Sheikh Kabiru Umar-Wasagu, a member of the Da’awah Committee of the Kebbi Pilgrims Welfare Board, stressed the importance of kindness and respect towards all individuals in Islam.
Addressing pilgrims in Mecca during a morning enlightenment session on Sunday, Mr. Umar-Wasagu, also serving as the deputy imam of Central Mosque in Birnin Kebbi, underscored “husnul kulq” (good conduct) as a cornerstone of Islamic principles. He urged Muslims to embody and promote this virtue in their daily lives.
The cleric cautioned against behaviors contrary to Islamic teachings such as lying, fornication, adultery, and backbiting. He reminded pilgrims of Prophet Muhammad’s ten-year mission in Mecca, during which he tirelessly advocated for the adoption of good deeds and the abandonment of immoral practices.
Drawing from Quranic verses including Sura Waqi’a (Chapter 56) and A’araf (Chapter 7), Sheikh Umar-Wasagu explained how God categorizes people into three groups: those destined for paradise, those destined for hellfire, and those in between. He highlighted the Prophet’s varying reception among people during his mission in Mecca, with some like Sayyidna Abubakar Siddiq fully embracing his message, while others showed mixed or outright rejection.
“On the last day, there are some Muslims that will enter paradise directly without any hindrance, and there are some who will come as Muslims but commit different categories of sins; however, they will enter paradise. While the third category is those who contemplated their faith and, in essence, rejected the faith,” he explained. “A believer is the one called muqarab, meaning close to our creator and will enter paradise directly while there are those who will come with loads of sins.”
According to Mr Umar-Wasagu, Abubakar Siddiq, Umar bn Kathab, Usman bn Affan, and Aliyu bn Abu Talib were the four prominent companions of the prophet, alongside others.
The rest were like Dalha bn Ubaidullah and Mu’az bn Jabal, referred to as Al-Muqarrab and very close to God.
“The second category is those Muslims who commit sins, and these are divided into two: those who will enter paradise after struggle and those who will remain on the fence of A’araf. They neither enter paradise nor hellfire,” he said.
The cleric cited some disbelievers, such as Abu Jahal and Shaiba bn Rabi’a, who stood against the holy prophet’s message.
“However, Allah’s path is supreme. The message went beyond the Arabian Peninsula and spread all over the world,” Mr Umar-Wasagu said.
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