Mosque shoe, Qur’an theft shameful, Muslim students lament

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Federal University of Kashere Branch, has condemned the growing cases of shoe theft and the disappearance of copies of the Holy Qur’an in mosques, describing the acts as disgraceful and contrary to Islamic teachings, Arewa PidomNigeria reports.

Speaking on behalf of the society, the Chairman of Media and Publicity, Umar Al-Dukkawy, decried the trend while reacting to recent incidents reported in places of worship, saying such behaviour undermines the sanctity of mosques and tarnishes the image of Muslims.

According to him, stealing from fellow worshippers in the House of Allah contradicts the core values of honesty, integrity and respect that Islam promotes.

He said, “To those who steal shoes in the mosque, know that this act is a great disgrace for a Muslim. How can someone come to the House of Allah for worship and then leave with another person’s property?

“Fear Allah and abandon this bad habit. The dignity of a Muslim is far more valuable than a pair of shoes. May Allah guide us all.”

Al-Dukkawy recounted the ordeal of an elderly worshipper who discovered after observing the Isha prayer that his shoes had been stolen.

“A few days ago, an elderly man came out after the Isha prayer and discovered that his shoes were missing. We helped him search for them, but they were nowhere to be found. At first, he thought he might have mistakenly exchanged them with someone else’s, but that was not the case. They had been stolen,” he said.

He noted that the situation could have been more difficult for the victim if he had not arrived at the mosque on a motorcycle.

The MSSN spokesman also narrated the experience of a friend who recently purchased a new pair of shoes after spending almost all the money he had.

According to him, the friend had sacrificed other personal needs to afford the footwear, only for it to be stolen in a mosque two days later.

“He found a nice pair and spent almost all the money he had on them. He even denied himself buying other things just to afford those shoes. Yet, only two days later, he told me, ‘They were stolen in the mosque,’” Al-Dukkawy said.

He added that the incident had such an impact on his friend that he subsequently avoided using the same entrance of the mosque where the theft occurred.

While admitting that the incident initially appeared amusing, Al-Dukkawy said it exposed a deeper moral problem that should concern the Muslim community.

“The incident made me laugh, but it also saddened me. Honestly, this is a shameful act. As a Muslim, your religion should make you a role model, not someone who steals shoes or copies of the Qur’an from the House of Allah,” he stated.

He called on worshippers to uphold the values of honesty, integrity and respect for sacred places, urging those involved in such acts to repent and embrace moral conduct.

“May Allah guide us all,” he added.

Al-Dukkawy further stressed that mosques should remain places where worshippers feel safe and secure, noting that acts of theft within such sacred environments erode trust among believers and contradict the spirit of communal worship.