Religion

By Aliyu Zangina

The people of Kano State woke up to the news of the resignation of the Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Board (Hisbah). This came after criticisms directed at some of the activities of the Hisbah Corps by His Excellency, AbbaKabirYusuf, the governor of the state.

The Hisbah Board is a creation of the Kano State Hisbah Law 2003. Its primary responsibility is to advise on and enforce religious morality within the state. Despite this mandate, the corps has been criticized for violating moral codes and secular laws of the land by making illegal arrests, which are a damning affront to human dignity. It is on this premise that I seek to explore law and morality vis-à-vis the arrest in controversy.

THE INTERSECTION BETWEEEN LAW AND MORALITY

Arguments on the relationship between law and morality in the jurisprudential sense have lasted for ages and still rage on. The controversy surrounding Hisbah brings it to the fore.

Laws are loosely defined as enactments by a state, with binding and coercive force on individuals and institutions throughout the state.

While morality can be loosely defined as a proper behaviour in differentiation of what is right and wrong.

The major difference between them is while a breach of law attracts sanction, A breach of morality can only attract moral reprehension. The long age principle of law is that law and morality are poles apart. However, in the celebrated case of R v. Dudley & Stephens (1884)14 QDB 273 DC it was states that

“Though law and morality are not the same, and many things may be immoral which are not necessarily illegal, yet absolute divorce of law from morality would be of fatal consequence.”

In practice, morality complements the law, as many enactments were propelled by the moral demands of the people. For example, laws prohibiting theft and murder are rooted in the moral consciousness of the fact that taking other people’s property or life is morally wrong. Many laws embody moral principles within them, protecting and guaranteeing fundamental moral values. At the same time, the fundamental force is given by its moral obligation.

ACTIVITIES OF HISBAH

The term Hisbah in Kano has always been associated with controversy from its inception to date. When it is not President Obasanjo accusing the institution of jihadist tendencies, then it is people from the southern part of the country attacking the institution for destroying trucks of alcoholic drinks. The body has always been (in)famous for enforcing morality despite its efforts in curbing social and moral vices.

In November of last year, the Hisbah corps came under attack after raiding several hotels. A video of their operation surfaced on the internet, evidencing male officers harassing and apprehending female suspects and grabbing them in a commando style. Indeed, it was an affront to Islamic moral values. The actions of the Hisbah corps could be qualified as degrading treatment and, hence, unconstitutional. Allusions made to the video by the governor of Kano state prompted the commander-general’s retirement on March 1, 2024.

ARE LAWS REGULATING ARRESTS IN NIGERIA AT CONVERGENCE WITH OUR MORAL VALUES?

Unlike laws regulating search where the search is to be conducted by “persons of the same sex with strict regard to decency” and “reasonable time to withdraw” which must be given to a woman in purdah before a search is conducted on a premise she occupies, the laws regulating arrests in Nigeria have less regards to our moral values and culture as they do not have similar provisions regarding arrests to be conducted by persons of same-sex.

Therefore, the arrest carried out by the Hisbah corps is illegal only to the extent that it was done without a warrant, and their conduct violates the dignity of the suspect. However, the confinement of the female suspects by the male officers with excessive restraint cannot be faulted legally if there was a reasonable apprehension of violence, as our law does not mandate that the arrest of a woman be carried out only by a woman. This is not to serve as a justification for the degrading treatment meted out to suspects by the Hisbah corps during the arrest. They are suspects, not convicts, and even convicts are only deprived of their liberty, not their dignity.

CONCLUSION

“It is tempting to speak of law and morality as if they constitute two completely normative system whose prescriptions sometimes coincide and sometimes conflict. Maybe it is much more exact to consider law and morality as complementary. The complementarity of law and morality belies their separateness even though the two are not parallel streams whose water never mixed at any time.” UZOUKWU V. IDIKA (2022)3NWLR, (PT1818) (P, 462, paras G-H)

Many laws overlap with moral codes in Nigeria. Some laws were enacted to uphold our morality, but where the law does not contemplate our morals, it is our duty to call upon our senses of right and wrong. The Hisbah male officers should not have carried out the arrest of women, even though that alone cannot make the arrest illegal. It is their moral duty to have sent in their female officers to handle the entire scenario with a modicum of professionalism.

