Editorial: Muslim Inmates Need Our Support

 

 

“They only consider us during the month of Ramadhan.”

This was the complaint made to Malawi Muslims Official Website by one of the inmates at Chichiri Prison Lajab Biziweck (not his real name) serving a five year sentence.

Imam Ibn Al-Athir said in his book Al-Kamil Fil Tarikh, that when Yusuf (AS) left prison, he wrote on the door of his cell, “this is the grave of the living, the house of the dejected, the place of trial for friends and a blow upon the face of enemies”.

Prison is the worst, basest place a person can ever be put in, where his freedom is wrested from him, his dignity is humiliated and his honor is defeated. His faith and religious practices are attacked. It is for this reason that Muhammad (SAW) often used to seek Allah’s protection for prisoners to protect them against fear.

In our country, it is becoming a major challenge to the Muslim inmates in our prisons like Maula in Lilongwe, Zomba Maximum Prison in Zomba and Chichiri Prison in Blantyre since these Muslims are not regularly visited by Muslim organizations or individuals to remind and encourage them about the teachings of Islam than the Christians do in the same prisons. It is of great concern to these inmates that they can easily be influenced by the teachings of non – Muslims and join their religions because it is where they get their support.

This is the right place where Muslim individuals and organizations can focus and increase their dawah activities in order to assure Muslims and non-Muslim inmates alike about the compassion of the Islam and it is not enough that we only remember them during the month of Ramadhan, as one of prisoners complained about.

“There are a lot of Muslim prisoners here at Chichiri prison as well as other prisons but it is a great concern that we lack support from the Muslim organizations, other religions come here to console us and we don’t feel comfortable to participate in their prayers but we do that because we (still need) to be assisted.”

“We only get support from the Islamic organizations during the month of Ramadhan only whereby they come and give us some foodstuff. This is a very good development to us indeed but we also need to hear the message of Allah from different Sheikhs please come and comfort us,” lamented Biziweck

Ibn Qudamah Al-Hanbali said: “It is obligatory to pay the ransom money for the Muslim prisoners, if it is possible”.

We at Malawi Muslims Website request every Muslim to make dua to Allah to lessen the burden of our brethren confined within the four closed walls in Malawi prisons and also worldwide. Do not underestimate the power of a dua made in earnest. Let us remember in our prayers and assist them in whatever way we can.

“O ALLAH! Break free the shackles of our prisoners and the prisoners of the Muslims” (ALLAHumma fukka qayda asrana wa asral-muslimeen)

“O ALLAH! They are in urgent need of Your Mercies. So send upon them Your Mercies. O Most Merciful, O Most Kind” (ALLAHumma innahum fi hajatin ‘ajilatin ila rahamatik fa anzil alayhim rahamatika Ya Rahmanu, Ya Raheem)