Ajami in the Senegambia

by Fallou Ngom

Ousmane Diémé's Jóola Foñi Ajami Video

Pillars of the Islamic Faith

Written by: Ousmane Diémé
Date written: 2006

In this gallery, Ousmane Dieme draws from the teachings of the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad to discuss the pillars of the Islamic faith, the importance of peace, tolerance and good neighborliness in Islam.

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Page 1: The pillars of Islam

I send my warmest greetings to all Muslims. The theme of my discussion is Islam, religion of peace and forgiveness. I will discuss the theme in Jóola to allow speakers of the language who are listening to understand. God teaches us in the Qur'an that Islam is a religion of peace with the goal of ensuring that peace exists in this world and the afterlife. We must therefore try to follow the teachings of Islam correctly to avoid going to hell on judgment day. The Prophet teaches us the following five important pillars of Islam:

-You must believe in God and accept his Prophet (Muhammad)
-You must fulfill the five daily prayers
-You must give charity to the poor
-You must fast during the month of Ramadan
-You must go to Mecca, if you have the means.

The Prophet also teaches us that God instructs us to live in peace. He teaches us also that God has asked that all Muslims to be in peace with all of humanity. This illustrates very well that Islam teaches us that all human beings have the obligation to live together in a peaceful environment.

Page 2: The importance of peace in Islam

God also tells us the following:" You will not enter paradise if you do not live in peace." This recommendation is not only limited to peace, but also implies the mutual love that has to exist among human beings. God also tells us that he has shown us the path that leads to mutual love so that peace may exist in this world. This means that we must know each other better and be united. If we know each other better and are united, there will only be peace in this world. The Prophet once asked the following questions to his companions: Who among you is the best? He answered himself in the following words: "The best among you is the onewho greets his fellow human being before talking to him and shaking his hand.

Consequently, we must follow his teachings. With respect to forgiveness, God asks us to forgive and to tolerate each other so that we may understand each other better and be united. God also said that He will betolerant toward anyone who is tolerant toward his fellow human being.

Page 3: Forgiveness as a weapon

This is why God asks us to trust Him and to never take revenge, even when we are harmed by someone. The Prophet also teaches us that anyone who forgives his fellow human being and relies on God has in his possession a powerful weapon. The Prophet further teaches us that anyone who relies on God whenever he is harmed by someone is a "chosen" man of God. Therefore, chosen men of God are people who can bear the pain of being hurt without fighting back, as recommended by God, and who forgive until the judgment day. This is why God has asked the Prophet to forgive his enemies. Given that God has asked the Prophet to forgive, we have to follow his steps (teachings) too.

Page 4: Forgiveness

Therefore, we have to trust and believe in God. And to trust him and believe in him means forgiving one's fellow human being. We need to forgive each other in this world in order to be able to go to heaven in the afterlife. The Prophet himself, peace be upon him, teaches asks us to avoid cultivating divisions and misunderstanding between us in this world.

Page 5: Good neighborliness

The Prophet teaches us not to harm each other and to behave as brothers. If God has created human beings, it is because He intended them to be useful to each other (to humanity). For example, if three neighbors stay for three days without talking to each other, they would have sinned before God. Consequently, the Prophet teaches us that the best among these three neighbors is the one who will first talk (reconcile with) to his neighbor. Therefore, peace is necessary for good neighborliness and social harmony. We are at the end of our discussion, and I pray for the world to be in peace. I stop here.