It is therefore put forward to our legislators that our Administration of Criminal Justice laws be amended to accommodate the model of arrest that will reflect our morals, culture, and dignity, just like the provisions on search.

Aliyu Zangina is a lawyer, and can be contacted via zanginaaliyu96@gmail.com.

By Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel

Resignations are normal in the corporate world. Corporate culture makes employees understand that they work for their bosses, not really the organization per se. Your deliverables are the deliverables of your boss. If you achieve them, he will achieve his. If you fail, he fails. This is why bosses hold employees with high sense of accountability.

As such, employees leave bosses. They don’t really leave organizations. Whenever it goes sour between you and your boss beyond reconciliation, then you look for another job! Take a bow and go. It’s very normal there. That’s what they do. In fact I have met a high performing CEO of one of Nigeria’s beverages companies who told me that he spends a maximum of 5 years in any organization that hires him. And he leaves whenever the ovation is high. Within 15 years of starting his career, he is already an MD/CEO!

It’s only in civil service and public service that people think resignation is a big deal. In corporate world, it’s part of the culture. It is okay for both employee growth and corporate efficiency and effectiveness. An organization does not deserve an employee who is not happy with his job, or who believes his boss is frustrating his job. It impacts corporate performance. You cannot get anything significantly great from an employee who is not motivated to deliver.

Shaikh Daurawa’s resignation from Kano Hisbah is both good for him as an individual, and perhaps Hisbah as an organization. Had he stayed, he will feel tied down by the public condemnation he received yesterday from his boss, Gov Abba Kabir Yusuf. He will not be able to give Kano Hisbah his very best again. He would be an apathetic leader, who no longer cares about how TikTok’s Murja is corrupting the moral upbringing of Kano adolescents. He will now be very doubtful of every single operation he is going to make. What will be the reaction of my boss, Gov Abba? Will he be happy or not? Will he publicly lash me? These questions will always ring a bell in his heart.

Now that he has resigned, he has saved his image and mental peace. It also opens doors for him to greater job opportunities because his next boss will know that the man cannot compromise on his work ethics. It will be part of his discussion with his next boss. And if there’s a governor who truly has interest in moral policing, he would be happy to employ Shaikh Daurawa.

For Kano Hisbah, perhaps Gov Abba will have time to reflect on what he truly wants the organization to be doing under his tenure. Chase alcohol only? Or cut the hair of youth who styled them badly? This resignation gives the governor an opportunity to re-define how the enforcement agency will function in his tenure.

If you ask me, Shaikh Daurawa did very well by resigning. I could have done the same. I wish him the very best in his next job. I also wish Kano Hisbah the very best in getting their next Director-General.

Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel writes from Zaria, Kaduna State.

Isma’il Hashim Abubakar, PhD

If there is one government institution that citizens of Shari’a states in Northern Nigeria ought to regard as their personal property which cannot be politicised and subjected to jeopardy and machination due to its direct relevance and importance in preserving Muslim norms and values, that institution will undoubtedly be the Hisbah Board. 

In other words, by virtue of being Muslims, all Muslims in these states and, of course, in the rest of northern Nigeria are expected to regard themselves as natural and bona fide members of Hisbah, even if they do not wear the Board’s uniform, are not participating in its anti-immorality patrol and of course not in the payroll of government. This, therefore, underscores the collective and societal support and endorsement that Hisbah is supposed to enjoy since its creation and transformation during the tenures of Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (1999-2003 and 2011-2015) and Malam Ibrahim Shekarau (2003-2011).

During the administration of Shekarau, the time when Hisbah was entirely transformed and formally mainstreamed into government bureaucracy, representing one of the major arms of Shari’a implementation agencies established by the state government, Hisbah Board confronted daunting challenges and opposition from all angles that only a sincere political will, uncommon determination and superior commitment would have saved it from being scrapped.  

Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s President (1999-2007) who opposed the transformation of Hisbah, sought to use all the presidential powers at his disposal to not only thwart the Hisbah from undertaking its task of sanitising the moral climate of Kano but also to proscribe it and mischievously label it as a terrorist organisation. Obasanjo’s wrath on Hisbah was merely a manifestation of his unsuccessful struggle to sabotage the implementation of Shari’a, whose winds had blown with an unprecedented force in 12 northern states. Even Obasanjo’s resort to legal machinery could not abort the Shari’a project. He, willy nilly, oversaw a federal government that had to allocate grants to states whose main priority was to promote moral values and eradicate vices that bedevilled the society, the hallmarks of the Shari’ah program as advocated by its proponents at the turn of the 21^st century.

