Gambian Muslim Cleric sees no reason why Muslims should not take good care of their families.
“Any one who wants to reap Allah’s bounty in this world and the Hereafter must not hesitate to take good care of his/her family,” the Chief Imam of Detroit Islamic Center said.
In his weekly Islam programme on Kairo Radio, Imam Momodou Ceesay said “God forbids people to abandon your family and feed others,” he said, citing the case of Oum Salma who asked Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]whether she would incur rewards for feeding her own kids. “When Prophet Muhammad endorsed the act, his Shabahs [Companions] soon started competing for doing good for their families.”
Imam Ceesay said Prophet also enjoined his Ummah [Community] to do their best for their families so they could be rewarded adequately. “Any man who works and provides for his family would have his deeds turn into blessings,” Imam Ceesay said, reiterating Prophetic saying that “it is sinful for any human being to allow those who rely on him/her to suffer.”
Ceesay said angels of blessings pray for those who give out to their families and the needy. On the contrary, angels of doom curse out those who hoard their wealth while their families are suffering. “Even an atomic weight of deeds – good and bad – will be rewarded,” Imam Ceesay said, adding that “the best of all gifts is to give out what you love for yourself. “Whatever you cannot use must not be given to your family or any other person.”
Imam Ceesay also advised Muslims to feed their families with what they have worked hard for. “God forbids you to steal, lie or scam to feed his family. Do not give anything bad to your family. Prophet said people should be ashamed of giving food (haram) to their families. They should also be ashamed before Allah’s eyes.
Imam Ceesay preached against maltreating everything under a person’s control, including his/her pets. He cited the case of a woman who went to hell for punishing her pet cat for starving it to death.
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