Public Face of Islam in Kumasi
By Gracia Clark
Ramadan Class for Bantama Women's Group
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Translation:
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English Translation from Twi
Mallam:
At the time, Lot's wife, and these people had some uneasiness going on, Lot's wife, Wayera that's her name, so when it happened that way, you see Lot's wife, all the interactions that went on, she will send that information to the townspeople, telling them, this is what is going on. But then God's sent his angel to Lot saying, Lot, God says he will destroy this earth. But your wife is a part of it, because your wife is aware of all the foolish things going on. Not that she is also sleeping with other women, no; but whatever they are doing, she approves of it and helps them to let it happen.
And so they told Lot that the land is going to be taken, and so, at dawn, all the righteous people, what did they do, they woke up, which means they will leave the town for good. They are leaving, so while on their way going, just exactly at dawn, they told Lot, when you head towards where you are going, let the people be in front, and you stay at the back. Tell all of them that no one should turn to look back; so let all the people be in front and you alone be at the back and guard them.
So as they kept going and going, he changed himself to Malaika at the time, changed to Malaika just as God created him. The power that he holds, he dipped his hand into the earth, just as a tailor cuts cloth. That is how his hand cut through the earth, it didn't matter if there were stones or rocks in there, he cut through across and around the earth, he cut through the earth. He lifted the whole town and cut around it, then they realized that it was taking them up, taking them up. Animals are weeping, families are talking, "I told you that whatever goes on, do not look back."
When Lot's wife heard the fire, and knew her loved ones were in there, just when she turned, the Bible said, she turned into a pillar of salt, am I lying? At the time she turned, the Bible says the woman turned into salt. So she was sent over to those people. God says "When I finished destroying them, I didn't just leave them, I made stones fall like rain on them. Rain fell on them, but it wasn't rain, it was all stones falling on them, so they are all under the earth." So this shows that God has listened to the prophet's prayer, so the nation's money is spent there. So people go there and study and talk about it. All this water is stored at one place; it doesn't go anywhere. It smells, it smells like toilet, you see, they are rotten. Today, even up until today, they are rotten; it is there. That's why we say, if you are a peaceful person, travel and see something, those who were like you and didn't humble themselves, they have turned to water in the gutter.
As you can see, the work is not good.It is ugly, it makes God angry, but that is what's going on. In Bantama some are here, in Suame some are there, in Asafo some are there, everywhere in Ghana you go some are there. God forbid, they are all over; a few days ago, one of them died in Tafo, one man about three months ago. God forbid, that work is bad, it is filthy
Woman:
They say they had a conference in Accra
Mallam:
It's because they want to be accepted…. I went to this hospital to visit a friend,
I saw this gentleman at the ward, and I said, gentleman you are very handsome, what is really your sickness? He had diapers on, then he said, it's because of this and that, that what I do. Out of that I have built three houses and including all of them are three-tiered storey buildings. He said, this is all the work I do, and I said, right now as you are talking, won't you stop and check? You have gotten enough money. He said, no way, you don't know. Oh a very handsome young man, but his butt is leaking.
Mallam:
You will gather all the money but you cannot enjoy it. So nowadays that's what's in vogue. Some of the ladies too say, when I take a man they will say I'm a prostitute, so I would rather date a lady. God doesn't like that, if you do that God will be angry with you. God not doesn't like that, it is not a good thing; this thing is not a good thing, what kind of satisfaction is in it? God created a woman and added certain things to her, that's why she is called a woman, so if that thing is not on a man, you cannot be a woman. This is why God has arranged marriage for man and woman, or am I lying, because the things that women have, those things men do not have. But when God created women he added all to them; then God said, woman and man should marry, so what happened?
God told Lot also, at the time when the people were worrying him, he prayed, that God should save him from that predicament. God said, I will help you, but as for your wife, no. So this shows you that God will not separate you because you are a Mallam, God will not separate you because you are an Imam, God will not separate you because you are a husband, or a rich man, when it happens that your husband is a believer, the way he took Lot's wife, the prophet's wife, who else, tell me, who else? God says we will have to understand, when you serve under a good person, the good things the person does, you should also do the same. When the person receives blessings, you will also receive the same, that's how God wants it.
