Malawi Muslims official website has been commended for its role it is playing in bringing positive changes in the Muslim community by publishing stories focusing on several aspects of development.
The remark has been said by a Turkey national Muhammad Amin who responded to the article which this website carried some months ago describing how dilapidated was the mosque of the country’s Mufti Abbas who is regarded as one of the scholars who has contributed to the positive strides towards Religious education in the country.
“I was searching on the internet on the status of Islam and Muslims in the Malawi. So, the first page I came across was Malawi Muslims Website with a story titled “Have Malawian Muslims Abandoned Their Mufti?” The title touched my soul and compelled me reading the whole content. After reading the article, I was very shocked to learn that the respected scholar, who mostly regarded as a senior person can use that mosque to offer his prayers. So, I made niya (Intention) that Insha Allah I will see and perhaps build another mosque when I go to Malawi,” said Amin.
Amin says when he came in this country he quickly got in touch with Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) with an aim of taking him to the Mufti’s home to appreciate the status of the dilapidated masjid as depicted in the pictures which accompanied the story published on this only Malawi’s official Islamic website.
After visiting the place MAM is said to have urged Amin to instead construct a house of Mufti, but the well-wisher opted to building a mosque after noting that the house was even better than the mosque.
‘‘I am therefore really thankful to the website for that story and I encourage them to carry out more of such stories that aims at bringing change in the community,”
The donor has since named the masjid as Masjid al-Rahman, one of the 99 names of Allah.
In his remark, Malawi Muslims Official Website Editor-in-Chief Marshall Dyton described the development as encouraging saying ‘‘it feels great to see Muslims appreciate the role of developmental journalism that we normally believe in as a media house.’’
“While other people locally are trying to discourage us in several ways, the international community that is very close to Malawi Muslim community is able to appreciate our efforts. And citing our story as a source of inspiration towards the building of Muft’s Mosque is milestone for us as that now fulfils our motto of transforming people’s lives through developmental journalism.
“As a media house we believe that Media’s role is more than informing, entertaining and educating the masses. That is why you can note that right now the stories we are concentrating on are those that will make our readers make informed decisions and bring positive change in our society,’’ explained Dyton.
This development comes after other well wishers have also responded positively to calls from Muslims inmates at Zomba maximum prison for help such holy books of Al –Quran in order for them to be practicing their Religion.
Following the story published on this website, the Muslim inmates received various food items worth MK500, 000 such as soap tablets and Islamic literature two weeks ago from Zomba based Muslim Sisters Youth Organisation (MUSYO).
Meanwhile, construction of another Mosque in Thambani, Mwanza a southern region district which has a large population of people belonging to other faith is underway following also the story carried on this website.
Thambani, lies some 40 km away from Mwanza boma, produced over 200 reverts after a dawah group led by National Dawah Association Sheikh Ali Abdul stormed the area.
Apart from this, the website has also managed through its publication to play a role in formulation of a trust for Islamic Development Bank IDB beneficiaries.
Towards last year published stories on how the Muslim community is losing for not having such a trust and the warning from IDB to terminate the scholarship due to the unavailability of the trust aimed at sourcing funds from the beneficiaries and sponsor needy Muslim students locally.
“It’s my sincerely hope that we will continue to work together with all the stakeholders towards the upliftment of the Muslim community in different aspects of development and also others come forward to work with us in this splendid task.’’ Dyton said.
Reporting by Ali Blessings Idi
