By Aiah P. M. Sourie, Head of Outreach Unit, ACC
For many people, the commission of corruption is only just a violation of standard practices in a workplace or an act that seeks personal interest at the detriment of national or public interest. God has no business to do with it, they assume. The Anti-Corruption Act (ACA) of 2008 (amended in 2019), itself, defines corruption as ‘an act which constitutes an economic crime’. Or, ‘any offence’ that is stipulated under Part IV of the Act. Apparently, God has no place here, too. Drawing from these, the phenomenon is perceived as occurring only within the context of human interactions with draining effects on society. But this goes beyond the man-against-common-interest concept as corruption is also a blatant infraction of the word of the Supreme Deity.
Recently, two renowned clerics – one Christian and the other Muslim – minced no words in elucidating God’s position on the subject matter. This was during the Anti-Corruption Commission’s interfaith thanksgiving service which was held on 8 December 2025, an introductory event marking the Commission’s commemoration of the International Anti-Corruption Day and Silver Jubilee.
Delivering his sermon, Upholding Integrity for the Exaltation of Our Nation, Bishop Dr. J Archibald Cole adeptly veered the concept of graft from its commonly known secular perspective to an abstract but more important religious context, when he said ‘Corruption is a spiritual crisis.’ This suggests that corruption indicates a failing in morality, a preoccupation with seeking self, a stubborn callousness to the concerns and lives of other humans, and a confrontation with the word of God. Over time, he preached, the ‘cult builds up bit by bit’ as it is often taken for granted – with debilitating effects on citizens and state institutions.
Corruption clearly stands at variance with God’s word as shown in Micah 6:8. The learned Bishop expounded this pivotal scripture emphasizing that God demands man to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. He urged that walking before God is essential to successfully implement anti-corruption strategies. In other words, adherence to spiritual mandates instills the fear of God in man, shapes acceptable behaviour, and promotes fairness. As such, integrity, he exhorted, is no option but obedience – an attribute the Bible describes as being ‘better than sacrifice’ and by that token provides a foundational shield against vices such as dishonesty in public offices.
Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Mufti Mohamed T. Thomas, dovetailed Bishop Cole’s message with Allah’s word as regards corruption, reinforcing the idea that indeed ‘corruption is a spiritual crisis’. ‘Allah cautions against corruption in all aspects. It is haram or unlawful, and Allah warns everyone to conduct themselves fairly, honestly, and with integrity in order that corruption does not erode the sanctity of the human soul,’ he admonished. By this account, corruption destroys the soul of man, and this is far worse than the secular penalties of fines and imprisonment upon conviction for a corruption offence in the high court. It would then seem that the corrupt stand liable to face two judges – the secular and the Divine. But they are much inclined to be fearful of the former likely because his earthly verdict is comparatively sooner than the ethereal verdict. However, it is grave mistake to be oblivious to the often cited verse ‘For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?’.
According to Sheikh Thomas, Hadith 2313 defines bribery as a major sin that leads to the blazing fire, and that ‘The curse of Allah is upon the one who offers a bribe and the one who takes it.’ Interestingly, the Amended ACA of 2019 seems to have borrowed from the Quran on this aspect, since it penalizes anyone found guilty of offering, soliciting, or accepting an advantage. However, while the punishments for corruption remain grievous Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 77 instructs believers ‘to do good as Allah has been good to them, and to avoid causing corruption as mischief on earth.’
Given that Sierra Leone is widely recognized as a highly religious tolerant country, and given that approximately 77-78% of its citizens believe in Islam and 22% of them believe in Christianity, one would assume that corruption should not last another day longer in the country. Sheikh Thomas stressed in his sermon that the ‘essence of religion has always been to guide man against conduct which hurts others and deplete his integrity’ This underscores the point that religion can positively help shape behaviours and foster peaceful co-existence in society, although it does not discount the fact that there is a difference between being religious and being spiritually sensitive to the exhortations which were delivered by the respected clerics. In any event, let this aspect be shelved for another discussion,
No doubt, corruption has caused a groundswell of awareness across countries and serious efforts by institutions and organisations to kill it. Legal frameworks, at reasonable intervals, are repealed and replaced with stronger penalties to control the dreadful conduct. Yet, it is important to note that the voice of God/Allah is the fundamental guideline to protect man from getting involved in activities that ‘deplete his integrity’ and destroy his soul. The holy scriptures are directly prescriptive and strong enough to preempt man from falling short of glory, in order to make the world a wonderful place to live in. Corruption will not only remain a secular crime, but also a transgression of divine scriptures with eternal penalties. And whereas it is man who decides to be corrupt or not, Bishop Dr. Cole and Sheikh Mufti Thomas will continue to amplify the Word against graft.
