The Olupo of Ajase-Ipo in Kwara State, Oba Ismail Atoloye Alebiosu and Orator of Al-Hikhmah University, Ilorin, Dr Haruna Sanusi Lafiagi, have lamented the rising cases of divorce among Muslim couples in the country.

Speaking in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state at the 2026 annual conference of Imams, the stakeholders blamed the trend on lack of premarital counselling and post-marriage follow-ups.

The duo, therefore, recommended pre-marital counselling and post-marriage follow-ups by Imams.

The conference, powered by Daarul-S Sa’aadah Islamic Centre, Ota, Ogun State, and themed: ‘Imams and the Muslim Home’, has “Role of Imams in sustaining Muslim marriages and creating ideal Muslim homes” as topic of the lecture.

Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Oba Alebiosu emphasised the guest lecturer’s admonition.

“With these post-marital follow-ups, we will be able to know how they are faring in that marital life, which is much better than the separation that will come about through divorce.

“Divorce should be the last thing, even though it is encouraged in Islam. If we are in a situation where the parties can no longer continue in the marriage, then we are allowed to separate,” he said.

“But before they get to that stage, the imams have the obligation of making sure that they follow up every marriage they contract so that they can ensure continuity in Muslim marriage.

“It is this premarital and follow up counsellings that have failed. Those are the major reasons that led to the failure of marriages in the Muslim Ummah.”

Oba Alebiosu also said that the lecturer “has made the entire Muslim Ummah know that it is not only a person contracting marriage that is important, and that every man who is engaged to contract Islamic marriage insists, as part of his duty, to make sure that the couple has undergone marital counselling, so that they should have a pre-session for the type of contract they want to enter into, particularly as the rate of divorce these days is very, very alarming, and the Muslim Ummah is not happy about it.”

The monarch also supported the establishment of a department of marital counselling in at least every central mosque.

“If not every mosque in the street, at least in each community.

“In every central mosque, there should be a department that oversees marriage, particularly in the aspect of premarital counselling and the aspect of post-marital follow-up, so that our marriages can stand the test of time,” he stated.

Earlier, Dr Lafiagi, who was the guest lecturer at the event, said: “We have realised that imams play a significant role in ensuring that the Muslim home remains peaceful and successful, and that we raise an ideal and egalitarian society. Because, as imams, they represent the Messenger of Allah in his role.”

Dr Lafiagi, who is the Chief Imam of Al-Hikhmah University, reminded the imams, “In their Friday sermons, in their daily lectures, in their post-Salat lectures, and in their occasional lectures to ensure that they deliver lectures that address societal ills, especially gambling, drug abuse, cultism, money rituals, and so many other vices that we have noticed in society today.

“Imams must ensure that their khutbah topics are relevant to the happenings in society, that they are contemporary in nature, and that they are so explicit in such a way that it will be clear to all and sundry what the khutbah centres on.

Also, one of the duties of the imams is to ensure that there is premarital counselling for would-be couples. There should be an institution within the imam council, within the mosque, a unit that addresses premarital counselling.

And how do we achieve this?

“There should be a periodic workshop or conference organised for youths who are potential couples. They should organise this for them so that they are abreast of the roles, duties and responsibilities that they owe each other in marriage.

“I have long realised that the lectures that are delivered on the day of the marriage are often too short because there is no time, and they really do not have any effect, any positive effect, on the marriage.

“But if there is a build-up to the marriage, then it will go a long way in addressing these issues.

Then, apart from premarital counselling, there should be urgent follow-up counselling. I mentioned an example of couples’ hangouts.

“We have seen situations where marriages do not last beyond a week, two weeks, a month, or several months. Whereas, you know, the core fundamental reasons are that nobody is speaking to these youths through marriage. Nobody is addressing them within the marriage”.

Also speaking with reporters, the financier of the conference, Ramat Soliu Akansi, said that the topic of this year’s lecture was informed by some of the societal ills.

“This is the third edition of the conference. We started two years ago, and what informed this year’s topic is the destruction of most houses, most homes by the society.

“So, we just thought that maybe we should use this opportunity to inform people, to let people know what they should do. So, we pray that Allah will ensure that everyone who comes here this year learns one thing or the other and changes their direction and their hope.” (Nigerian Tribune)