Let's say that, because of Lot, and for what his wife did, God will forgive her. because what the men were doing, Lot didn't know about it, so Lot didn't know his wife was helping the men do all that. He didn't know; if he had known, he would have separated from the wife. He didn't know until this issue came up, before he was told that his wife was a part of it. God said you cannot bring her, and he couldn't say no, and couldn't tell him no.
Woman:
At this time everyone went away, the following day, she will say if you haven't heard it, then they will tell all her friends, that's why it happened that way.
Mallam:
God said, "I saved and protected you, so no one should say why." So that is why when they did that, in this Jordan house, the thing is, God says "I won't waste my time bringing any miracle again. The one that came, it will be a memorial for all. The one that came, it should serve as a deterrent to everyone." They were sinners, they committed sin: stealing, women sleeping with men, men sleeping with men, armed robbers, they were all a part. After all that, Lot is a righteous person, so this shows that if someone does anything bad to him, God has seen it. God says if that is what it is.
That is how when Yakubu came and spoke the word of God, people didn't listen to him. Nuhu (Noah) preached the word of God, for 995 years Nuhu preached. He talked 995 years, this means that it remained only five years and he would have spoken for a thousand years. They had revelations; for 150 years he was always doing good, preaching the good news, both afternoon and evening until 915. At that time what they were doing, they were worshipping, the gods that they worship. As for Lot's people, they worshipped different types of smaller gods, (mentions names of gods), these were the gods they worshipped. Someone said, Lot, when he grew up and was working, he was the type of man, whose people also worshipped smaller gods. You find the statues in the temples and they worshipped them, so at the time when God told him, Lot, tell people the gospel truth. What they are worshipping, they should stop. Lot spoke to the people, but they did not listen.
Because the things that they worshipped were statues. They had these types of people, these people were true worshippers of God. Everyone trusted them with their religion, and they've also worshipped God for a very long time. After a while this man died, so when he died, then the people said let's make a statue of him and place it where he normally sits in the sanctuary. Let's place the statue there, and when it's Christmas time it will help us to worship well. After a while another leader died, then they made his statue, and another also died and they made another statue. So during the Christmas all four statues were there, so the elders who made the statutes said, look these are our elders. So when someone dies they look at the statue for encouragement.
But all those who did this, they have died, and even the history about those people dies with them. So the relatives after them, then the devil entered them, asked them to worship him because that is what their forefathers worshipped, so it's because your worshipping of these gods that God called on Nuhu to come and give you the good news.
Lot talked for about 925 years, but only eighteen people believed Lot or Nuhu (Noah). While Lot was prophesying the news around, he was beaten, then at night he will go and weep and the next morning he will be fine. So this went on for a while, until he couldn't take it anymore, then he prayed and said: God, at this time the idol worshippers are overtaking me, so God, help me.
Then God told Lot, Nuhu, I've heard, what do you want me to destroy them with, he said water, God said okay I hear you. God made him to first of all make a boat before the rain started to fall.
The wood for this particular ship, the researchers claim, the tree was sent from heaven to him. That timber wood brought to him was a big wood, then God told him, "Lot, go and fell the tree. When you fell it, it is a very big tree, so you cannot carry it home. There is this gentleman in the town, he is called Awagya. He is big and tall, he is strong; since he was born he has never eaten and been satisfied." So God asked Nuhu, "Nuhu go and tell Awagya to carry the wood home." (A: God told him so). It was God who told him to ask Awagya to carry the wood over, because he has given him strength to be able to carry the timber wood. Lot said, "God, the man he doesn't like me, it's not possible to go to him." God said "Go, I will touch his heart; anything you tell him he will do." Lot said, "Awagya, I want you to do something for me; he said "what is it?" "I have felled this tree and it's far away, go and bring it to me." He said, "Oh really? Nuhu, you know since my mother gave birth to me I have never eaten to be satisfied, so if only you will give me food to make me satisfied I will go bring it to you. They say he took bread, prayed over it and gave it to Awagya; he ate and ate and ate till his stomach became big like a tank. After he was satisfied, he asked Nuhu to go show him where the wood was, and he went and showed him; he lifted the wood and put it on his neck and brought it over,
Nuhu himself cut the wood up. After he was done, God sent his angel Gabriel over to direct him how to build the ship--put this here and put this there. So at that time, you will realize that the ship that Nuhu built is three stories high, that's how he built the ship, where human beings will sit, where animals will stay, a place for everyone. After he was done with the ship, he told God that he was done.
