JAMA’ATU NASRIL ISLAM @ 50

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise be to Allah, the Almighty. May the peace and blessings of Allah be on our Noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his family members, his companions and all those who follow their teachings……In discussing and charting the way forward for JNI, we must recognize two important […]

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise be to Allah, the Almighty. May the peace and blessings of Allah be on our Noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his family members, his companions and all those who follow their teachings…
…In discussing and charting the way forward for JNI, we must recognize two important realities. First, times have greatly changed. The environment today is very different from what existed 50 years ago when JNI was established. Secondly, the challenges facing Muslims have greatly changed over the years. In thinking of how JNI should reposition itself for the future, I feel that we have to think of the greatest challenges facing the Muslims of Nigeria today. It is my honest belief that the mandate of JNI, as given in its constitution, is too wide for the current circumstances…There is the need for JNI to refocus itself and reduce its mandate so as to achieve a much more efficient organization.
About two years ago, a number of concerned Muslim academicians and professionals, representing different Islamic organizations,  held a conference with the theme “Nigerian Muslims and Democracy” at the National Mosque Abuja. Participants reviewed, among other matters, the current situation of Muslim organizations in this country. After analyzing all the major Islamic organizations in this country, they came to the conclusion that in reality none of them was fully discharging the responsibility of an umbrella organization for the Muslim organizations in the whole country. There was consensus therefore on the need for the creation of a strong and effective Islamic organization under the umbrella of which all other Muslim organizations should function.
In a follow-up meeting to the Abuja conference held in Ibadan, the following options towards the realization of this resolution were explored: To revive or resuscitate one of the already existing umbrella organizations such as the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Muslim Ummah of South Western Nigeria (MUSWEN), the Supreme Council for Shari’ah  and the Council of Ulama; To fuse and merge two or more of these already federated associations into a perfect umbrella organization for the Muslim Ummah of this country; [or] To establish a completely new independent umbrella organization.
The sentiments expressed by the participants at that conference, no doubt, are shared by the generality of Muslims in this country. In the present Nigerian political circumstances, and having due regard to our democratic dispensation, it is imperative that Muslim organizations should have a strong effective federal organization which, to say the least, will unite all Muslims in this country under one umbrella and get fully and effectively involved in the welfare of all Muslims and speak with one voice on their behalf. Perhaps, an ideal arrangement will be for JNI to merge with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Muslim Ummah of South Western Nigeria (MUSWEN) to form a really strong umbrella organization that would represent all Muslim individuals and Islamic organizations in Nigeria.
I have argued above that there is the need for JNI to reduce its mandate and become a more specialized organization.  For the new JNI to fully succeed, the mode of membership as well as the leadership structure should change accordingly. If JNI is to be a true umbrella forum, then the constituent organizations that make up the forum should be full members rather than the observer membership status given to them in the present JNI constitution. Also, in that case, representatives of these member organizations should form part of the leadership of the forum.
I must emphasize that one of the most important factors that is absolutely necessary for the success of any organization today – in particular the future JNI we are discussing in this paper– is funding. JNI must aggressively pursue this issue with all the vigour and commitment that it deserves.
In the first instance, it must invigorate its efforts in the traditional avenues of getting funding such as sourcing for donations from wealthy individuals and also getting the proceeds of Zakat and Waqf. Secondly, it must create new avenues. For almost as long as I can remember, there have been repeated calls to institute ways in which all adult Muslims can contribute small amounts of money, at regular intervals. Even with meager amounts such as N100, the total contributions can be fairly significant. The challenge is how these contributions can be collected.
Some people have advocated for collecting them in mosques. However, the new techniques brought about by the advances in Information Technology have given rise to much more effective methods…Needless to say, these resources would have to be prudently used and efficiently managed, with a large chunk of them put in investments. And as earlier mentioned, the success of the new JNI will largely rely on how these resources are collected and ultimately used.
In conclusion, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), in its 50 years of existence, has played a very important role in strengthening the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria, especially in its early period. Certain circumstances forced it to go into a deep slumber, but it is gratifying to note that it has now repositioned itself and is much better placed today to address the challenges facing Nigerian Muslims. As JNI charts out its future course of action, it is important to realize that the greatest need for the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria today is to have an umbrella organization that gives Muslims a single voice. JNI is well positioned to take up this challenge especially if it joins hands with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Muslim Ummah of South Western Nigeria (MUSWEN).
Together, they should, indeed must, develop into a very strong and powerful organization which will bring all the Muslims in this country under one roof regardless of their political affiliation, their various schools of thought, whether theological or philosophical, their languages and tribes, and their geo-political zones. It must be the mouthpiece of the Ummah – loud, clear and sound – and it must always take the most appropriate position on all major national and international issues on behalf of the Muslims. It should not indulge directly in partisan politics but must draw attention to any unjust treatment of Muslims such as their marginalization in public or civil service positions. It should always draw the attention of all Muslims to their civil and legal rights and help them towards achieving them…Wassalam.