Make no mistake, Islam abhors corruption

Corruption in Islam is considered haram (forbidden), meaning anyone involved in it is disobedient to Allah. [File, Standard]

For the third time in a row, I am writing about corruption and its ills in the Society. This only signifies how important this subject is to the Kenyan people in the wake of the daily reports about mega scandals.  When in the 1990’s news on the Goldenberg scam broke, the figures mentioned then were just a few billion shillings.

Then, everyone was shocked and it was like Kenya was never going to recover from that scandal. Today, the amounts we are seeing through the news media is to say the least, mind boggling.

So far the public has lost close to Sh500 billion in the last ten years. What may actually not be in doubt in explaining the factors responsible for the horrendous condition of our backwardness and poverty as a nation and the chaotic nature of our life and polity is the problem of perpetual failure in leadership.

Almost every Kenyan would testify to this. Equally there is almost a consensus that the one and only serious problem of our country has always been the lack of responsible leadership with integrity.

At the centre of this leadership crisis is the endemic problem of wanton wastage of public resources by individuals entrusted with the state coffers.

This demon called corruption is not, however, only associated with the leaders. Unfortunately, this vice has permeated all sectors and strata of the country. It influences all aspects of our life including our practice of our respective religions and faiths. 

Academic pursuits

In terms of its destructive effects on leadership and governance, on public service and work, on trade, commerce and all other forms of business transactions, on corporate services and deliveries, craft works and artisanship, on learning and academic pursuits, on interpersonal and intergroup relations and associations, including our family lives, corruption can be succinctly described as a cancer in our country or still appropriately, a weapon of mass destruction. We are all suffering because of the ubiquity of fraud and malpractices in almost all that we do in our country.

Everybody is worried, and everybody was subconsciously mobilized on the need to stand up to the challenge of corruption.  Kenya is considered a religious country where close to eighty percent of the population profess to one faith or another.  

Yet despite this level of religiosity it appears to be a norm accepted and has become part of the national culture

In the Islamic tradition corruption is totally prohibited. It is ironical that many Muslims today shun other vices like taking alcohol, gambling, doing drugs and majority of Muslims are committed to their obligatory prayers and fasting during the months of Ramadhan. However, when it comes to fighting corruption, the Mosque leaders remain mum.

I was encouraged when an Imam at the Medina Mosque on Mbagathi road last week picked on this subject. “Many Muslims are involved in bribery and importation of goods illegally” he said.

This of course is a sensitive subject which my fellow faith mates dislike talking about. However, a religion like Islam does not segregate when it comes to condemning vices. Anything that the Almighty abhors must be condemned loudly. It doesn’t matter if the one involved is your next of kin or business partner.

The concept

Prophet Muhammad said: “The son of Adam will not pass away before Allah until he is asked about five things: how he lived his life, and how he utilized his youth, how he earned his wealth, how he spent his wealth, and what he did with his knowledge”. Islam therefore considers a corrupt act as an injustice.  

The concept of earning ones wealth legally and through a just means are some of the parameters for one to get God’s grace. At one point Prophet Mohamed said, “If the food you take is haram (forbidden), how then do you expect yours prayers to be accepted”.

Therefore corruption in Islam is considered haram (forbidden), meaning anyone involved in it is disobedient to Allah. The time now has come for Muslim leaders and other religious leaders as well to condemn corruption through the pulpit.

Let our Imams dedicate at least a few minutes in every Friday sermon to talk about corruption. Failure to do this will mean perpetual poverty for the people of Kenya. Kenya is not poor because it lacks resources. We are poor because our resources have become the personal property of a few individuals. The surprise is Kenyans are silent and accept to be vandalised.

Mr Guleid is a governance consultant and the chairman, FCDC Secretariat; [email protected]