Sheikh Umar cautions Muslims against irresponsible marriages and childbearing
The National Imam of Ahlu-Sunnah Wal-Jamaah (ASWAJ), Sheikh Umar Ibrahim Imam, has urged Ghanaian Muslims to act responsibly in their marital and family choices, warning against entering into marriages “by heart” and having children without the means to raise them properly.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new mosque and resource centre at Abeka in Accra on Friday, the respected cleric and author of Investment in Islam and Spending in Allah’s Way emphasised that unchecked marriages and indiscriminate childbearing were fuelling poverty, crime, and insecurity across West Africa.
“We Muslims must wake up. Don’t marry by heart and give birth by heart,” he said, advising Muslims to limit themselves to one spouse and no more than three children unless they have the capacity to provide for more.
He explained that while the Qur’an permits men to marry up to four wives, this was only if they could fully support them, warning that children who grow up without proper education and guidance often become vulnerable to crime and extremism.
“What we are seeing in Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in the name of Islam is not Islam. They are criminals with no faith,” Sheikh Umar stressed.
The newly commissioned one-storey mosque and resource centre, located behind the Abeka Market, was built by Kuwaiti humanitarian organisation DirectAid at a cost of GH¢3 million. Sheikh Umar inaugurated the facility alongside Mr Sami Henedak Ahmed, Country Director of DirectAid, before a large gathering of worshippers, elders, and youth.
Mr Ali Abdul Salam Ali, a director of DirectAid, explained that the project took nearly two years to complete and is designed to serve not only as a place of worship but also as a hub for education, empowerment, and community renewal.
Chairman of the building committee, Mr Dawuda Zakaria, hailed the mosque as “a fortress against poverty, addiction, ignorance and division,” describing it as a centre for learning, healing, and moral rebuilding.
Addressing the youth, he said: “You are the heartbeat of this project. You did not wait for change; you became the change.”
Mr Zakaria also reminded congregants of the Prophet Muhammad’s teaching that “cleanliness is half of faith,” encouraging them to keep their homes, streets, and hearts clean as an act of devotion.
He expressed deep gratitude to DirectAid, community leaders, and the youth, whose labour and commitment helped bring the project to completion.
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