God said "Okay, tell your wife that wherever she does her cooking, the cooking stones, if any day she sees that water is dripping from their sides, she should tell you. She should hurry up and come to inform you, on that day." He told Lot, "Lot, tell your wife that wherever she does her cooking, the cooking stones, any day she sees that water is dripping from the sides, she should tell you, she should hurry up and come to inform you. At that time is when I will destroy this town." So the woman one day woke up, she went sweeping around, and she saw the water dripping from the cooking stones. There and then she went to tell her husband, "What you told me is happening." He went out and called out to everyone, "believers, come, come, come, come, come."
(W: some of the people in the town were delaying. Mallam: yes, but if I say I will say all that, it will be too long).
So he called all of them when he finished building the ship, he called all the believers. "God says all animals that he has created, that are walking on this earth, every male and female, they should get into the ship." At the time it was not a machine, right? it was wood that was used to make it. And God said, what will make it walk is water, so it is this wood that is on this ship, it is this wood that is steering the engine, is it this wood that is handling the brakes of this ship, it is this wood that will change the gears. So when it happened that way, they all entered the ship.
At that time God told the earth that, all the water inside the earth should come out, and leave all the water on the earth. The water in the earth likes the earth, and also all the water in the heavens should also release its water unto the earth. That means I God, I will overcome all the idol worshippers. All the waters in the earth came out; the water from on high also started falling down. At that time all the earth had turned into a big ocean.
Noah called his son, Kennan, "Kennan come and sit in the ship, otherwise you will die." He said "Papa, I will climb the mountain and sit on it.' He climbed the mountain and sat on top of, it thinking the mountain would save him from the flood. His father told him "Hey Ken-nan, look there is no safety anywhere unless for the one who has climbed into this ship." He said "Papa, when the water swells up, the ship can be overturned." He said "my son, come", but he said no. He climbed up to the top of the mountain. Noah was in the ship looking at his son. The floods kept swelling up and swelling up and swelling up, and almost covering the mountain. Moses asked his son, "my son won't you come into the ship, because the mountain is almost covered?" as if he should jump out and go get his son. He was terrified but helpless, until the floods took his son away, you see, so his son was taken away by the floods.
Noah was bitter, and told God, "God you promised me you would protect me and all my family. How come my son has been taken away by the flood?" And God said, "Who told you he is your son? That child, people say the mother had him with another man." That is not true, there are certain attitudes, there is no prophet that God will allow his wife to do that. You see Lot's wife couldn't do that, but she helped, and then Noah's wife also, no, she never went behind him to have the child. The child is a stubborn one, you see, so God told him this, "Who told you that child is your child? The family I talk about, I didn't say family from one father or one father, I talk about the religious family that has accepted my word, those are your family. All the bible believers, God's worshippers, those who accepted the word, those are your family; I didn't say blood family. As from today, if you say this again you will see; if you ask me this question again you will see what I will do to you." Right away he said, "I made a mistake, forgive me God," and God said "I have forgiven you."
So the few people who believed in Alhaji Nuhu, they are us. On that day, with the ship, we were in that ship. I hope you understand, anyone who did not sit inside the ship, even our children we've had on this earth, they are also in the ship, because all the people in the ship to the end, they will start living a new life. In them will new life begin, we shall end her. God said Noah, I protected him from sinners, those who did not believe in my word I destroyed them, God says Noah's people, they were bad people; because of that he destroyed all of them. That's what God said, so if today you are listening to the word of God, and today the weather is like this, even in our suffering, and the idol worshipping, or men sleeping with men, or women and men fornicating, they are there.