Obasanjo ultimately banned Hisbah through an announcement by his Inspector General of Police, who also shamelessly alleged that Hisbah guards were trained in Libya, and ordered the arrest of the Hisbah commandant, the late Shaykh Yahaya Farouk Chadi and his deputy Malam Rabo Abdulkarim. The Kano State Government headed by Shekarau gathered all its strength and entered into a decisive battle with the federal government, irrespective of whether this could culminate into a funny, fruitless and audacious fight between a rat and an elephant, leaving no one with a doubt as to where the victory and defeat ordinarily lied. 

After all, Shekarau was pushing for his second term as general elections were approaching, which explains how the attention of Shekarau and his government would be divided. This scenario could be juxtaposed with the climate of anxiety that befell the current governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, who almost lost hope after the first and second rulings of the tribunal and appeal courts in favour of his opponent, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. The development necessitated a momentary pause in regular government activities. It brought about a wild and arbitrary push of things that could be interpreted as valedictory stages of a short-lived tenure. Stability was restored in the psyche of the government and its supporters only after the Supreme Court issued a final verdict that annulled the rulings of both the tribunal and appeal courts and affirmed victory for Abba Kabir Yusuf.

The Shekarau-led government, which, before institutionalising Hisbah, had followed the legislative procedures to get the Board appropriately legalised and signed into law, summoned enough courage to sue the federal government in court. The legal battle ended in favour of the Kano State Government after the court, in March 2007, a few weeks before the elections, described the arrest of the two top heads of Hisbah as illegal and forced the federal government to pay them damages. Nonetheless, allegations had gained currency in Kano by that time that Farouk Chedi, who died in 2010 after a protracted illness that made him look too frail and emaciated, was a consequence of an intravenous poisoning applied to him while in detention. This gradually ravaged him and eventually took his life.

Like Chedi, Chedi’s successor, Shaykh Ibrahim Maibushra, was also a professor at Bayero University, Kano. He built on the intrepid pedestal chartered by his predecessor and the government that recruited him. Maibushra displayed extreme gallantry by, as I was told by a Hisbah guard, going to the extreme of jeopardising his job when he detained an elite belonging to a royal family who was caught committing a crime. 

Maibushra’s zealousness to discharge his duty was, as evidenced by the report above, not limited to the poor whom his guards frequently chased but rather knew no discrimination between the poor and the elite or between the weak and the strong. The suspect remained in Hisbah’s custody, and even after the interference of bigwigs within and outside the royal family, Maibushra stood on his ground and refused to release the man. With the endorsement of the then patriarch and the most respectful royal figure within Nigeria and beyond, Maibushra continued to retain his detainee and treated him the way every Tom, Dick or Harry was ideally treated once he fell into the hands of Hisbah. 

Maibushra, I was told, was so fearlessly courageous to chase and catch not only low-ranking soldiers but also high-ranking officers like army colonels. Of course, needless to say, without the support of the government of the day, the Hisbah commandant would have been in greater trouble. However, it was likely that Maibushra would not have performed contrarily, regardless of whoever held the reins of power at the time.

When Shaykh Aminu Daurawa emerged as the new commandant of Hisbah after the election of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in 2011, only ‘pessimistic’ people would doubt his competence and preparedness to at least show equal sacrifice, even if not outshine his predecessors. After all, Daurawa was one of the most outspoken voices who denounced their membership in Shekarau’s Sharia-related committees, criticised the mode of Shari’a implementation of the Shekarau administration and rallied around Kwankwaso, culminating in the latter’s victory against Salihu Sagir Takai, the candidate of the then ruling ANPP. 

There were high hopes that Daurawa would build on Hisbah’s achievements and improve in the areas he criticised in the past administration. Interestingly, although Kwankwaso did not primarily campaign on the Shari’a mantra, the Islamic clerics within his circles, including Daurawa himself, had assured electorates that Kwankwaso would be more forthrightly supportive toward Shari’a implementation since he was believed to be more no-nonsense, fearless and invincible than his predecessor. 

