The National Imam of Ahlu-Sunnah Wal-Jamaah (ASWAJ), Sheikh Umar Ibrahim Imam, has called on Ghanaian Muslims to exercise responsibility in marriage and family life, cautioning against marrying “by heart” and giving birth “by heart” without the means to raise children.
Sheikh Umar, author of Investment in Islam and Spending in Allah’s Way, gave the advice on Friday during the inauguration of a new mosque and resource centre at Abeka in Accra.
The facility, a one-storey building situated behind the Abeka Market, was constructed by the Kuwaiti humanitarian organisation DirectAid for GH¢3 million.
As the guest of honour, Sheikh Umar joined DirectAid’s Country Director, Mr Sami Henedak Ahmed, to officially open the mosque before a large crowd of worshippers, elders, and youth.
In his address, the cleric urged Muslims to strengthen their faith while also making practical investments in their well-being. He warned that irresponsible marriages and unchecked childbirth were fuelling rising 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 marry one wife and have no more than three children so they can be adequately provided for.
Quoting the Qur’an, Sheikh Umar explained that while men are permitted to marry two, three, or four wives, it is only permissible for those with the capacity to care for them. Otherwise, he stressed, it is wiser to marry one than to raise children without proper knowledge, skills, or education—conditions that, he said, breed criminality.
He added: “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.”
Mr Ali Abdul Salam Ali, a director of DirectAid, noted that the project took nearly two years to complete. He said the facility will serve both as a place of worship and a community resource centre for the people of Abeka Zongo.
Mr Dawuda Zakaria, chairman of the mosque’s building committee, described the new structure as a “fortress against poverty, addiction, ignorance and division.” He said it would also function as a hub for learning, healing, and community renewal.
“This mosque is more than a place of prayer. It is a centre for rebuilding the moral fabric of our society,” he added.
Addressing the younger generation, he said: “To the youth of our community – you are the heartbeat of this project. You did not wait for change; you became the change.”
Mr Zakaria further reminded worshippers of the Prophet Muhammad’s teaching that “cleanliness is half of faith,” urging them to keep their homes, streets, and hearts clean as part of their devotion.
On behalf of the community, he expressed gratitude to DirectAid for its generosity, thanked local leaders for their support, and praised the dedication and labour of the youth, which he said were instrumental in completing the project.