So the reason why God was quiet is that when the prophet came to the earth, he too could have prayed that God should destroy all the unbelievers. But then God asked the prophet that, the prayers your forefathers prayed, in short, if you want to you also pray. At that time the Mecca people asked the prophet, I will plead that that plea should be judgment day, because I plead that those already on this earth, they should be judged on the judgment day. So the prophet said, as for me the prayers that my forefathers prayed, as for me I am waiting to give them to the righteous ones. So the prophet didn't ask God to destroy anything. The prophet's prayer was that, when the people of Mecca, disowned him, stoned him, beat him, cut his feet, broke his teeth, that day Malaika met the prophet. He told the prophet, if you will permit me, just two mountains, all those who are worrying you, I will just crash two mountains together. He said no, if you do that, those who are worrying me, at this time, there is righteousness in their waist. If they die, it will be a burden for them. What they are doing, they do not understand, so leave them. The prophet said "If these ones do not believe me, their grandchildren will." Abin-Ladi and all his children who did not worship God, he cursed them all.
Mallam:
At the time, Lot's wife, and these people had some uneasiness going on, Lot's wife, Wayera that's her name, so when it happened that way, you see Lot's wife, all the interactions that went on, she will send that information to the townspeople, telling them, this is what is going on. But then God's sent his angel to Lot saying, Lot, God says he will destroy this earth. But your wife is a part of it, because your wife is aware of all the foolish things going on. Not that she is also sleeping with other women, no; but whatever they are doing, she approves of it and helps them to let it happen.
And so they told Lot that the land is going to be taken, and so, at dawn, all the righteous people, what did they do, they woke up, which means they will leave the town for good. They are leaving, so while on their way going, just exactly at dawn, they told Lot, when you head towards where you are going, let the people be in front, and you stay at the back. Tell all of them that no one should turn to look back; so let all the people be in front and you alone be at the back and guard them.
So as they kept going and going, he changed himself to Malaika at the time, changed to Malaika just as God created him. The power that he holds, he dipped his hand into the earth, just as a tailor cuts cloth. That is how his hand cut through the earth, it didn't matter if there were stones or rocks in there, he cut through across and around the earth, he cut through the earth. He lifted the whole town and cut around it, then they realized that it was taking them up, taking them up. Animals are weeping, families are talking, "I told you that whatever goes on, do not look back."
When Lot's wife heard the fire, and knew her loved ones were in there, just when she turned, the Bible said, she turned into a pillar of salt, am I lying? At the time she turned, the Bible says the woman turned into salt. So she was sent over to those people. God says "When I finished destroying them, I didn't just leave them, I made stones fall like rain on them. Rain fell on them, but it wasn't rain, it was all stones falling on them, so they are all under the earth." So this shows that God has listened to the prophet's prayer, so the nation's money is spent there. So people go there and study and talk about it. All this water is stored at one place; it doesn't go anywhere. It smells, it smells like toilet, you see, they are rotten. Today, even up until today, they are rotten; it is there. That's why we say, if you are a peaceful person, travel and see something, those who were like you and didn't humble themselves, they have turned to water in the gutter.
As you can see, the work is not good.It is ugly, it makes God angry, but that is what's going on. In Bantama some are here, in Suame some are there, in Asafo some are there, everywhere in Ghana you go some are there. God forbid, they are all over; a few days ago, one of them died in Tafo, one man about three months ago. God forbid, that work is bad, it is filthy
Woman:
They say they had a conference in Accra
Mallam:
It's because they want to be accepted…. I went to this hospital to visit a friend,
I saw this gentleman at the ward, and I said, gentleman you are very handsome, what is really your sickness? He had diapers on, then he said, it's because of this and that, that what I do. Out of that I have built three houses and including all of them are three-tiered storey buildings. He said, this is all the work I do, and I said, right now as you are talking, won't you stop and check? You have gotten enough money. He said, no way, you don't know. Oh a very handsome young man, but his butt is leaking.
