decided to listen to my father and I started to focus on Islamic studies. I studied the Koran, having no idea that I would end up being an Imam. Because when you learn the Koran truthfully and honestly, you are expected to further your religious knowledge. There’s a difference between studying the Koran and a learning Islamic theology. I therefore realized that theology was very important, because this was what our father Shehu Mahmmodu Àyìndé taught a lot of people. As a result I decided to further my Islamic education. When you further your Islamic knowledge and God gives you the grace to make use of it you just don’t automatically become an Imam. The people will actually have to notice you,and decide among themselves that this person could lead the prayers at this particular mosque. Following my theological studies,I started to use my knowledge to serve God,and thanks to the Almighty,our father before his death had already started building a mosque for some years without completing the construction. So before he died, he instructed me to lead the Jumma’ah prayer,and at that time I was the only one who was competent to lead the Jumma’ah service so it wasn’t like I appointed myself to be an Imam. It just happened that at the time my father said that I should go and lead the Jumma’ah service. That is how this title was conferred to me and I have been doing this for up to ten years.
The Cotonou Times: Where did you study Islamic Theology and the Arabic language?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: First, before we could actually know anything about Islam when we were studying the Koran, the emphasis was put in the studying the Arabic language. When my Father Shehu Mahmmodu Àyìndé came back to this country in 1974, I started Koranic studies with him to the extent that he was the one who taught me the Arabic language.
We actually had some knowledge of Arabic,but he believed that it was insufficient. He thus decided that I should perfect my knowledge in theology which enabled me to further my Islamic education. I first traveled to Algeria and the reason for my journey to that country was to learn how to become an Imam, how to lead people in prayers. I spent two years there.
The Cotonou Times: What year did you travel to Algeria? Do you still remember?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes,I do. It was from 1990 to1992
The Cotonou Times: It has been a bit more than thirty years?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes. So when I came back to Benin Republic in 1992,the late Alufaa Shehu Mahmmodu Àyìndé considered that what I studied was insufficient.He wanted me to further my education and he made the necessary arrangements for me to Egypt. I consequently went to Egypt to study the deep core of everything in an Institution where all the educational tools are available, whether you want to be an Imam or something else. I spent nine years in Egypt.
The Cotonou Times: Nine years in Egypt!!!
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes at Al Azar University in Cairo.
The Cotonou Times: What is the difference between studying in Algeria compared to studying in Egypt ?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: You know they are both Arab speaking countries,but I went there for different courses. What I learnt in Algeria is different from what I went to study in Egypt.
The Cotonou Times: What is the difference?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Islamic theology is the same , but the way it is taught is what makes it different. Most our lecturers in Algeria are Egyptians . And they found easy means to teach us. They taught us everything that is required to learn about Islam as well as what an Imam can use to preach. Making people’s mind steadfast in the religion was all we learnt. In Egypt however, it was a complete combination of every Islamic knowledge not just a branch.
The Cotonou Times: Was the knowledge acquired in Algeria enough to become an Imam?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé:Yes,it was enough to become an Imam, but it is always good to acquire more knowledge.
The Cotonou Times: Why did you stay such a long time in Egypt?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Our certificates issued in the Benin Republic back then were not recognized by the Algerians, which means that we were expected to start from the beginning.
The Cotonou Times: So in Egypt you learnt all the subjects not just religion?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Those of us who strictly went there strictly for religious studies were separated from those who came for both religious and general studies. So in my own case,I strictly went there for religious studies.
The Cotonou times: Does this mean that you can speak fluently the Arabic language spoken in Syria,Egypt,Saudi Arabia and in the rest of the Arab world?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes,I can understand and speak it.
The Cotonou Times: Is it possible to be an Imam in sub-Saharan Africa today without being able to speak Arabic?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: It is not sensible for a person who doesn’t understand Arabic to be an Imam. You might not understand Arabic and still have deep knowledge of the Islamic religion but if it gets to the point that if you want to speak to a non-Yoruba audience ,what language will you now speak to them that will the audience understand your sermon? Because when you are reciting the Quran there is no other language that can be used other than Arabic except for prayers. So anyone who wants to be an Imam has to learn the Arabic language to know how to read and understand it correctly to be able to translate it into any other languages. It is therefore a must to learn at least basic Arabic .
The Cotonou Times: Can an Imam have a job which provides him a daily,weekly or monthly source of income?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: There is nothing in Islam which prohibits any religious leader or Imam to have a job, though there are some countries where Imams only have this occupation because they are employed by the State who pays their salaries which enables a Iman to cover his living expenses . In sub Saharan Africa, it is a bit difficult to have another job for anyone who wants to serve God. When a country has established a system i where the imam receives a steady income, the cleric would not be compelled to have to attend certain types of events to make money.
The Cotonou Times: What you are basically telling us is that there is nothing wrong for an Imam to have another occupation , but it can cause some problems. This leads to our next question: in many Muslim countries, the government pays a monthly salary to Imams, what is the current situation in the Benin Republic?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: The government in these countries have facilitated the situation for the Imams because the members of the government members are Muslims which makes it is easy for them to establish a program for the Muslim community. But here in the Benin Republic, the situation is different, the government is not responsible for the payment of our salaries. It is possible that some of us who have connections with Muslim countries receive financial assistance from them, but those who don’t have any connections with these states would rely on the help of Good Samaritans who are willing the Imam’s salary. That’s why we always advise people who want to be Imam, to serve God and to stick to the Imam’s role. Whatever positive comes, we will take it and if nothing comes at all we still accept our fate.
