Yusupha Jaiteh, a Gambian author has advised Islamic preachers and political operatives to be mindful of giving haphazard information to followers of Islam, concerning Islamic rulings on matters relative to politics, arguing that it is wrong to say leaders are bound to be followed without specifying on which conditions they should be followed.
Author Jaiteh was speaking in an exclusive interview with The Voice newspaper during which, he highlighted and demystified ten key areas that preachers and “political stoogesbank on to misinform the electorates”.
He emphasised that any preacher or political operative, who calls on Muslims and non-Muslims to campaign and vote for an incompetent leader, commits a grave sin, which can lead someone astray, reiterating that it is not enough to preach that Islam advices people to follow their leaders without specifying on which conditions such leaders should be followed.
The renowned author, whose arguments are also contained in a book and supported by a prominent Imam, observed that preachers and political stooges who think that politics is just a secular matter and will not be accounted for in the hereafter are committing grave sins, adding that similar fate awaits preachers that are bent on saying that politics is all about cracking jokes and fun between people belonging to different political parties.
He argued that it is equally sinful to preach, campaign or to vote in favour of a leader who is not worthy of handling leadership positions, adding that it is also sinful to rig votes and surrender it to someone who is widely known to be corrupt.
“Those, who are of the belief that it is advice of Allah and the noble prophet that leaders should be followed without diagnosing it further for the knowledge of the vulnerable, are committing big sins that will be accounted for in the hereafter. It is also very sinful for those who tell people that it is Allah,who chooses someone to become a leader and for that being the case when God times come, he will leave power but yet those people goes out to vote for such leaders,” author Yusupha Jaiteh warned.
He added: “Those, who tells people that our noble prophet advices that no one should go against their leaders without substantiating it for people’s understanding, are also making mistakes and should repent. Those, who preaches that hence it is God who advices us to follow our leaders without considering whether that leader is honest or not or whether is capable or not, are also committing sins that they will face in the judgment day.”
“If two million people are living in a country, out of which 900, 000 are registered voters, the remaining 1.1 million people will be regarded as unregistered voters that comprise of the kids, some elderly people and the sick. Out of the 900, 000 voters, if 500, 000 of them vote for a candidate, the remaining 400, 000 cannot make someone to become their leader,” Jaiteh explained.
He added: “If you add 400, 000, who refused to vote for the incompetent leader to the 1.1million unregistered voters, the figure will add up to 1.5million people. Now, if anyone of the 1.5million people encounter any difficulties as a result of the voting of an incompetent and corrupt leader, each of the 500, 000 voters will have a sin of 1.5million everyday.”
He continued to explained that if the 1.5million people encounter ten difficulties per day each of the 500, 000 people who voted for the corrupt, incompetent and bad leader will accomulate 15million sins per day, arguing that this is why it is important to make the right analysis and judgment before any citizen will caste his or her votes.
He continued to argue that if 900, 000 people are supposed tovote out of a population of two million and in every 100 people, 15 people are influenced by the belief that they did not against their rulers, then 135, 000 people will automaticallycast their ballots into the box of the incompetent leader, noting that such people including their advisers will be committing sin for every difficulties encountered by the population and will be accounted for it in the day of judgment.
Jaiteh outlined that if anyone of the population experience difficulties as a result of the erroneous or deliberate election of an incompetent, corrupt, greedy and selfish leader, those who voted for him will be rewarded with a sin and must be accounted for it in hereafter, adding that these difficulties may include lack of jobs, lack of security, lack of utilities, lack of school fees for kids, poor medical services, lack to finance to feed ones family among many other difficulties experiencedby the population.
He continued to state that if 500, 000 people voted for an incompetent leader, resulting in the sufferings of the remaining 1.5 million people in a population of two million people, each of them will be penalized with not less than 27.3 billion sins if such a leader rules for a period of five years if each month ends in 30 days, adding that even if the 500, 000 people, who voted for an incompetent leader, performs 1000 good deeds per day, and even if each of their good deeds rectify 10 sins done to the population, it will take 7, 500 years to settle all the sins committed.
He added that if one’s good deeds rectifies 700 sins and oneperforms 1000 good deeds per day, it will take one 107 years, one month and 22 days to correct his or her own sin, noting that this is why it is dangerous to vote for an incompetent leader.
The renowned author also emphatically stated that voting for an incompetent leader may also lead someone to the hell fire, adding that the same fate awaits a person who merely campaign for an incompetent leader to usurp power.
Jaiteh also said that if any preacher or Islamic scholar’s preaching leads to the election of an incompetent, dishonest, corrupt and inefficient leader, he or she will be making gravesins, adding that any preacher or Islamic scholar, whomisleads followers by insinuating that Allah ordained leaders to be followed without going forward to explain that “we are bound to follow a leader who is upright and not leading the country on right track will also be judge for their actions”.
Imam Ibrahim Saho of Bakoteh also affirmed the 10 points highlighted by author Yusupha Jaiteh, adding that many preachers and Islamic scholars are either willingly or deliberately twisting verses and hadiths just for the sake of enticing and appeasing leaders.
He acknowledged that it is forbidden and sinful to campaign or vote for any person known for incompetence, corruption, embezzlement of public resources and bad governance, noting that preachers and Islamic scholars, who uses their influence to corrupt people’s mind to vote for an incompetent and corrupt leader, will be engaging in sinful actions that will be judged in the hereafter.
The venerable Imam further urged people, who engage in advocating for installation of bad leadership, to cease the advocacy and repent, arguing that such people and those who voted for bad leadership will be accounted for any troubles and difficulties encountered by the population during such period of the leadership.
He finally cautioned preachers and Islamic scholars, banking on verses of the Quran and Hadiths to lure people into voting for incompetent leaders, that they will be accounted for.
