By Muhammed Jallow
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. We bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His servant and final Messenger.
O believers, O my fellow Gambians.
We stand today at a sensitive moment in our national life. A conversation has begun in our land, concerning the words of Imam Abdul Kareem Kuyateh. He reminded us that worship belongs only to Allah, and that no grave, no saint, and no human being can share in what is due only to the Creator.
Some have misunderstood him. Some have misrepresented him. But I tell you today, by Allah, Imam Abdul Kareem has spoken nothing wrong, he has said nothing new, he has only reminded us of what our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said long before him.
The Prophet himself warned us: Do not turn my grave into a place of festival. Send your blessings upon me, for indeed your blessings reach me wherever you are. This is the balance of Islam: love for the Prophet, respect for the righteous, but worship reserved only for Allah.
My fellow Gambians, let us pause.
Do we not know that the Qur’an says in Surah Al-Fatiha: You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help? Do we not hear Allah declare in Surah Al-Imran: Hold firmly to the rope of Allah, all together, and do not become divided? These words are not for Arabs alone, nor for Senegalese alone, but for us here in The Gambia, today, at this very hour.
Yes, Mouridism has entered our land. Yes, it has roots in Senegal. But let us be wise. Even in Senegal itself, debates continue. Scholars themselves differ. Mourides and Sunnis share many things in common: prayer, fasting, charity, devotion to the Prophet. But let us also recognise the differences with maturity, without hatred, without insult, without prejudice.
O believers, O Gambians.
We must never confuse respect with worship. Respect is for teachers, for parents, for the righteous. Worship is for Allah alone. This is the line that must never be crossed.
And so I call today upon our leaders. I call upon the ministry of religious affairs. I call upon the Supreme Islamic Council. Do not remain silent. Do not allow tension to grow unchecked. Address this matter with wisdom. Guide the people with clarity. Remind us all that differences must never become division.
The Qur’an commands in Surah An-Nisa: If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger. That is the best way, and best in result. This is our path. Not anger in the streets, not insults in the mosques, but reference to the Qur’an, to the Sunnah, and to our learned authorities.
My fellow Gambians, let us not forget who we are.
We are a nation of peace. We are a people of tolerance. Christians and Muslims live side by side as one family. Within Islam, different schools of thought have always existed in harmony. Shall we now allow imported divisions to tear us apart? Shall we now forget our history of unity?
No, my brothers and sisters. A thousand times, no.
Imam Abdul Kareem Kuyateh is not the enemy. He is a son of this soil. He is a voice calling us back to tawheed, to the worship of Allah alone. Let us listen with wisdom, not with anger. Let us debate with knowledge, not with insults. Let us seek understanding, not division.
O believers, remember the words of Allah in Surah Al-Hujurat: Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Not the richest, not the loudest, not the most followed, but the most righteous. That is the measure. That is the standard.
So let us rise together as Gambians.
Let us protect our peace. Let us guard our unity. Let us honor our differences, but never forget our foundation. Our rope is one, and that rope is Islam. Our call is one, and that call is to Allah alone.
And so I conclude with the prayer that Allah grants us wisdom, that Allah blesses our leaders, that Allah strengthens our scholars, and that Allah unites our beloved Gambia in peace and faith.
Wa salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
