Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has called on Muslims to live in accordance with the teachings of the Qur’an, thereby serving as positive examples that draw others to Islam.
He made the appeal on Thursday during the official inauguration of the Shifawu Awero Bayesu Islamic Foundation (SHABIF) Centre, held in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos.
The deputy governor said, “I want to challenge the Islamic leaders on the reason why our youths abandon our religion. My questions are, why does this happen, and how do we address this issue?” He added that many of the new converts were converted primarily because of the teachings of the Holy Quran, not because of the attitude of the Muslim faithful.
He, therefore, encouraged everyone to ensure that they conduct themselves in line with the Quranic teachings to attract others to the religion.
Speaking further, the Deputy Governor admonished everyone to be their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. “Other religions attract our people because they attend to the needs of others, so we should try to emulate these good deeds”, he advised.
In his goodwill address, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa reiterated that the mosque goes beyond just praying, but also indulges in other Islamic rites.
He commended Mr. Kamal Bayewu for the initiative to build a mosque in memory of a dead family member.
Similarly, in her remarks, the Senator, Lagos West Senatorial District, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule commended the host, Mr. Ayinde Bayewu, for the commissioning of the Mosque and prayed that Allah give everyone the grace to build a Mosque for the benefit of other Muslims.
She, however, charged the community to take ownership of the edifice and fulfil their responsibilities to the Almighty Allah in their daily activities.
Earlier in his welcome speech, the Host and Chairman, Lagos Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Kamal Ayinde Bayewu stated that the SHABIF Centre is more than a physical structure, but a spiritual legacy, built to offer worship, education, community cohesion, and charitable outreach.
Bayewu described the Islamic Foundation Centre as a centre of worship, learning, and community service, dedicated to Allah and the loving memory of his mother, Alhaja Shifawu Awero Bayewu, adding that “This centre stands today as a tribute to a life well-lived, a life that inspires values of humility, resilience, and unwavering faith.”
He said, “This edifice comprises separate prayer halls for men and women, a multipurpose event hall, modern ablution facilities, and a Janazah section fully equipped to serve the Muslim ummah in the dignified preparation of the deceased in accordance with Islamic rites.”
In his lecture, the National Missioner, Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Shaykh’ Abdur-Rahmaan Olanrewaju Ahmad noted that a mosque is a community centre, a complex with a praying hall and not just a praying hall as wrongly perceived by most mosques in the present times.
Describing the new mosque as a nucleus of the Muslim community with a Quranic learning facility, the Missioner explained that Allah permits just two categories of people to build mosques, those whom Allah wishes to bless and those that Allah wishes to punish, serving as a source of punishment to their community.
Referencing the preaching of Prophet Mohamed (SAW), the Missioner noted that the Holy Prophet usually stresses that “whoever builds a mosque for God on earth will have a magnificent house in paradise”.
