Sheikh Ibrahim Salih al-Hussaini, the Grand Mufti of Nigeria and a member of the Muslim Council of Elders, believed that Islam holds ideal solutions for all our economic and social problems, and therefore it is not enough in the Islamic and scientific conferences and events in which he participates, and declarations that he makes about the demand for a sincere return to Islam so that solutions and reform plans come to fulfill the aspirations of Muslims and embodying the teachings of their religion.

Sheikh Al-Hussaini rejects the allegations of those who claim that Islam is an obstacle in front of plans and programs for developing and modernizing Islamic societies. Affirming that the teachings, values and ethics of our great religion are capable of building modern and advanced societies, and Islam is the religion of science, he welcomes all new and useful things, and always urges Muslims to use their minds, and make every effort to benefit from science and its modern achievements.

The Mufti of Nigeria expresses his regret at the spread of religious illiteracy in many Islamic countries, and calls for a true Islamic scientific renaissance. It relies on advanced educational curriculum and modern technology methods. He also warns that some pretenders dare against the religion of God and the Hadith in matters of religion, some to give Fatwas without looking deep whether a matter is permissible or forbidden, without being prepared and qualified for this great responsibility.

The following are the details of the dialogue that the "Islamic Economy" conducted with His Highness during his visit to Cairo:

The interview was conducted by Basyouni Al Halawani

The reality of the Islamic nation

How do you see the reality of the Islamic nation now in light of the civil wars and foreign conspiracies that wasted its power in internal conflicts and disputes?

There is no doubt that the Islamic Ummah is living in very difficult conditions at all levels, and it is undoubtedly exposed to plots and plans aimed at spreading discord and wrangling among its followers, and everyone must be aware of this, as the Ummah is now suffering from wars, armed conflicts, internal crises, and many serious challenges, and here we Muslims cannot be exempt from responsibility and attach our problems to the arms of the enemies, and when the enemies conspire against us, it is our duty to confront them and work to thwart their plans and plots. It is regrettable that these conflicts and disputes continue, lives are lost, wealth is wasted, homes are destroyed, and development plans and programs that represent the future of Islamic peoples are disrupted.

All parties must realize that they are achieving their goals for the nation’s enemies, and that is why we appeal to Muslims and their general public to realize the dangers that surround them, to stop conflict and disagreement, to stop the bloodshed of the innocent, as it is forbidden blood, and to preserve our wealth to be spent in development and solving the problems of the poor and unemployed in the country which witness to those conflicts.

We also call upon the wise people in all of our Islamic countries to make more efforts to stop bloodshed and stop wasting money in wars and conflicts that are useless but ruin. The poor Muslims are the more suite people to get the money that is wasted in wars and conflicts.

Problems and material interests

And how to deal with the nation’s economic problems that multiply in a world that uses weapons in search of its material interests?

  Dealing with economic problems in Islamic countries in general needs a vision that differs from one country to another according to its conditions, capabilities and needs, so what is suitable for application in Nigeria - for example - may not be suitable for application in Egypt, and what works in Morocco may not work in the Emirates, and so it must be varied policies and development plans to suit every society.

But at the public level, we are required to cooperate and integrate to achieve the supreme interests of Muslims, and we are required to deal with awareness of the plans to divide the unity of the Ummah, which are already begun, and we must be aware that the armed conflicts that we have referred to be an obstacle in the way of cooperation and economic integration among Islamic countries while we were in the past call for a “common Islamic market,” and this demand has disappeared and no longer comes from conferences and cultural or economic events after the picture has become bleak, and the dream has become elusive.

We are a nation that God has endowed with all the bounties and riches. We do not have a problem with the natural resources or the funds necessary for investment. All continents of the world are competing with Muslim money, but our problems remain in the absence of a "real will" for collective action for the sake of Islamic peoples. This Islamic collective action, unfortunately, does not exist. Perhaps due to international conspiracies and policies that stand in the way of our unity, but we are responsible and God will hold us accountable for that.

Year of change

The disagreements, quarrels and conflicts that we face in our Islamic world impose on us despair and frustration as we see this in attitudes of some?

We have learned from our religion to live on hope, to reform our conditions, correct our mistakes, strive for change, and make effort in every work that is beneficial for ourselves and our societies, and we leave the results to God. Ourselves (God does not change the condition of a people until they change what they are themselves) (Surah Raad 11), but our duty now is to solve our real problems so that we can find a successful treatment for them.

First of all, we have to emphasize that the state of separation and division in which we live in the Islamic world deprives us of much good and doubles the size of the dangers that the Ummah is exposed to at the present time.

Therefore, all efforts should be made to unite the Ummah’s efforts to confront the many and varied dangers surrounding us, and we are compelled to double the volume of work, and to seek to modernize our societies to keep pace with the developments of the age, and Islam as a religion of thought and science and believes in all new beneficial things and urges to do so.

Islam is the religion of knowledge and action

Some associate the state of dependence and nothingness in which we live, and not seriously seeking to reap the fruits of modern science and the teachings of our true religion. What do you respond to these?

