Opening statement by the Executive Director of the Foundation at the commissioning of the project.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen. Wassalatu Wassalam ‘ala Rasulihil Kareem.
All Praises are due to Allah; the Lord, the Sustainer and the Cherisher of all the Worlds. We send Blessings and Peace upon our Noble Prophet, Muhammad (S.A.W), upon his Household, His Companions and all who follow in his Tradition in true Righteousness until the Last Day. Aamin.
I wish to warmly welcome all our invited guests to the opening of this Irrua Ultra-Modern Mosque which the Amanatullah Legacy Foundation (with the support of its donors/sponsors) took upon itself to build for the Muslim Ummah of Irrua, the Muslim Ummah of Esanland, of Edo State, of Nigeria, and I dare say, the Muslim Ummah of the entire World. For indeed the Prophet (S.A.W) said: “The entire Earth has been made a place of worship (Mosque) for me”.
Last year, when we received a request from His Royal Highness, the Ogirrua of Irrua, Okaigesan of Esanland, Alhaji W.O. Momodu II to support the reconstruction of Irrua Central Mosque, we never thought it was going to be an achievable feat. However, with prayers and sincere commitment and sacrifices, we were able to take the design and drawings to some of our donors and sponsors who were more than willing to make their contribution towards the actualization of this project. We ask Allah to bless them and increase their resources for them in multiple folds. Allahuma Aamin.
From History, we learnt that this Mosque was first built over 120 years ago by the Ogirrua of Irrua, HRH, Eromosele Momodu I after his acceptance of Islam at the hand of his good friend, the Oba of Agbede, Oba Momodu I.
How alive and thriving Islam must have been in this city then and its environs! It is our dream that the reconstruction of this mosque in Irrua will revive and reenergize the Light of Islam within the Irrua Community in particular and Esanland in general. That it will become a Centre of Unity; for cooperation for the promotion of good and the forbidding of evil in society. That it will become a centre for the teaching and the spread of true Islamic knowledge. That it will be a place of sincere worship of Allah (S.W.T); a worship that will uplift the community, disseminate truth and enlightenment, eradicate ignorant, false, and evil teachings, restore spiritual hope, joy and peace amongst the people of Esanland and Edo State at large.
These and many more are the dreams that powered the building of this mosque brick by brick. It is on this note that we will end with the prayers of our Father, Ibrahim (Abraham) A.S: “And Remember when Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son, Ismail (Ishmael) were raising the foundation of the House (of God), They prayed: ‘Our Lord accept this service from us; Indeed, You are All-Hearing, All-Knowing’. Chapter Baqarah Q 2:127. May Allah accept our services towards the building of His House in Irrua and make it an addition on the scales of our good deeds on the Last Day. Aamin.
Umar Musa Ikhilor
Executive Director, ALEF