By Habibu Bawa
Abdulrazak Ibrahim’s “Masussuka and the Mirror of a Changing North” is an elegant work of prose — articulate, persuasive and vividly composed. Yet beneath its rhetorical beauty lies a fragility that becomes clear the moment one asks: where does persuasion end and proof begin? Ibrahim writes as a fan attracted by eloquence but not convincing evidence. His essay, probably well-meaning, reveals more of the writer’s admiration than the scholar’s discipline or scriptural sophistication.
Ibrahim’s defense of Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim Masussuka as a courageous reformer is animated by conviction but deprived of verification. It celebrates the Sheikh’s defiance of orthodoxy without subjecting that defiance to the tests of fiqh, tafsir, sirah or any theological rigor. Masussuka is praised not for the soundness of his arguments, but for the smoothness of his speech. His eloquence, like a “polished mirror”, is obviously what dazzles the writer — yet the mirror reflects more light than truth.
This is not the first time eloquence has worn the robe of enlightenment. History recalls Muhammad Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram, who was initially non-voiolent and probably more articulate, logical, and philosophical. He too questioned clerical authority and captivated Borno and neighbouring youth with the music of reason. But unanchored intellect is a dangerous instrument that not only ruins a generation but even the very text the proponents of logic pretend to defend. Eloquence is a virtue, yes, but when it becomes the measure of theology, chaos often hides behind charm.
Ibrahim dived deeper in philosophical error: believing that deviating from orthodoxy or traditional methods confers authenticity yet failed to tell us the very things that Masussuka intends to establish or how incredible what Masussuka antagonises are. But neither Ibrahim nor Masussuka was there when the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Qur’an is not a book for speculative artistry; IT IS A DIVINE MESSAGE TO MANKIND THROUGH A CHAIN OF TRANSMITTERS. To disregard the accumulated wisdom of scholars like Tabari, Ibn Kathir, and Qurtubi not even prophetic exegesis in the name of “renewal” is not logic— it is scriptural anemia masquerading as intellectualism.
The writer’s romantic portrayal of Masussuka as a philosopher of faith also rests on a mistaken premise. Islam welcomes reason but never enthrones it above revelation. Philosophy may question, but revelation commands. The Qur’an in several places encourages one to “think”, “reason” and “seek clarification” but discouraged blind assumptions(Q17:36). True intellectual reform, therefore, is not rebellion against tradition but refinement within it — guided by ilm, hilm, adab and hikmah.
The author extols critical thought yet exempts his subject from it. He does not interrogate Masussuka’s methods, his interpretive foundations, or his striking disregard for centuries of Islamic hermeneutical tradition. Instead, he presents dissent as a moral victory and orthodoxy as mere inertia.
What is most disappointing is that Ibrahim never understands the Masussuka he defends. The essay paraphrases his rhetoric but never engages his exegesis. There is not a single serious comparison with earlier Qur’anic commentators, jurists, or theologians.
Masussuka’s avoidance of personal attacks, which Ibrahim glorifies as restraint, is no proof of truthfulness. The devil too is courteous when it suits his purpose. Refinement of language is not equivalent to correctness of doctrine. A graceful heresy remains a heresy.
Like many of Masussuka’s fans, Ibrahim also confuses criticism with persecution. The fact that scholars question Masussuka’s unorthodox views does not mean they fear truth; rather, they guard it. The duty of the learned is to preserve orthodoxy from distortion, not to applaud every rhetorical deviation as enlightenment. To dismiss their caution as insecurity is to misunderstand the sacred function of ijma’, mash-hur or jamhur — the scholarly consensus that safeguard the unity of Muslim belief.
Worse still, Ibrahim’s chosen “sources” — a cluster of Facebook commentators and social media analysts — are not authorities in Islamic jurisprudence, a lot have proven not to understand simple Islamic concepts like the very Masussuka they sought to defend. Their arguments, filtered through a postmodern lens of individualism and linguistic play, betray an orientalist infatuation with iconoclasm. To treat online pundits as epistemic equals to trained fuqaha is to confuse noise with knowledge. The result is a text that celebrates rebellion while ignoring the rigors of scholarship.
If Masussuka is, as Ibrahim suggests, “a mirror of a changing North,” then we must ask what that mirror truly reflects. Is it the light of renewal or the glare of confusion? A mirror does not purify; it only reproduces what stands before it. Without the filter of scholarship, even reflection can become distortion.
The North indeed needs thinkers — but thinkers who build on knowledge, not merely perform it. Intellectual reform is not achieved through viral rhetoric or fashionable dissent. It begins with reverence for learning, continues with critical humility, and ends with total submission to absolute truths.
Abdulrazak Ibrahim writes beautifully, but beauty without balance misleads. The test of thought is not how finely it is expressed, but how firmly it stands before reason and revelation. Masussuka’s brilliance may illuminate for a moment, but without the anchor of scholarship, it risks becoming the kind of light that blinds before it guides.
In defending the mirror, Ibrahim has mistaken reflection for revelation — and in doing so, has turned philosophy into performance. The North deserves better than eloquent confusion; it deserves wisdom.
There’s more to scholarship than eloquence or writing prowess. Anyone who accepts the Quran must accept the exegesis of it’s transmitter, receiver, compilers and custodians.
Habibu Bawa
20/10/25