The Cotonou Times: Do the small funds received from the parents who bring their children to Koranic schools enough to maintain the establishment or you’re getting support from some donors in Muslim countries ?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: All the Koranic schools do not have partnerships with Arab countries. Some of them do have a cooperation with Muslim countries who assist them in paying the scholars. There are also rich people who have built Koranic schools where Islamic studies teachers are paid monthly. And then, there are also some schools established by Muslim scholars who do not receive help from anyone other than the students supporting their Islamic studies teachers with the little they can without the teachers asking for it.
The Cotonou Times Àyìndé: Does your Benin Republic based Koranic school for example and others like yours have a partnership with other Islamic countries or the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)who are known to have a budget aimed at funding these types of schools?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: This aid is available in some countries. In Benin Republic, we a are just starting to make such arrangements, because those international organizations don’t deal with private individuals.
The Cotonou Times: Is there an organization which represents Imams in the Benin Republic?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes,we have something called the “Union of Imams” because we always like to make a difference between an “union ” and “an association”. An association can be dissolved which is not the case of an union. So we have an Union of Imams for each region under the umbrella of the Benin Republic Islamic Union.
The Cotonou Times: Can the Benin Republic Islamic Union have a direct partnership with international organizations such as the OCI or other countries?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes, it can ,but for it to make more sense, it is critical to involve the government in order to demonstrate that the country is also involved in the OIC.
The Cotonou Times: Let’s say a foreign Muslim organization wants to donate 100 million FCFA to the Benin Muslim community, who would receive the money? Is it the Benin Republic Islamic Union?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes,the government doesn’t get involved in our affairs.
The Cotonou Times: Which kind of relationship do you entertain with the government of Benin?
Imam Jamal Àyìndé: A very good relationship, you know the Muslim community in any c country is not supposed to oppose the government as must always maintain good relations with the administration, for the country to always be in peace. If the government wants to do something that is related to Religio, we are consulted, we sit down and talk about it. Since the government cannot call all of us, representatives from the Islamic Union always represent us whenever meeting with the Government occur.
The Cotonou Times: Are you briefed by the Islamic Union representatives following these meetings with the Governmental administration?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé : Yes, we receive a briefing . It might sometimes reach one’s expectations , but we are trying to do our best to ensure that everything is in order, because being a leader requires a lot of patience.
The Cotonou Times: How do you choose the topic of your sermon for the Jumma’ah service?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: This is an important question, we have not yet reached that level of unity which will make all of us choose the same topic of the preach of the Jumma’ah prayer but we are gradually getting there.
The Cotonou Times: Can you please explain how do you personally choose the topic of your sermons?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: It requires a deep thinking.We look at what is going on around people, what the people are doing, what happened during the time of the Prophet that can be relatable in our times. We just don’t just pick a topic which doesn’t relate or is of interest for the audience. If for example the topic this week is “ not lying”, then the following week you the next topic of discussion would be “do not steal” ,because a person who lies will also steal. This is how we choose and follow our topics accordingly after the audience has been educated and when it is confirmed that it was accomplished in accordance with what God and the Prophet said. When it has been verified and confirmed, we move to the presentation which is where the hard work is, because if we do not have a proper presentation the audience won’t understand us.
The Cotonou Times: Are there some topics that you avoid when you give sermons?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: If we were not leaders , we would be free to say anything. We say the truth, but as a leader there is a way to put it out reasonably because saying the truth is actually not the problem but what matters is the way it will be presented . If the way this truth is said is not appropriate, it’s likely to cause havoc and there are some truths which can be premature to divulge as they are very likely to provoke chaos because those to whom it is revealed must be deeply scrutinized, because if we they are not well known to us well and we just go ahead and told the truth like that, it could trigger adverse consequences.
The Cotonou Times: Is it appropriate for an Imam to be involved in political matters ?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: As a responsible citizen one is supposed to have a say in what is going on in his country. An Imam can be involved ,but it has to be in a very good manner without taking sides. The involvement of the Imam in politics is basically to maintain peace and unity between the government and the citizens. But in our country, it’s hard to find fellow Imams who agree with the idea of giving advice to the government because they are scared of being arrested. For how long we will all be scared?
The Cotonou times: How do you react to the fact that some Imams are publically urging their fellow Muslims to follow this political party and this other one?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: As good as it may seem it is not right for an Imam to tell you for whom to vote for. This can only be done in a country where democracy is functioning correctly. It can be done privately but never publicly.
The Cotonou Times: Politicians like to use religious leaders like Imams to convey messages on their behalf , how you react to this practice?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: They want us to convey their messages ,but we must convey our own messages that will be benefit everyone. We cannot just go out there and start telling people what to do. It is none of our business.
The Cotonou Times: But you know there are some Imams actually do that?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Yes, but their conduct does not correspond with our religious beliefs. Even if the government want to pass a message ,we know how to deal with the matter in a proper way.
The Cotonou times: We have been discussing at length in Yoruba language for some thirty minutes , as a Yoruba man who is also an Imam, how do you contribute to preventing the extinction of the Yoruba language in our country?
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Thank you very much for this question. A lot of us who became Imams are forgetting our origins. And I am a person who gives wake up calls to others stressing the fact that the Yoruba language must not go extinct because it is that Yoruba language that we use to translate Arab to our people. We should all have a good relationship with each other to prevent the extinction of the Yoruba language. Some people have forgotten their origins to the extent that they now only speak French nd unable to speak Yoruba fluently. Therefore we are trying our best to organize programs in Yoruba language, and whenever we are invited for events organized by the Yoruba community, we always attend except if it infringes our Islamic principles.
The Cotonou Times: Thank you very much for all these detailed explanations you gave to us today. May God give you good health and a long life.
Imam Jalal Àyìndé: Amin. I wish you the same.
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