Cleric Warns Parents on Exposure of Children to Social Media

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan 

An Islamic cleric, Mallam Ali Abdussalam, yesterday attributed negative exposure of children to social media as factor destroying their moral and spiritual senses.

Abdussalam, who is the Director of Ali Institute for Quran Memorisation (AIQM), Ibadan,  said this  during the third graduation ceremony of complete Memorisation of the Quran of the institute on in Ibadan.

He said the society was getting more corrupt daily because children are exposed to negativity in music, movies and social media that are mostly destructive to their moral and spiritual senses, stating that the aftermath of the effect of these negative tools are being felt in the society and needed urgent attention by parents with the view of correcting the abnormality.

He said: “Unfortunately, parents that are expected to explain to these innocent children the evils in the society, their effects and how to avoid them are busy seeking daily livelihood and not having enough time to guide these children.

“”We understand that it is not only Islam that has solutions to these problems as our religion instructs us to condemn evils and command good.

“Always remember that failure to give the children the spiritual diet they need today will lead them to regret in future regardless of their level of western education.

He added that the institute took it upon itself to train Muslim children to memorise the Quran and as well teaches them Islamic morals, etiquettes and values, noting that 55 students who have completely memorised the Quran and understand their responsibilities toward the creator graduated at the ceremony.

He stated further that the institute in its five years of existence has 900 students that have passed through it in different programmes while a total of 105 students had become memoriser of the Quran.

While thanking Allah for what the institute has been able to achieve, he appreciated those that have contributed in one way or the other to the development of the institute.

The chairman of the occasion, Hon. Abba Muhammad, lauded parents for bringing their children from different parts of the country to the institute, stating that Prophet Muhammad encouraged Quran memorisation as it is rewarding by Allah.

He said Quran memorisation and understanding distance one from commiting evil and be closer to the creator, urging Muslims to balance Islamic education with western education.

One of the parents of the graduands, Alhaji Abdul Akeem  Adeagbo, who is the acting Deputy Bursar, University of Ibadan, said the best gift a parent could give to the children is the fear of God, stating  that Quran memorisation and its understanding was one of the way of instilling the fear of Allah on the children and prevent them from  committing evils being perpetrated by youths nowadays.

In his lecture, Sheikh Abu Mazeedatil Kharyr Bn Sa’eed, called on the graduands and the Muslims in general to positively use the Quran.

One of the graduands, Oderinde Sikirulah, thanked God for sparing his life and counting him among the memorisers of the holy Quran, stating that memorising it has really prevented him from doing evil.