By Funmilayo Adeyemi
A judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Magistrate Court, Sheikh Ayuba Abubakar has canvassed for an Islamic regulation to curb the alarming rate of divorce in the territory.
Abubakar was speaking at the Annual Ramadan Lecture organised by the Afemai Islamic Movement in Abuja on Sunday with the theme: ‘The Role of Parent in Raising God Fearing Children’.
The scholar, who expressed worry over the alarming rate of divorce in FCT, called on parents to ensure they follow the Islamic regulations before giving their children out in marriage.
According to him, most parents don’t follow the instructions of the Holy Quran but only follow their children’s bidding when the issue of marriage *arises*.
“As a judge, we are having a high rate of divorce, especially the rate in the FCT is so alarming, young couples in two years, three years marriage, dragged themselves to courts.
“And we discovered that in so many of it there is no other way than to just separate them to live in peace.
“The implication is that if we don’t follow the Islamic regulation by making prayers to Allah for guidance and follow the Islamic teaching, there will be domestic problems.
“This teaching is for the husband to know his duty and his rights and for the wife to *know* her duty and rights and by the time you think of those rules, it is to bring harmony in our homes,” he said.
He added that though Islamically, divorce was acceptable, but adding that it was also detestable, hence parents must find ways to help their children come out of it.
Abubakar charged parents to take a lead role in their children’s decision in taking a life partner, saying this would help guild their choices and ensure the couple live together thereafter.
According to him, if a woman is pious, it gives you 70 per cent assurance that the *children from the marriage will be pious*.
“As a Muslim, you must ensure that your home is an Islamic home, a home where you recite the Quran, a home where you take turn to gather the children and teach them the word of Allah.
“You teach them the words of the prophets and not just allow them to fully have western education but add Islamic education to it as this will guarantee your children will be pious Muslims,” he added.
On his part, the Board of Trustee of the Afemai Islamic Movement, Alhaji Momodu Kadiri said the aimed of the movement was to promote Islam among the Edo people in Abuja and Muslims across the country.
Kadiri urged Muslims to come together to promote the good course of Islam.
He said that the movement which started in 2001 had been able to acquire over *4, 300 square meter* of land in Abuja for the construction of mosque and schools to train youths on skills acquisitions.
He, therefore, solicit the support of well-meaning Nigerians to achieve the dream of the association.
The Afemai are an ethnic group living in the northern part of Edo State, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. They occupy six local government areas of Edo state: Etsako West, with headquarters in Auchi, Etsako Central, Etsako East, Owan East, Owan West and Akoko Edo.