 This is a thinking of ignorant people, and Islam is a religion of knowledge, work, endeavor, diligence, and struggle for the good of the world and the hereafter. Islam calls us to work diligently and sincerely, and therefore knowledge and action, which are the two building blocks of any renaissance, are at the forefront of Islam’s concern.

Islam faces all forms of dependence and nothingness, and there is a big difference between “trust” and “dependency”. We Muslims are required to strive hard to achieve a secure and stable life for us, our children and our societies, and this will not be achieved for us except with more knowledge, ignite and experience. We are also required to be keen to the teachings of our religion, and from this great religion that the Creator, may he be glorified and exalted, wanted to conclude the divine messages, we derive the method and determination.

Important events... However

You referred to the Islamic conferences and events that take place from time to time... Do you still attach hope to these activities in dealing with the reality of the Ummah and its problems, while some assert that the recommendations of these events are always ink on paper?

 I disagree with you about this view of the Islamic conferences, because I think that it is important to achieve communication between the scholars and thinkers of the Ummah, and its existence is much better than a complete estrangement between scholars and researchers, and all we look forward to is that its recommendations have to put into practice and follow-up committees have to be formed for to accomplish them, and all the countries should be concerned with this matter, so that these conferences do not turn into media demonstrations, which will expire once they are completed.

Communication and convergence between Muslims is very important at various levels, and we look forward to greater communication between officials in Islamic countries in all fields, because it is this communication that opens horizons for cooperation, integration and achieving aspirations, and cooperation in its minimum limits is better than there is no cooperation.

The problems and crises surrounding us require us as a nation to work together, and God Almighty always calls us to cooperation, solidarity and joint action in various fields.

Cultural cooperation

Does cooperation in intellectual and cultural fields provide Muslims with the ability to face challenges that target the image of Islam and the security and stability of Islamic societies?

  Unfortunately, this cooperation takes place on a very small scale. In today's world, we face many intellectual and cultural challenges due to the growth of extremist groups that afflict many Arab and Islamic countries, and facing these challenges requires effective cooperation because the repercussions of the growth of these groups are many and very dangerous for our societies on the basis of security, economy and society. We need intellectual confrontations to secure our security.

Muslims recover their strength

From your point of view, how can Muslims regain their power in a world that only knows the logic of power?

The force that Muslims have in all parts of the earth should work together to and must be comprehensive… strength in science... strength in economy... strength in social structure and moral advancement... along with the military force with which we can terrorize the enemy of God and the enemy of the homeland and all greedy for our land and our goodness.

And the Sunnah of God is that it gives strength, progress and prosperity to those who take the causes, so that they know well, work, struggle and make good use of their energies and resources, and the reality is that if Muslims do not do so, and if they do not follow the Sunnah and the causes that allow them to advance and set off, nothing will change in their country. Those who take these reasons will advance and rise up, and therefore it is our duty to advance the educational curricula in our Islamic societies, to give scientific research the attention it deserves, and to attach great importance to work and give its opportunities to everyone who can work. It is sad that the lists of unemployed people in Islamic countries are multiplied without having realistic future plans to deal with these unemployed.

A religion of renaissance and progress

Why do Muslims always complain of poverty, ignorance, and all kinds of economic and social problems? And why do most Islamic countries goes backward on the lists of "developing" countries? And what do you respond to those who link this painful reality with the teachings of Islam?

The link between this reality and the teachings of Islam is one of the forms of ignorance that I spoke about, because this reality that you are talking about varies from one society to another, and has nothing to do with our religious constants… Islam is a religion of renaissance, progress and civilization, and the reality that Muslims live with in all its manifestations of weakness has no relationship with Islam no from near or far… The facts, evidence and proofs say that Muslims have fallen behind and have not regained their renaissance that filled the world with knowledge, civilization and justice, because they are no longer practicing Islam or for the sake of Islam, but they set aside the true path of this religion and begun to seek solutions for their problems from others.

Methods of Change

You talked about the comprehensive change and development that our societies need in order for God to change what is in them and rid them of their problems and crises. On which basis this change is going to take place from your viewpoint? Who is responsible for it?

The approach to change is clear and specific, and there is no room for different visions. We are required to take the reasons for progress in terms of knowledge, work, competence and sincerity in this work. Our Islamic world is the responsible of all the governors of our affairs, as it is the responsible of each of us, and our honorable Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, explained to us important basic aspects regarding this responsibility, so he said in the noble Hadith: “A servant’s feet will not disappear on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about four characteristics: about his age how he spent it, about his youth in what he spent, about his money from where he acquired it and where he spent it, and about his knowledge and how much he did according it.

This noble Hadith includes several basic elements for a person’s responsibility in this world, for which the Judgment Day account statement will be presented before God Almighty, and these elements are: time, work, money and knowledge.

Islamic transactions

Through your efforts in the Fatwa, and your studies related to transactions... How do you see the future of Islamic transactions in African countries?

