Madrasah flogging: Islam permits reasonable punishment – Cleric

By Jimoh Sulyman
A cleric in Ilorin has made it clear that Islam is not against the use of corporal punishment as much as it commensurates with the offense committed by the offender.
This was contained in the sermon delivered by the Chief Imam of IMAN Central Mosque, Imam Sharafdeen Olohunoyin, on Friday, before leading the congregants in the compulsory weekly two units prayer.
Olohunoyin stressed that, punishment in Islam is not just a means of hurting the offender ,but to correct the wrong of the person in order to prevent future reoccurrence of the same offence.
He also noted that, the peculiar nature of the African society that we’re in doesn’t stand in the way of correcting an erring child with a cane, but it does frown at excessive use of brute force in meting out the punishment.
The cleric however commended the authority for its timeliness in establishing a committee to see to the matter and expressed his hope in the new committee to do justice to the matter.
In other part of his sermon, which is in commemoration of the birth of Noble Prophet Muhammad and the celebration of Maulud Nabbiy, as the Muslims worldwide are in celebratory mood
The Islamic Scholar urged Muslims to toe the noble path of Prophet Muhammad, adding that Muslims should follow the order and guidelines sent to the world through Prophet Muhammad.
Olohunoyin described the Prophet as a Warner to all mankind to put warn and correct all their maleficent ways and as a bearer of glad tidings for the people, to tell them of all the good things that awaits the good ones in Jannah.
The Imam in the spirit of the Maulud celebration, called on the government to emulate the leadership qualities of Prophet Muhammad by putting the interest of the people at the top of their priorities, just as Prophet Muhammad taught us.
He also bemoaned the rate of hunger in the land ,citing the untold hardship average Nigerian is facing on daily basis, blaming the scarcity of foodstuff, as the little available have prices beyond the reach of a common man.
Olohunoyin alluded that the plight the nation has found itself is self inflicted, alluding that every Nigerian has an input in putting country in the dire state it has found itself, he also complained on the cost of running generator at the government houses, describing them as insensitive to the plight of the people who are living in darkness.
The Imam urged people to hold on tightly to their faith and not leave the religion because of worldly materials, for everything in the world is temporary but only Allah that is permanent.