Mulla Othman

On my way to the mosque to perform Al Qiyam prayer with my grandchildren, my memory came to me of "my uncle," the late Mulla Othman Abdul Latif Al-Othman, may Allah have mercy on him, who is one of Kuwait’s eminent imams and religious people, whose Quran recitation was beautiful, calm, and elaborate. We talked about Al Qiyam prayer after Mulla Othman, and how the mosque was filled with worshipers whenever he was the Imam. Mulla Othman was the preferred marriage registrar for many Kuwaitis. Othman junior asked me, "How did he become a Mulla?" I answered him: "He and my father were students at Al-Mubarakiya First School, and due to a shortage in the number of teachers and due to their distinguished academic excellence, they were hired as teachers, Then the four brothers started their school, which bore the name Al-Othman School. Then Mullah Othman continued after that as a teacher at Al-Mirqab School, an imam of a mosque, and an official marriage registrar. " I said to him, "I hope you will be a (Mulla) like your ancestors. As you are descended from a family full of knowledge and religion, your grandfather was Al-Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri, your grandfather on your mother's side was Mulla Othman, and from my side was the man of charity, Abdullah Al-Othman; may Allah have mercy on them all. This conversation prompted me to search in the family archive for what remained of the religious speeches of the late Mulla Othman, which he wrote personally and used to deliver while being an imam at Khaled bin Al-Walid Mosque in the Mansouriya area. So, I thought to involve the honorable reader in it to read and ponder its contents because I found in it many benefits and lessons that are suitable for every time and place because it arouses from the core of our true religion. The speeches of the late Mulla Othman Al-Othman were distinguished by their clear and sober style and the multiplicity and diversity of their topics. I quote from those speeches an excerpt from the speech of the late Mulla Othman, which came under the title "Zakat and the prohibition of arrogance", as follows: « O mankind, be afraid of Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer. O mankind, one of the best deeds is kindness toward the poor and the needy, and among the best alms is to pay the zakat that Allah has imposed on you. O Muslims, Zakat purifies morals from cowardice, harshness, and self-love and accustoms them to chivalry, compassion, and good qualities. It instills generosity in the soul and purifies it from the vices of miserliness. It relieves distress, brings joy to the poor, protects money from all evils, and strengthens the bond between Muslims. O mankind, the arrogant is expelled from the mercy of Allah, hated, fallen from the people of chivalry, and he is always furious. O arrogant, you wronged yourself; people hate to see you; you became their gossip, people rejoiced at your offense; and whenever you pass by people, they talk about you ridiculously. O mankind, be afraid of Allah, and do good that will benefit you, and don’t interfere in others’ businesses, and learn, understand your religion, read the Qur’an carefully, show kindness to parents, and show benevolence to the poor and needy, and be sincere in your intentions in deeds and beliefs...» In this speech, the late Mulla Othman urged the worshipers to do good and what benefits them; do not interfere in others’ businesses. I hope that the people of Kuwait will take this advice, especially in these blessed days, to be careful to pay zakat on money and charity in obedience to Allah Almighty and to distance themselves from self-love, arrogance, and the arrogant who have wronged themselves. I want to conclude with extended prayers to Allah to have mercy on Mulla Othman Al-Othman, one of the most important men of education in Kuwait, and may Allah’s mercy be upon those of his contemporaries from among the honorable men of Kuwait who formed a golden age with their knowledge and their moderate and tolerant opinion, such as the late Al-Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri and the late Al-Sheikh Ali Al-Jassar. In the next article, we will talk about the golden age of education in Kuwait through the archives of Al-Othman School.

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