Mallam:
You will gather all the money but you cannot enjoy it. So nowadays that's what's in vogue. Some of the ladies too say, when I take a man they will say I'm a prostitute, so I would rather date a lady. God doesn't like that, if you do that God will be angry with you. God not doesn't like that, it is not a good thing; this thing is not a good thing, what kind of satisfaction is in it? God created a woman and added certain things to her, that's why she is called a woman, so if that thing is not on a man, you cannot be a woman. This is why God has arranged marriage for man and woman, or am I lying, because the things that women have, those things men do not have. But when God created women he added all to them; then God said, woman and man should marry, so what happened?
God told Lot also, at the time when the people were worrying him, he prayed, that God should save him from that predicament. God said, I will help you, but as for your wife, no. So this shows you that God will not separate you because you are a Mallam, God will not separate you because you are an Imam, God will not separate you because you are a husband, or a rich man, when it happens that your husband is a believer, the way he took Lot's wife, the prophet's wife, who else, tell me, who else? God says we will have to understand, when you serve under a good person, the good things the person does, you should also do the same. When the person receives blessings, you will also receive the same, that's how God wants it.
Let's say that, because of Lot, and for what his wife did, God will forgive her. because what the men were doing, Lot didn't know about it, so Lot didn't know his wife was helping the men do all that. He didn't know; if he had known, he would have separated from the wife. He didn't know until this issue came up, before he was told that his wife was a part of it. God said you cannot bring her, and he couldn't say no, and couldn't tell him no.
Woman:
At this time everyone went away, the following day, she will say if you haven't heard it, then they will tell all her friends, that's why it happened that way.
Mallam:
God said, "I saved and protected you, so no one should say why." So that is why when they did that, in this Jordan house, the thing is, God says "I won't waste my time bringing any miracle again. The one that came, it will be a memorial for all. The one that came, it should serve as a deterrent to everyone." They were sinners, they committed sin: stealing, women sleeping with men, men sleeping with men, armed robbers, they were all a part. After all that, Lot is a righteous person, so this shows that if someone does anything bad to him, God has seen it. God says if that is what it is.
That is how when Yakubu came and spoke the word of God, people didn't listen to him. Nuhu (Noah) preached the word of God, for 995 years Nuhu preached. He talked 995 years, this means that it remained only five years and he would have spoken for a thousand years. They had revelations; for 150 years he was always doing good, preaching the good news, both afternoon and evening until 915. At that time what they were doing, they were worshipping, the gods that they worship. As for Lot's people, they worshipped different types of smaller gods, (mentions names of gods), these were the gods they worshipped. Someone said, Lot, when he grew up and was working, he was the type of man, whose people also worshipped smaller gods. You find the statues in the temples and they worshipped them, so at the time when God told him, Lot, tell people the gospel truth. What they are worshipping, they should stop. Lot spoke to the people, but they did not listen.
Because the things that they worshipped were statues. They had these types of people, these people were true worshippers of God. Everyone trusted them with their religion, and they've also worshipped God for a very long time. After a while this man died, so when he died, then the people said let's make a statue of him and place it where he normally sits in the sanctuary. Let's place the statue there, and when it's Christmas time it will help us to worship well. After a while another leader died, then they made his statue, and another also died and they made another statue. So during the Christmas all four statues were there, so the elders who made the statutes said, look these are our elders. So when someone dies they look at the statue for encouragement.
But all those who did this, they have died, and even the history about those people dies with them. So the relatives after them, then the devil entered them, asked them to worship him because that is what their forefathers worshipped, so it's because your worshipping of these gods that God called on Nuhu to come and give you the good news.
Lot talked for about 925 years, but only eighteen people believed Lot or Nuhu (Noah). While Lot was prophesying the news around, he was beaten, then at night he will go and weep and the next morning he will be fine. So this went on for a while, until he couldn't take it anymore, then he prayed and said: God, at this time the idol worshippers are overtaking me, so God, help me.
