Uhuru has won the hearts of Muslims

President Uhuru Kenyatta signing the Late President John Pombe Magufuli's condolence book. [Courtesy]

On Tuesday this week, President Uhuru Kenyatta attended President John Magufuli’s funeral mass in Dodoma, Tanzania.

Our president made us proud through a simple gesture that would probably not have been noticed had it been done by an ordinary person, but coming from a head of state, it was.

Since Uhuru is known to be a Christian, any effort to show tolerance towards Muslims is considered a positive move.

On that Tuesday afternoon while the president was with a multitude of Tanzanians and other guests to pay their last respects to the fallen Tanzanian leader, a muadin, one that calls Muslims to prayer, came on through a blaring loudspeaker in a nearby mosque as Uhuru was giving his speech.

The president surprised everyone by remaining silent for about two minutes and the call for prayer ended in awe for many Muslims.

This small but important gesture was shared a million times across various social media services. It even attracted the attention of Tanzania’s most celebrated Muslim cleric Sheikh Kishki.

In the Islamic faith, as per Prophet Mohamed’s instructions, it is expected that the faithful remain silent during Adhan, the call for prayer.

The instructions of the prophet are considered an article of faith and Muslims are expected to follow them without any reservations.

By respecting this act, Uhuru earned himself the admiration of many Muslims, including some who were critical of his administration.

In Islam, the prophetic message on the link of earning one’s place in heaven and individual behavior is determined by actions that look simple and respectful.

In one narrative, the prophet mentioned a young man as among the people of paradise.

The reason for this young man to be given such status was because he had a habit of forgiving people who wronged him. This young man had developed the habit of pardoning anyone who wronged him before he went to bed every evening. 

The other example is of a woman (some say she was a public woman), who, according to the narrative, saw a thirsty dog and decided to use her shoe to collect water from a well for the dog to quench its thirst.

These are examples of simple things that can earn a person access to heaven. It is therefore clear from the Islamic discourse that appreciations by fellow mortals can also earn one God’s blessings and endearment.

In another narrative, the prophet is said to declare that any human being that has received the approval of his fellow beings has also received his approval. 

The president’s action falls within this kind of simple gesture that has acquired approval. In the Islamic tradition, the woman who quenched the thirst of the dog was not a Muslim, but was from communities that preceded Islam, probably a Christian or a Jew.

Islam, therefore, is a religion that gives credence to virtues and good deeds by all people. Even those who don’t profess the Islamic faith have the reward for actions of kindness that benefit other people.

Uhuru’s action was, indeed, a simple act of understanding, but the message has reverberated across the globe and the video footage was watched by millions.

#WeAreAllOne

At the very least, the immediate benefit from such a gesture can be realized if the government, through the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, can take a cue from the president’s good gesture by strengthening and promoting tolerance and cohesion amongst people of different faiths and ethnicities.

I hope social media influencers can come up with a hashtag such as #weareallone. This is a moment we should not let go of. It has rekindled hope and love amongst our people. When such a rare moment comes our way, we need to seize it urgently.

Unfortunately, my heart sunk when I saw a news flash yesterday that the government wants to close down the refugee camps in Garissa and Turkana counties.

This act will completely contract the good-naturedness the president demonstrated in Dodoma.

There should be a more humane way of handling the refugee issue instead of a two-week ultimatum.

Mr Guleid is CEO, Frontier Counties Development Council. [email protected]