The Ummah Transformation Strategies in the Contemporary Era (Nigeria)

THE UMMAH TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES IN THE CONTEMPORARY ERA

By

YUNUSA ALIYU BABANDO**
E-MAIL : Babandone@yahoo.com

A PAPER DELIVEERD AT THE ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
7TH ANNUAL SEMINAR AT YOLA, ADAMAWA STATE
[RABI AL-AWAAL 1430] [MARCH 2009]

**SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, ABUJA, NIGERIA
THE UMMAH TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES IN THE CONTEMPORARY ERA

Introduction
Humanity is well placed to enjoy universal peace and progress, but this is predicated on one condition: obedience to the commands of the Creator.   The element of free will to do so or otherwise, has however, created certain unhealthy tendencies in man which tended to   push him to seek to dominate his environment, albeit wantonly and aggressively, and for the selfish, materialistic ends. There in, for all intent and purposes lies most of the problems plaguing the world today.
2. You have indicated in your request for me to discuss the question of settler-indigene phenomenon, which has become clearly a source of pain for not just the Ummah but our communities as a whole. However, when placed against the background of the overall predisposition of human beings, to overlook and even disobey the commands of the Creator for selfish purposes, the only way we can come to grips with this problem is to embrace a broader perspective of the contemporary global contexts and how the Ummah fits in.   This would not only allow us to have a much broader vision and outlook; it would permit us to situate any other issue such as the “settler” or “host” phenomenon, in its proper perspective.
3. I will try to demonstrate and drawing from the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh), as well as the contemporary circumstances we have found ourselves that the problems plaguing the Ummah, stems largely from: (a)   its inability to live up to its responsibilities in both spiritual and temporal sense; (b) its deviation from the examples already set by the Prophet...