Although there was a relative shortage in the money allocated to Hisbah for running costs and operations, Kwankwaso deserved commendation for reportedly giving Hisbah’s leadership adequate autonomy to carry out operations with little interference. A source from Hisbah confided in me that Kwankwaso admitted being callow about Shariah and Islamic knowledge in general and, as such, gave Islamic clerics within his circle enormous power to decide on any matter relating to religion, including issues affecting public religious institutions to whose leaderships Kwankwaso assigned the various clerics who campaigned for, supported or backed his election bid. With an intrepid head of government like Kwankwaso and with zero challenge from either the federal government or any other visible quarters, Daurawa was expected to leverage the available power and resources of government to improve in areas he unleashed censures on the past administration. 

Of course, mass wedding (auren zawarawa) was one of the main notable projects and inputs which Daurawa’s Hisbah championed. At the same time, all other ground operations and patrols were conducted not better than what was obtained in the Hisbah under the leadership he inherited. Meanwhile, Daurawa was behind the decline in sacrifice in the model of Chedi’s leadership or Maibushra’s flat and indiscriminate approach toward criminals and their cronies among influential partners. 

It was Daurawa who appeared in one video, which still circulates on social media and confessed that as Hisbah commandant, he deliberately avoided arresting the elite and concentrated on the poor because, according to him, the poor are powerless and easy to deal with, unlike the elite who could use their influence to manipulate his sack from the job. In my opinion, this public confession of weakness and a thirst to remain politically relevant, which Daurawa made, partly set the foundations of what Hisbah is going through at this trying moment. 

Daurawa has been the longest-serving Hisbah commandant since its institutionalisation. He served between 2011 and 2015 during Kwankwaso and was reappointed by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, serving for more than four years. Even as relations between Kwankwaso and Ganduje worsened, Daurawa, who belongs to Kwankwaso’s camp, was retained at the time. Politicians with political loyalty to Kwankwaso were not carried along. 

Similarly, after resting for only four years throughout the second tenure of Governor Ganduje, which distanced him from the corridors of power, Daurawa successfully reunited with his seat immediately after the emergence of Abba Kabir Yusuf as Ganduje’s successor in May 2023. Although it is an uncomfortable truth that cannot be denied, Daurawa has got so engrossed with his rank in Hisbah more than being too courageous enough to live by the dictates of his old credentials or even at least to maintain the tempo of his predecessors, one of whom had even lost his life in the cause of his Hisbah. In contrast, the second would have lost the job entirely had he not got a superior intervention.

It is precisely this stand and posture that Daurawa is expected to display when tired of the massive campaigns to turn the Muslim north immoral by impolite TikTokers, the Hisbah resorted to preaching and interacting with TikTokers a few months ago with the hope that they shun promoting lewdness and vices which contribute to moral degeneration of northern Muslim society. That was a good move since it would serve as a warning that would justify applying force in bringing TikTokers to order and sanitising the too much spoiled social media space. 

The recent arrest by Hisbah of Murja Ibrahim Kunya, a prominent TikToker, had restored some hope that Hisbah leadership did not only want to, at the time its activities are most needed, remain a timid institution principally different from how it used to be 20 or so years ago. Murja Kunya was taken and presented before the court. It was a relatively good move. Still, it would have been safer and better if she was presented to the court within Hisbah, and of course, this would have saved Hisbah from further disgrace and wanton defeat that resulted from what unfolded later. People woke up on a certain morning in February 2024 with the news that Murja, who was detained in prison and awaiting trial, was arbitrarily released in mysterious circumstances.

Whatever the case and whoever was responsible for her release, someone with even the slightest inkling of the sensitivity of the Hisbah Board and the foundations upon which the institution was set up would never expect a mere arrest of an immoral TikToker would attract the interest of some influential figures within the circle of Kano State Government. Most people rejoiced after Murja’s arrest that the development would mark the end of the ascendance of an empire of vulgarity and obscenity that has taken the grip of northern Muslim social media. 15 or 10-year jail term for Murja, which religiously inclined and Islamic-compliant people prayed Murja would be served with, would have deterred hundreds of TikTokers receiving inspiration from her from treading along her path. 

