His Eminence, The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has spoken

A CALL FOR SANCTITY IN WORSHIP: STOP DEFILING THE HOUSE OF GOD

I strongly commend this timely and courageous admonition from His Eminence, The Sultan of Sokoto. These words are strong, acceptable, and must be adhered to strictly by all. Worship centres are places of worship, not political campaign grounds for any favours.

The message is clear and two-fold:

*1. Stop Using Stolen Money to Sponsor Hajj and Pilgrimage.*

*2. Stop Preaching PoliticsHis Eminence, The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has spoken in Mosques and Churches.*

Hajj, Christian Pilgrimage, Offerings and Tithes must come from halal, clean, and honest earnings. God does not accept what is stolen from the people to be presented to Him. Likewise, the pulpit and the mumbar are sacred, meant for righteousness, not for partisan endorsement.

*What is lacking in this noble counsel is that names should be mentioned and shamed.* This moral decay has become a recurrent decimal in Nigerian political history. Every election season, politicians loot public funds and then seek spiritual legitimacy by sponsoring pilgrims, building places of worship, and turning our Mosques and Churches into campaign stages. This hypocrisy must be called out directly, rejected, without fear or favour.

RELIGIOUS BACKING

*From the Holy Qur’an:*

> *On Halal Earnings for Worship:*

> _”O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned…”_ — *Qur’an 2:267*

> _”Verily, Allah is Pure and He accepts only that which is pure.”_ — *Hadith Sahih Muslim 1015.* The Prophet (SAW) said Allah does not accept stolen or impure wealth.

> *On Hajj with Haram Money:* Scholars agree that Hajj performed with stolen/public money is invalid in spirit, for Hajj requires _Al-Malul Halal_ — pure earnings.

> *On Politicizing the Mosque:* _”The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day…”_ — *Qur’an 9:18*, not by those who seek power.

*From the Holy Bible:*

> *On Stolen Offerings:*

> _”I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering.”_ — *Isaiah 61:8*

> _”You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination.”_ — *Deuteronomy 23:18.* If God rejects impure money, how much more stolen public funds?

> *On Defiling the House of God:*

> _”My house shall be called a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”_ — *Matthew 21:13*

> _”Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”_ — *Psalm 146:3*

Conclusion:

The Sultan has spoken the truth. Our religious leaders in both faiths must be bold enough to reject stolen tithes, stolen offerings, and stolen Hajj sponsorships. And our politicians must fear God more than they fear losing elections.

Let the Mosque remain a Mosque. Let the Church remain a Church. And let worship be for God alone.

Muhammad is a commentator on national issues