Date: 2016-07-06

While heading to the Eid ground this morning, I was surprised to be informed that the prayer had already been completed; I had no option than to observe the Eid prayer at An-Nur Islamic College, Oloje Estate. Ibn Abayomi once said, 'when the safety of political overlords appears obviously endangered, aoqatu-solat (fixed time for prayer) becomes absolutely irrelevant to oppressors.' Only an outsider would not bat an eyelid about the news of Eid-il-Fitr prayer held in Ilorin at 8:40am today.

Ironically, however, there have never been a time in recent past when Eid would not be delayed with such flimsy excuses as awaiting the arrival of either the governor, the Emir or other notable personalities. Many Muslims in Ilorin are already used to this.

Today, one might argue that it was an oversight on the part of our blessed Imam not to have noticed that the governor was yet to be on ground before the commencement of the prayer; even the usual mammoth congregation had not converged. Could it be that the prayer was pre-planned to commence earlier than expected in order to satisfy those who frown at the annual delay of solat for notable personalities yet to arrive? Or could this be an 'avoid-the-hungry-stoners' tactics?

While this could be viewed by outsiders as a quantum leap from subversive practices to orthodox system; Ilorin natives know that there is more to this hastened khutbah than meets the eyes, wallahu 'alam.

I'm usually cautious about contributing ideas when conspiracy theorists and those zealous defenders of political office holders go about proliferating confusions in defence of those who call the shot as far as politics is concerned in Kwara State; but whenever reality dawns, only a sellout, opportunistic son of the soil would feign indifference without the moral obligation to add a voice.

Many of us who admire our Emir in our youth are becoming increasingly impatient with his silence on salient issues affecting the state and the Ummah in particular. For a few, however, their fraught faithfulness to the Emir is a function of his inability to publicly verbal-lash those who are responsible for the woes of civil servants in the state. I'm also of the opinion that indifference in the face of oppression is itself an indirect defence of the devilish and it ultimately pierces the heart of the defenceless more than a dagger does.

Though the early khutbah has been delivered and attendees have dispersed, but it remains significantly fresh in our minds that ceremonial and royal khutbah can be shelved to please the Almighty; just as (it is rumoured) we have done to avoid the envisaged attack today: I hope we have witnessed the beginning of a plausible phenomenon; and I beg to disagree that this signals an act of cowardice. Now that the example has been set, I hope the trend will continue and there would be no further delay of solat for the arrival of VIPs in Ilorin again.

Sheriff Olanrewaju writes from Ilorin-South.