Muslims Urge to Embrace Piety for Peace at Fountain University’s Pre-Ramadan Lecture

By Aminat Balogun

Dr. Haruna Sanusi Lafiagi, the Chief Imam of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, has urged Muslims to embrace piety to attain peace in this world and the hereafter. He made this call during the Pre-Ramadan Lecture organised by Fountain University, Osogbo, in preparation for the 1446 AH Holy Month.

The lecture, held at the Eti-Osa Lecture Theater on the university campus, was themed “Fasting and the Pursuit of Piety: Finding Peace in an Ungodly World.” It aimed to enlighten the Muslim community on the essence of fasting and the importance of cultivating piety.

Dr. Lafiagi emphasized the significance of taqwa (piety) in achieving inner peace and ultimate salvation. He urged Muslims to place their complete trust in Almighty Allah, noting that while fasting involves abstaining from food and drink for long hours, its core purpose is not merely physical endurance but the demonstration of sincere piety.

“Allah only accepts the deeds of the pious,” he stressed, adding that true faith requires an awareness of life’s temporality and a constant consciousness of one’s standing before the Creator.

He further encouraged Muslims to practice contentment by focusing on those who have less rather than envying those with more. According to him, Ramadan instils self-restraint, which is essential for achieving inner peace and fulfilling the obligation of piety in Islam.

Discussing spiritual purification, he explained that it begins in the heart, which is a fundamental aspect of taqwa. He described Ramadan as a period of spiritual redemption and an opportunity to seek forgiveness for past sins.

Highlighting the importance of repentance (tawbah), Dr Lafiagi urged Muslims to be genuinely remorseful for their sins, abandon them immediately, and make amends by restoring the rights of others. “The world is filled with people who are more sympathetic than empathetic,” he observed, encouraging Muslims to embrace true compassion.

He concluded by stressing the necessity of showing mercy, stating that those who fail to extend mercy to others will not receive mercy from Allah. He also underscored the need for unity among Muslims, urging them to support one another in faith, promote harmony, and resist the temptation to belittle others. “Never think you are better than others,” he advised in his parting words to the attendees.