Muslims everywhere are connected to their religion and are keen on the lawful and the forbidden. Muslims in Africa in general, and in our country - Nigeria - in particular, are looking for what confirms their religious identity. Therefore, their questions about the lawful and the forbidden do not stop in transactions, and they also look to the spread of banks and that deal according to the provisions of Islamic Sharia law, and we attest it to its sincerity in treatment, and we look forward to its spread in all African countries, and the confidence of the masses in it is the best support for it... And God willing, banks that provide Islamic transactions will be launched into non-Islamic societies and environments, whether in Africa or elsewhere, and we scholars and preachers affirm our support for these activities and all institutions that apply the approach of Islam and provide the Muslim with an Islamic alternative in all affairs of his life.

How do you see the clear and growing trend towards Islamic transactions in many countries of the world?

This is a praiseworthy approach. Islamic transactions achieve the aspirations of Muslims in applying the Halal approach and keeping away from the ways of the forbidden, and this is important for every Muslim keen on his religion, and these transactions mean safety and get rid of great risks, and they mean that people are satisfied with their money, and we hope that interest in the economy will grow through the Islamic economic system in general in all Arab and Islamic countries to besiege the usurious transactions that still dominate the transactions of Muslims, and we are confident that transactions that derive their components and controls from the laws of Islam will spread and prevail, and it is an important tool to get rid of the forbidden in our Islamic societies.

Fatwa is trustworthy and responsible

You always warn against daring to issue a Fatwa and stress that it is one of the most important manifestations of the intellectual defect in our Islamic societies... How do we protect our Islamic societies from misguided Fatwas issued by unqualified people?

In fact, talking about religious matters with ignorance is a great matter, and the falsification of legal rulings is the most prominent thing that Muslim societies suffer now in Fatwa arenas, and the matter no longer stops at non-specialists and those who are not qualified to issue Fatwas, but rather the greater danger is the extreme groups that mix between the lawful and the forbidden, These stray groups need to be confronted with intellect than security, in order to protect the minds of Muslims from what they promote through modern communication sites, and what they do in terms of (brainwashing) some of our Muslim youth.

Through your glorious magazine, I appeal to the masses of Muslims everywhere not to resort to non-specialists in matters of Fatwa, to choose those whose Fatwas are well in matters of their religion, and to cut ties with all extremist groups, and to resort to the scholars of Fatwa accredited in religious institutions in our country there are many of them, praise be to God.

Restore moderate stance

What are your efforts to spread moderate Islamic discourse in Nigeria after the extremists and militants succeeded in deceiving some of your youth and pushing them to violence under religious slogans?

I want to reassure you and reassure every Muslim in our Islamic world that the enlightened Islamic discourse is prevalent among the vast majority of Muslims in Nigeria. The Nigerian Muslim always favors religious moderation and does not lean towards extremism except for those whose minds are manipulated by those with deviant currents.

And our religious efforts to confront those who violate the tolerance and moderation of Islam are continuous, and they are constantly multiplying to protect the minds of our youth who fall into the clutches of delusion groups that spread in some Islamic countries, and Islam is innocent on that.

Building up a safe society

What does it mean to restore moderate religious discourse in African societies?

Restoring a moderate religious discourse means a lot to African Muslims, as it means cutting off the path to groups of delusion and deviation that sweep through Islam and innocents of them, and correct religious discourse is one of the most important factors for achieving stability in societies and contributing to their security and safety, and through this tolerant moderate discourse that is based on the teachings and ethics of Islam achieve peaceful coexistence among human beings, justice, equality and restrained freedoms are achieved, and by it psychological security is achieved, and by it the relationships of human beings are controlled between them, and by it the moral and human values of mercy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, honesty, loyalty and trust are established, and by it the preservation of blood, honor, money and sanctities, And with it, the speed of work, production and architecture of the universe proceeds in its right path.

Greater cooperation

How do you see the relationship between Fatwa institutions in the Islamic world? Does coordination between them achieve the goals that Muslims everywhere aspire to?

Now there is good coordination between Fatwa institutions in the Islamic world, and we look forward to more cooperation, integration and coordination, and this coordination is important for the exchange of visions, experiences and knowledge, religious education and jurisprudential research. And I am always happy to meet the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar and benefit from his visions and directives. There are strong bonds between us and Al-Azhar, praise be to God.

Education at Al-Azhar

What about the new generations of Nigerians who are studying at Al-Azhar? Will they achieve your ambitions in preaching and Fatwas after their return?

Praise be to God, our confidence in Al-Azhar and its educational, advocacy and training institutions is very great, and we are always keen to send our children to Al-Azhar in order to learn and qualify for all religious tasks, and we undertake to train and qualify after their return, and as you know the missionary tasks are much easier than the tasks of Fatwas. In addition to the wide knowledge of the opinions and jurisprudence is needed for the jurists, in the past and present, we do not issue it to the youth, but rather we place this great task in the necks of those with wide knowledge and experience among the scholars and preachers.