It is undisputed fact that it is not easy to find good praying infrastructures (Mosques) that one can perform prayers freely more especially in remote areas.
Most of the mosques in the rural areas are dilapidated, constructed using mud and trees only without even a brick and more over; they are grass thatched with fallows of water during rainy seasons. With these conditions, people fail to perform their daily five prayers properly.
Allah says: “Perform prayers… surely the good deeds remove the evil deeds.” (Quran 11:114).
This is why Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) engaged itself in the projects of constructing mosques across the country and asked all the Muslims in the country to support the current MAM leadership if they want the abundant developments to the Islamic community in particular and the nation as a whole to continue.
Speaking during the official opening of a newly constructed Masjid in Nampate village in the area of Traditional Authority Nkula in Machinga district, MAM Acting Secretary General Al-Hajj Twaibu Lawe said every Muslim in the country deserves good praying place.
“Development should spread everywhere. These are the plans which we have lined up as MAM and our policy is now targeting to the rural areas. This is mosques, among others have been built within three months with funding from Dubai Charity Association and donors from Kuwait. Other mosques are in Chiladzulu, Lirangwe, Mangochi, Ntcheu and other areas. Our mission is to reach out everywhere especially in rural areas,” said Lawe.
Lawe therefore said this is happening because of good relationship that exists between MAM leadership and donors.
“You can agree with me that MAM has taken more than 20 years without taking any developmental activity in the country. The reason is that the donors lost confidence in the previous leadership. But when Sheikh Muhammad Idrissa came into power, he went to clear the issue and now everything is going on very well and my appeal to all Muslims in the country is that let us give a support to our National Chairman at all levels to develop our religion as well as the country,” said Lawe.
Of course, many beautiful mosques have been built in the country but the problem lies on the maintenance itself. Few people in the communities take responsibility of maintaining the mosques, majority of them expect those who built it to do the maintenance as well.
This is why the Acting Secretary General said it’s the responsibility of the people to take care of the mosque and this can happen if they pray five times a day rather than using it on Friday prayers only.
“I am asking you that use this infrastructure properly. Do not come only Friday to perform your prayers, this is a mosque for Ibadah not for Jumah, let’s take care of it.”
He also revealed that MAM will continue distributing the relief items to the needy in the country and that the construction of health facilities and schools will be taken to the next level.
“We are not expecting to give the relief aid during the disasters only. It is just last week whereby MAM National Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Idrissa distributed over two hundred bags of maize to the needy in Kasungu district and this an assurance to the people in the country that MAM wants everyone to benefit from it,” he said.
MAM spend spent about five million kwacha to construct the Namate mosque.