Then God told Lot, Nuhu, I've heard, what do you want me to destroy them with, he said water, God said okay I hear you. God made him to first of all make a boat before the rain started to fall.
The wood for this particular ship, the researchers claim, the tree was sent from heaven to him. That timber wood brought to him was a big wood, then God told him, "Lot, go and fell the tree. When you fell it, it is a very big tree, so you cannot carry it home. There is this gentleman in the town, he is called Awagya. He is big and tall, he is strong; since he was born he has never eaten and been satisfied." So God asked Nuhu, "Nuhu go and tell Awagya to carry the wood home." (A: God told him so). It was God who told him to ask Awagya to carry the wood over, because he has given him strength to be able to carry the timber wood. Lot said, "God, the man he doesn't like me, it's not possible to go to him." God said "Go, I will touch his heart; anything you tell him he will do." Lot said, "Awagya, I want you to do something for me; he said "what is it?" "I have felled this tree and it's far away, go and bring it to me." He said, "Oh really? Nuhu, you know since my mother gave birth to me I have never eaten to be satisfied, so if only you will give me food to make me satisfied I will go bring it to you. They say he took bread, prayed over it and gave it to Awagya; he ate and ate and ate till his stomach became big like a tank. After he was satisfied, he asked Nuhu to go show him where the wood was, and he went and showed him; he lifted the wood and put it on his neck and brought it over,
Nuhu himself cut the wood up. After he was done, God sent his angel Gabriel over to direct him how to build the ship--put this here and put this there. So at that time, you will realize that the ship that Nuhu built is three stories high, that's how he built the ship, where human beings will sit, where animals will stay, a place for everyone. After he was done with the ship, he told God that he was done.
God said "Okay, tell your wife that wherever she does her cooking, the cooking stones, if any day she sees that water is dripping from their sides, she should tell you. She should hurry up and come to inform you, on that day." He told Lot, "Lot, tell your wife that wherever she does her cooking, the cooking stones, any day she sees that water is dripping from the sides, she should tell you, she should hurry up and come to inform you. At that time is when I will destroy this town." So the woman one day woke up, she went sweeping around, and she saw the water dripping from the cooking stones. There and then she went to tell her husband, "What you told me is happening." He went out and called out to everyone, "believers, come, come, come, come, come."
(W: some of the people in the town were delaying. Mallam: yes, but if I say I will say all that, it will be too long).
So he called all of them when he finished building the ship, he called all the believers. "God says all animals that he has created, that are walking on this earth, every male and female, they should get into the ship." At the time it was not a machine, right? it was wood that was used to make it. And God said, what will make it walk is water, so it is this wood that is on this ship, it is this wood that is steering the engine, is it this wood that is handling the brakes of this ship, it is this wood that will change the gears. So when it happened that way, they all entered the ship.
At that time God told the earth that, all the water inside the earth should come out, and leave all the water on the earth. The water in the earth likes the earth, and also all the water in the heavens should also release its water unto the earth. That means I God, I will overcome all the idol worshippers. All the waters in the earth came out; the water from on high also started falling down. At that time all the earth had turned into a big ocean.
Noah called his son, Kennan, "Kennan come and sit in the ship, otherwise you will die." He said "Papa, I will climb the mountain and sit on it.' He climbed the mountain and sat on top of, it thinking the mountain would save him from the flood. His father told him "Hey Ken-nan, look there is no safety anywhere unless for the one who has climbed into this ship." He said "Papa, when the water swells up, the ship can be overturned." He said "my son, come", but he said no. He climbed up to the top of the mountain. Noah was in the ship looking at his son. The floods kept swelling up and swelling up and swelling up, and almost covering the mountain. Moses asked his son, "my son won't you come into the ship, because the mountain is almost covered?" as if he should jump out and go get his son. He was terrified but helpless, until the floods took his son away, you see, so his son was taken away by the floods.