The release of Murja represents one of the most shameful artificial calamities that Hisbah would witness in its two decades of operation; unless all stakeholders, including the remaining figures in the past administrations and all concerned Muslims, have risen to this big challenge, the decline of Hisbah would be one of the last phases of the fall of Shari’a which started at the turn of the century and reached peak, only to fall to this too low level. Who is Murja Kunya, and how can one ever imagine that she would be an obstacle to Hisbah?  It is disheartening and regrettable that a responsible government in the past would challenge, fight and successfully defeat the Obasanjo-led federal government in a legal battle on Hisbah, but a different, less committed Hisbah leadership cannot fight a mere gullible TikToker.

Daurawa has, during one of his interviews with the press in the aftermath of Murja’s illegal escape from prison, commented that Hisbah has done all within its power, implying that it has no business whatsoever with what transpired afterwards. Although this is partly true, it is altogether unacceptable; Daurawa would have used every means possible to register his protest against the sabotage of Hisbah by a fifth columnist within the government that appointed him. 

There are two reasons for Daurawa’s protest, even though a voluntary resignation would have been a decent solution. Daurawa criticised the Shari’ah implementation process in the past because he was dissatisfied with the government attitude of the day. Now that he was put at the helm of affairs, it would only be reasonable if Hisbah’s principles and values were protected or if he took his leave. Secondly, continuing to remain in a government that has less commitment to eradicating immorality and vices, as illustrated by Murja’s release, would be equal to prioritising one’s position over preserving ideals that one has been preaching for decades.

Finally, although the ugly picture of the fate of Hisbah painted in this essay seems to be discouraging, Hisbah is yet the most visible of all government machinery that has been symbolically and, of course, practically reminding Muslims that Kano and other sister states are still legislatively covered by Sharia. A political will, which we hope will be revived by Kano power brokers, can anytime restore the tempo and spirit of Sharia and decisively tackle and fight the social media agents who have been hell-bent on depriving Muslims of their norms and values. Although very painful to admit, one can say that for now, immorality is gradually winning the war against morality in a society that used to prefer death rather than surrender to a violation and corruption of norms and values. 

One of the most cogent ways of tackling social media immorality, which I hope relevant government agencies like Hisbah will adopt, is having a unified network of a joint task force within Hisbah and similar institutions in some northern states and, if possible, to sign this into law after passing necessary legislative process. This would make it easy for Hisbah to detain criminals everywhere in these states without struggling with issues of arrest warrants and areas of jurisdiction.

Dr Ismail wrote this piece from Rabat, the Kingdom of Morocco and can be reached via ismailiiit18@gmail.com. 

By Aisar Fagge

Rumours circulating on social media platforms about the resignation of Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, the Commandant General of Kano State Hisbah Command, were found to be false.

Speaking to Dr. Mujahid Aminuddeen, Deputy Commander General of Kano Hisbah, he said, “All those stories were fake, and Sheikh Daurawa is already in his office attending to many people.”

The development of this fake news is not unconnected to the story of the release of Murja Kunya, the embattled TikToker who was arrested by Hisbah after receiving a series of complaints against her from the residents of the area where she lives.

After being taken to court, Kunya was facing multiple charges, denied bail, and the date for her trial was set. However, yesterday, February 18th, new information revealed that Kunya had been miraculously released.

The Daily Reality is working to find out why, how, and under what condition(s) she was released.

By Yuhya Gambo, PhD

Obviously, we truly need to be reminded of the true purpose of the Quran. The Quran is not just a book to be recited and memorized but rather a source of guidance and wisdom that we should strive to understand and implement in our lives.

Decades ago, the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi (may Allah have mercy on him) authored his famous book of Tafsir titled “Returning the Minds to the Meaning of the Quran” (رد الاذهان الى معاني القرآن). The book was written at a time when many Muslims in our community had drifted far away from the core teachings of the Quran. Back then, the Quran was mostly read to seek blessings in ceremonies and other gatherings, and nothing more.

Just like many others, I benefited immensely from the radio broadcast of tafsir sessions of the late Sheikh. Ever since I listened to his Tafsir of Suratul Nur, I learned how Allah wants me to relate with different categories of women in my life, the etiquette of entering people’s houses, and the requirement to lower my gaze and not stare at women lustfully. Alhamdulillah.

Also, I learned about the high status of Aishah (an epitome of chastity), the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her). The enormous lessons inspired me to memorize the Surah entirely. May Allah reward Sheikh Gumi with Jannah, ameen.

