DIGANTEH HAACHI AK DORR, LUNEH HEJ NA SI

At our home away from home, we had a conversation on the subject of presumption and prejudgment, and my boy Ousainou told us this story that moved me. The story was about a marabout that married a renowned prostitute, and everybody including his disciples thought he was losing it. They started having feelings that he probably wasn’t as truly virtuous as they thought he was.

The thing was rumoured until it got to the marabout; and you know these holy people and their way with issues, he tasked his disciples to clean up the village dumping ground for him, and said he wanted to embark on a little project. Within a few days the place was as if it was never littered.

The marabout started his project, which actually was the construction of a new mosque; and to cut a long story short, a magnificent edifice was constructed on the newly cleared site, one that you wouldn’t dare to set foot in with your shoes on. Now on the day of its inauguration, the marabout stood at the pulpit [mimbar] to deliver the inaugural sermons and he said: “Who would’ve thought that that repulsive mess could be polished into such an awesome sight? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that people and their circumstances can be afforded this same transformation? Is this not what GROWTH is all about?” – Apparently hinting at his wife of ill repute.  

I know lately my writeups are so not in favour of prejudice, but it is not like I am on a campaign to find appropriate ways of legitimising inappropriate doings. It just so happens that the more I am growing up(old), the more I see and overstand the odds of preconceived ideas and notions, and that not everyone that throws the first stone is actually free of blame; sometimes it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

I believe each and every one of us, unashamedly or otherwise, is guilty of one or two failings that we do not take pride in, and that’s only natural, humans are inadequate. We have our individual moments of recklessness, misguided moments that will deceive us into doing things that are short of acceptable ethics, and I believe that’s why God recognises sincere repentance. Don’t be quick to condemn anyone to hell yet, for there is many a slip between the cup and the lip.