Qadiriyya
Association in The Gambia (QAG), Saturday held its twelfth annual international
conference, on the theme: marriage, social ideals and cosmic sign.
The
conference brought together different Qadiriyya individuals from all over the
world with Dr. Umar al-Faruq Abdallah from Chicago-United States of America as
guest speaker.
Addressing
the gathering, Dr al-Faruq said marriage establishes and guards the ultimate
needs and benefits of human beings on earth and in the hereafter, saying the
important Sunna of marriage is based on the reality of pairs and pairings that
run throughout Allah’s creation.
“It
is only in the Sunna of marriage that each of the two pairs—male and female—in
their mutual belief in Allah, can meet the needs of each other, become sound
and attain to human perfection both in and outwardly.”
Dr
al-Faruq said marriage is not only the most important foundation of the
religion but also ranks among the essential elements of civilisation.
“Allah
has magnified marriage and made it one of the cosmic signs of his glory in the
heavens and the earth. The indispensable Sunna of the entire framework of a
successful society is based on marriage,” he said.
According
to him, marriage is not just the purpose of having children but for the
cultivation of love and mercy. He added that it is a means by which husbands
and wives encounter Allah’s eternal love and mercy for the love and mercy they
have for each other.
“And
among his signs is that He (Allah) created spouses for you from among
yourselves, that perhaps you might find rest in them and He established
affection and mercy between you. Truly, in that there are signs for people who
reflect,” Dr al Faruq quoted from the Holy Qur’an –the Byzantines, 30:21.
He
also told the gathering that marriage is a cosmic sign of Allah and a supreme
spiritual good in itself, but the Sunna of marriage will surely fail to achieve
this purpose unless husbands and wives strive to practice and perfect their
highest moral qualities as believers in Allah, seeking his pleasure.
Dr
al-Faruq said Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has said in a hadith that: “The most
perfect of the believers in faith is the best of them in character, and the
very best of you are the very best of you to their wives and women—in good
character.”
Sheriff
Mohamed Hydara, the guide and chairperson of the Qadiriyya Association in The
Gambia said Allah wants ‘us’ to worship Him, adding that every soul that tastes
life must taste death. He urged all to take the lessons learned seriously so as
to benefit from them.
The
Qadiriyya association is a non-political, charitable organisation with a vision
to promote and revive the Sunnah and teachings of the prophet Muhammad and to
look at the acrimonious divisions emerging at an unprecedented rate under the
guise of religion.
