By Mutiat Olaniyan
When the inspiration to build masjid AlFattah came, I decided not to tell a lot of people, personally if I want to achieve something am so convinced about, I don’t say it until I achieve it. After completion, I knew I don’t have the capacity to handle the spiritual aspect of getting an Imam or coordinating the affairs of a Masjid, I am neither a Scholar or one close to being that conscious.
With the support of family and notable friends, the Masjid came to life. Brother Niyi Sanuth was one of them. The moment I hinted him about the project he was blown away, he was so happy and excited. I remember how he kept praising and praying for me for even having that thought. He said he envied my husband. He promised to support the project. Did he fulfill his promise? .
One aspect of humans is we promise to do many things but only a few back up their promise with action. When the time to launch the masjid came, brother Niyi asked me about my plans for sustaining the masjid, I told him we plan to use proceeds from a ‘project’ to fund the Masjid, he asked if there’s a plan before the ‘project’ gets completed, I said no, but we’ll find a way.
He promised to get a sponsor to start with the initial funding of the activities of the masjid. Few days later, he called me that we have someone who will pay the salary of the imam for at least a year. He asked how much I have in mind, I didn’t know how this thing operates, he lectured me on the need for an Imam to be adequately remunerated infact he brought the idea of getting a very good accommodation funded by the masjid for the imam. He told me we mustn’t pay any imam less than70k with benefits. ‘Can’t you see how the other religions take care of their men of God’ was his word . And that built the foundation for our Imam at the masjid.
Few days later he called me again that we have someone who will pay the house rent for at least a year alongside the Salary for another one year to relieve the family for at least a year. I was extremely happy.
He conducted the first ever interview for the imam and he wasn’t one who pushed his ideas on people. Even as he cordinated all these., he didn’t force his opinions on the family. He would call me from time to time to talk to me , he spoke to me more after my husband’s death than when my husband was even alive. He will give advice on how the masjid will be run and despite his busy schedule and health challenges, he continued to serve his lord.
Before the 28th of every month, I will receive the Imam’s salary from him, but for this month it came quite late. I didn’t get any alert until November 2nd, I was worried, I called his number severally it wasn’t going through. I sent him WhatsApp message he didn’t reply until I got the alert on November 2nd from another souce c/o niyisanuth, I became worried not knowing my brother was battling with his life. I sent yet another message that evening all to no avail.
I have asked him severally to tell me who is paying these money, and he would tell me don’t worry ‘a slave of Allah’. Up till this time Allah took his soul,I still don’t know if it was him or someone else. He wasn’t only a friend to my late husband while alive, he, like many of his friends , was a friend indeed who played major role after his death.
And coincidentally just like my husband, he also died of a similar ailment, in a similar way, buried in a foreign land. I know multitude would have wanted to attend his janazah and pray behind his corpse, as he did for others, but just like my hubby, Allah did not make that happen.
Oh Allah, please forgive the sins of this beloved brother of mine completely, make his stay in his Barzakh full of light and Rahma from you, grant him reward for alllll if his deeds, reunite him with my beloved husband in AlJannah Firdaus, put them together under your shade as you promised for friends who are friends purely for your sake, oh Allah completely erase all their sins and great them Jannah Aamiin.
May Allah grant us good friends with whom we will attain Jannah
My heart is so heavy.
