How often do you listen to that inner voice of yours? Well, I have a strong instinct. Once, I failed to obey it and I almost paid dearly for it. Since then, I have developed the habit of listening to that inner voice of mine. Thank God, I listened to it again about two months ago and God saved me from a terrible auto crash last Friday.
I am a committed member of Ansar-ud-Deen Society. Therefore, in all the places I have served, I usually make myself available in the service of Allah. From Otukpo to Kaduna, to Maiduguri, to Mararaba in Nasarawa State, to Abuja , back to Kaduna, again to Abuja, to FESTAC in Lagos, to Osogbo and back to Abuja, the records of my service and association are intact. For the period I was out of Abuja, consistently I flew in from wherever I was to anchor the society’s annual Ramadan lecture and other major events in the FCT.
Towards the end of last year, I was named the chairman of the 2024 Ramadan Committee. The committee was charged with the responsibility of coordinating daily Tafsir session, Ramadan lectures, lailatul-Quadri, feeding of 500 fasting Muslims on daily basis and sourcing for raw foods to be distributed to the less privileged.
Considering the fact that I just started my PhD programme, coupled with my office work and the book project I am working on, I felt taking on the Ramadan Committee responsibility was going to be too much on me. I, therefore, wanted to turn it down. However, a strong inner voice, coupled with my wife’s encouragement, urged me to accept, reminding me of the importance of charitable deeds, and that one does not know the charity work that we will do that will make us enjoy Allah’s favour.
I accepted the responsibility. My committee swung into action. It was not a smooth takeoff though, Allah showed Himself. All the obstacles were cleared. But before the commencement of Ramadan, I was very apprehensive. We had less than 10 bags in our kitty. Alhamdullah, since day one of Ramadan till today, the committee has lived up to expectation.
Last Saturday was our annual Ramadan lecture. The Guest Lecturer, Sheikh Muyideen Ajani Bello, came in last Friday night. So, once we were done in the mosque around 9.30pm, I suggested to my committee members that we needed to go see our Guest Lecturer in Apo, where he was accommodated by our Deputy National President, Alhaji Adebayo Ibrahim Yusuf. We got there and met our branch chairman too, Alhaji Kabir Olayiwola. We had very interesting, incisive and educative conversations with Baba Muyideen.
We left there around 11.00 pm. Before we left the mosque, the Chairman, Sub-committee on Food/Koko had suggested we move in convoy. But I advised we go in one car. So, we all left in my car. So, I had the responsibility to drop them back in the Mosque before I proceed to my home.
We were having a smooth ride through the stretch of the express around Area 3 junction when a Camry Muscle hit us. When I heard the loud noise, I was at first confused. I had just changed the two front tyres two days earlier. What , therefore, could have caused it to burst? I asked. Then, I noticed the airbags from the rear and the front came out. Then, I saw the vehicle that hit me doing 360 degrees, went up and landed on its side, inside the big drainage by the roadside. How I was able to control the vehicle to a complete stop without hitting the median separator, I do not know. But I stopped all the same, came out of the car unhurt, including the other three occupants.
Once the young man who drove the Camry was helped to come out of the car, he began shouting ” My mummy asked me not to go out, I am finished. God, what is this? ” Everyone around asked him to thank God that he was alive.
The police from the motor traffic division came. The first set of questions they asked were “where are the victims? Who are we taking to the hospital? No casualty.” Since there was none, we told them so. The leader of the team told us to be grateful to God. According to him, each time they were called for accident on that stretch of the road, they usually leave there with dead bodies. I shivered when I heard that.
In the end, the driver of the Camry, a young man of between 22 and 25, told the police, he wanted to overtake, he lost control and decided to hit me. What he did not add was he was on a high speed. The police turned to me and asked what I wanted. I told them I have never asked someone to pay me back for destroying my property. Therefore, I am not interested in this one too. They should just go. The boy and his people, prostrated and were grateful to me for the show of magnanimity. One of them helped me to change the tire, and I managed the vehicle home.
By the next day, I was in the Mosque to play my role as chairman of the 2024 Ramadan Committee. Truth, Allah has destined that accident would happen the day it happened. But the impact and effect may have been reduced because I listened to that inner voice to serve Allah. As a matter of fact, as we were leaving the Guest Lecturer that night, his prayer for us was Allah would not let us die before our time and in less than 20 minutes later, the prayer manifested.
I thank all those I personally invited to our Ramadan Lecture last Saturday and who decided to honour Allah through me, for their presence and handsome donations. I will do a proper salutation after Ramadan in Sha Allah.
I thank Allah for His mercy and protection over me and my family. I pray not to find myself in situations that would make me refuse to serve Allah and humanity.
Omipidan is a journalist and Public Affairs Analyst.