Unity of Professionals: The Muslim Academy

Module

Unity they say is strength, this lifelong adage has been and still is relevant in the light of pooling together resources (infrastructural and human resource) to help in the advancement of any cause; be it right or wrong.

Indubitably there are a 1000 and over groupings of varied interests be it political, religious, academic, social, sports, professional, business amongst several others; the main essence of these alliance is premised on protecting each others’ interest.

The Ghana Muslim Academy’s (GMA) module for an effective and united professional front makes very interesting looking at and appears a great module which many other groups could build much stronger and compact groups.

The entire concept is based on three core principles as I deduce: Strategy – Unity of Purpose – Mutual Respect for opposing views within the group.

STRATEGY

Strategy here denotes a well calculated plan of actions implemented over a period of time and aimed at achieving particular results. Strategizing is akin to planning (maybe effective planning)

Coupled with strategy is segmentation. A conscientious process of bringing together a select number of people who share the particular ends that the group is striving to attain, basically to plan on behalf of the collective, (be it an active or passive group)

Strategy and further segmentation is to avoid the very dangerous concept of an undifferentiated strategy, i.e. one fits all strategy; which most times cloud discussions and leads to unnecessarily protracted debates.

UNITY OF PURPOSE

For particularly the Zongos – Muslims dominated societies – there undoubtedly are particular problems that are in need of urgent panaceas, amongst others: quality education, improved health care, sanitation and youth delinquency.

These certainly are clearly drawn challenges that no particular sect within the religion can claim to have remedied without bringing along other Muslims. Critically therefore; beyond strategy and segmentation comes Unity of Purpose or oneness of goal.

A unity of purpose would come along if members of a group shed their differences and sit together to dispassionately dilate on the way forward as it suits a particular situation whose solution remains dear to all members of the collective.

MUTUAL RESPECT

This component within a formidable group stands at the core of the module. In as much as the group by standard admits a person into the group, it behooves on all members to respect the views and positions held by the other, who after all is entitled to a position.

This thus calls for constructive criticism, avoidance of entrenched stands mindful of individual fallibility, desisting from name calling, doing away with any ethnic and tribal undercurrents: the end result gives birth to tolerance and heightened spirit of volunteerism.

PRACTICAL SITUATION: CASE STUDY OF GMA

The GMA’s existing strategy currently is to pool as many Muslims professional as possible, the segment herein being of persons who have completed tertiary education, and who should basically share in the aims and ethos of the GMA.

Beyond that the GMA comprises Muslims across the Islamic plane: be they Sunni, Shia, Tijaniyya etc. All these people live within the society and yearn to see the betterment of the Ummah as of today and for generations to come.

No Islamic group would frown upon the establishment of critical infrastructure like schools, clinics and standard sanitation units; hence all these groups must come together to strive and sacrifice to put in place these amenities. Unity of purpose at play.

The Ummah – Muslim Community – in Ghana today albeit under the banner of Islam, still have interfaith divisions relative to who was practicing the ‘real Islam.’ This was foretold years ago by the Holy Prophet Mohammed (May Allah exalt his mention).

These divisions are so spiky and dodgy that they have left Muslims fighting one another on the basis of spirituality (which is in no means wrong), yet so immersed are Muslims bickering that they forget the things that are supposed to unite Muslims.

The interfaith spiritual debate did not start today neither would it end tomorrow, the most important thing is to gunner as much power to fight the bigger opponents and recalcitrant people, the Kuffar/disbelievers; who seem happy with bickering in the Islamic camp – one formidable but now a diminutive and struggling enterprise.

CONCLUSION

The things that unite us as Muslims far outweigh the trivialities that we go chasing and allow the real enemies to get a field day and further erode our diminishing power and influence at local and global levels.

Allah having perfected for us this faith, endears us to be civil as does his Prophet and to further hold on fact to HIS rope and not break up, in our effort to draw others to HIM we are cautioned to do so with wisdom and good counsel.

Allah strengthen the Muslim Ummah, the Muslim Academy and all well meaning Muslim individuals the world over.

© Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa (Facebook: Alfa Allahguide Shaban)

alfarsenal@yahoo.com/newcguide@gmail.com

- Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa

VERITAS LIBERAT - The TRUTH shall set you free.