Alhagie Imam Abubacarr Dembo Touray, a renowned Islamic scholar cum Second Deputy Imam of Gunjur, Kombo South, has lambasted corrupt public officials and other betrayers of trust.
In delivering his sermon last Friday, Imam Abubacarr Dembo Touray revealed that public offices are positions of trust, and thus those holding them must be trustworthy, sincere and truthful.
He further revealed that those who go around using public funds should understand that they are eating the share of the whole nation or the concerned group and will pay for it on the Day of Judgement.
According to him, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said "anyone who is entrusted with something and you tamper with it, even to a size of a string that individual should know that he or she is a betrayal and will be identified by Allah on the Day of Judgement for people to know that he is a betrayer and will pay for it."
In the view of Imam Touray, greediness will never pay but honesty and sincerity always pay well. He narrated a story in which, according to him, Umar Ibn Khatab, the Second Khalifah of Muslims after the death of the Prophet Muhammad was going about his normal visit to know the condition of his governed; he came across a herdsman whom Umar asked to give him one of the sheep. He said the man being so honest and trustworthy said to Umar the owner might not know but Allah is seeing and will account me for it on the Day of Judgement.
He further revealed that "this has made Umar to rush to the herdsman's master to buy him in order to free him but the owner said to Umar take him and the herd of cattle." He said Umar also freed the man and let him go with the herds. This, he added, is why honesty and truthfulness pay more good than greediness.