Noah was bitter, and told God, "God you promised me you would protect me and all my family. How come my son has been taken away by the flood?" And God said, "Who told you he is your son? That child, people say the mother had him with another man." That is not true, there are certain attitudes, there is no prophet that God will allow his wife to do that. You see Lot's wife couldn't do that, but she helped, and then Noah's wife also, no, she never went behind him to have the child. The child is a stubborn one, you see, so God told him this, "Who told you that child is your child? The family I talk about, I didn't say family from one father or one father, I talk about the religious family that has accepted my word, those are your family. All the bible believers, God's worshippers, those who accepted the word, those are your family; I didn't say blood family. As from today, if you say this again you will see; if you ask me this question again you will see what I will do to you." Right away he said, "I made a mistake, forgive me God," and God said "I have forgiven you."
So the few people who believed in Alhaji Nuhu, they are us. On that day, with the ship, we were in that ship. I hope you understand, anyone who did not sit inside the ship, even our children we've had on this earth, they are also in the ship, because all the people in the ship to the end, they will start living a new life. In them will new life begin, we shall end her. God said Noah, I protected him from sinners, those who did not believe in my word I destroyed them, God says Noah's people, they were bad people; because of that he destroyed all of them. That's what God said, so if today you are listening to the word of God, and today the weather is like this, even in our suffering, and the idol worshipping, or men sleeping with men, or women and men fornicating, they are there.
So the reason why God was quiet is that when the prophet came to the earth, he too could have prayed that God should destroy all the unbelievers. But then God asked the prophet that, the prayers your forefathers prayed, in short, if you want to you also pray. At that time the Mecca people asked the prophet, I will plead that that plea should be judgment day, because I plead that those already on this earth, they should be judged on the judgment day. So the prophet said, as for me the prayers that my forefathers prayed, as for me I am waiting to give them to the righteous ones. So the prophet didn't ask God to destroy anything. The prophet's prayer was that, when the people of Mecca, disowned him, stoned him, beat him, cut his feet, broke his teeth, that day Malaika met the prophet. He told the prophet, if you will permit me, just two mountains, all those who are worrying you, I will just crash two mountains together. He said no, if you do that, those who are worrying me, at this time, there is righteousness in their waist. If they die, it will be a burden for them. What they are doing, they do not understand, so leave them. The prophet said "If these ones do not believe me, their grandchildren will." Abin-Ladi and all his children who did not worship God, he cursed them all.
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Courtesy of Gracia Clark
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Creator: Clark, Gracia
Diawuo-Mensah, Sharifa Agnes
Diawuo-Mensah, Sharifa Agnes
Description: Mallam Zacharia Rahmen tells two stories. The first is the story of Lot and his wife at Sodom. God sent his angel to warn Lot that he was going to destroy the earth because of the promiscuous behavior going on. He warned Lot to leave with his family and not look back, but when Lot's wife turned around, she turned into a pillar of salt. Mallam uses this story to preach against homosexuality. The second story is of Noah and the ark. Again, God wanted to rid the world of unbelievers and idol worshipers but preserve the believers on the ship. All those who did not board the ship perished in the flood.
Quote: "It is ugly, it [homosexuality and promiscuity] makes God angry, but that is what's going on, Bantama some are here, Suame some are there, Asafo some are there, everywhere in Ghana you go some are there, God forbid, they are all over."
Quote: "It is ugly, it [homosexuality and promiscuity] makes God angry, but that is what's going on, Bantama some are here, Suame some are there, Asafo some are there, everywhere in Ghana you go some are there, God forbid, they are all over."
Subject: Women
Date: September 6, 2009
Date Range: 2000-2009
Location: Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana
Format: Video/mp4
Language: Twi
Rights Management: For educational use only.
Contributing Institution: Gracia Clark; MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University
Contributor: Carmen Paz (Videographer)
Contributor: Nana Bentsi-Enchill (Transcriber and Translator)
Contributor: Sharifa Agnes Diawuo-Mensah (Contributor)