The Muslim Community in Iseyin, Iseyin Local Government area of Oyo state have commended the leadership of the League of Imams and Alfas in the town for effecting the repositioning of the mosque’s Qibla, which they claimed had been wrongly positioned more than sixty years ago.
According to some congregants who worshipped at the Oja-Oba Central Mosque, Iseyin on Friday, it was an indication of better things to come, as praying against the Qibla was against the tenets of God’s Messenger, Prophet Muhammed.
In his words, the Chief Imam of Iseyinland, Imam Abdul-Hakeem Babatunde Olajori, said the development was important in his life, as it portended a positive turnaround for the Muslim community and Iseyin in general, as he said the prayers would be answered speedily when done with the lay down regulations of God.
While going through the history of the mosque, Olajori noted that the relocation of the mosque in the fifteenth century and eventual return to the particular location over sixty years ago caused the structural defect in the position of the Qibla.
“This development is so important in my life as God has used me to bring about a positive change to the Iseyin Central Mosque, in the fifteenth century, the mosque was relocated and later brought back to this particular location again, modernization came and the mosque was rebuilt with bricks and was already in use when our fathers discovered a structure defect in the direction of the Qibla.
“This defect has been noticed more than fifty years ago but recently the Muslim community held a meeting on this alongside the League of Imam and Alfas in Iseyin, where it was unanimously agreed upon that there should be a bend towards the Qibla, which we have put into effect today, Friday, the seventh day of Ramadan, which is also the eight day of the English Calendar month of April, 2022.
“The grave of our late father, Imam Alalukimba that was there has been relocated to a better place, without which we would not have been able to do this, Anabi Muhammed (S.A.W) warned that we should not face the burial ground or grave while praying, so the relocation of the grave was also a decision that was unanimously arrived at by the Muslim Community, the family of Late Imam Alalukimba and the representatives of Ijemba community.”
Imam Babatunde Olajori was of the hope that the correction made on the Qibla position would change the minds of many worshippers that have stopped worshipping at the mosque because of the old structural mistake and that prayers offered under the new position