As Muslims, we badly need the Quran in our lives. Not only does it nourish our inner selves, but it also contains every guide for us to prosper in this Dunya and the hereafter. We must make deliberate efforts to benefit from the pure knowledge and guidance contained in the Quran.

The Quran is practical; it is meant to guide our complete life, be it our spiritual, social, or economic dealings. It is equally meant to guide our creed (belief), speech, and actions to that which Allah is pleased with.

In Majmu’ al-Fatawa 23/55, Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

‏”المطلوب من القرآن هو: فهم معانيه والعمل به، فإن لم تكن هذه همةُ حافظه لم يكن من أهل العلم والدين”.

“What is required with regards to the Quran is: To understand its meanings and act upon it, for if this is not the goal of its memorizer, the person cannot be considered among the people of knowledge and [complete] religion”.

Let us make the Quran our companion and guide in this life and the hereafter. In fact, we need the Quran today more than ever!

By Ibrahim Uba Yusuf, PhD

Trends in the Hausa Film Industry often divide the industry sharply across socio-political lines. Interactions and production have also not been exclusive to the political dynamics of Northern Nigeria or Kano in particular. However, the recent development requires caution to avoid a relapse into conflict and violence.

On January 28th, 2024, I saw a short video clip of a popular actor-cum-politician, Mustapha Badamasi Naburaska. In the video of about two minutes, the actor announced his intention to release a film that would depict the aftermath of the 2023 Kano State Governorship Petition from the Tribunal to the Supreme Court. In the video, the actor further announced his intention to portray an ‘old man and a musician’ in a negative light.

To complement his pledge, the actor released a poster of the intended film called Igiyar Zato on his Facebook page and other social media platforms. The poster contains the name of the producer and the photograph of the lead fictional character adorned with artificial grey beards just to reinforce the political figure he intends to mock. Mocking a politician is not my problem. It is purely a political affair.

I am not a card-carrying member of any political party but rather a researcher and public affairs analyst interested in teaching and conducting research relating to the Hausa Home Video Industry. In fact, my PhD thesis focused on ‘Hausa Home Videos and Peacebuilding in Northern Parts of Nigeria’. These, I believe, provided me with an opportunity to understand some nitty-gritty and make informed remarks about trends in the industry. It is useful to point out that this write-up is not intended to support or discredit any political group. The essence is to draw the attention of regulatory bodies to a danger that needs their urgent attention.

Firstly, my concern is the use of grey beards in the name of mocking an individual. While the announcement and content of the film may sound pleasing to some of his comrades and supporters, it will hoist a red flag if such content could pass the rigorous screening at the Kano State Censorship Board.

The Beard Issue

The beard issue has been a subject of ridicule during the build-up to the 2023 Guber Election in Kano State. A section of the campaigners used the beard impression to ridicule a particular contestant during their public campaigns. After the pronouncement by the apex court affirming the victory of Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf as the duly elected governor, members of his political party have been engaged in making skit performances in communities using the beard as a subject of emphasis. The skits were done in the name of celebration, to mimic the governorship candidate of the APC.

Igiyar Zato

Although the trailer of the film has not been released, if – at all – it is going to be produced and distributed, viewers and followers of Kano politics can easily predict scenes and the likely narrative it contains. From the different posters, viewers can deduce the direction, rationale and target group of the producer, Mustapha Nabraska. Of concern is the picture of Nabraska with a fictional grey beard. This depiction is a caricature of a recommended tradition of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Muslims may find this satire offensive, an act of irresponsibility and tantamount to rupturing the peace beingenjoyed in Kano State. Making jest at the Prophetic tradition, consciously or unconsciously, is forbidden. Sufficient is verse 65 of Suratul Tauba. While other scenes of the film might be valuable sources of analysis in the field of political communication, indeed, this depiction can likely provoke and create preventable chaos.

What does the Kano State Censorship Board Law say?

The law establishing the Kano State Censorship Board (KSCB) as a statutory regulatory body is not silent on what should be portrayed in films and home videos. The intended production contravenes the religious beliefs of the people of Kano. The film glaringly incorporates a form of amusement and deliberately alters the creation of Almighty Allah to mock an individual, which is not approved in Islam. In fact, these are yardsticks that some religious scholars used to engender their position on the illegality of popular culture.

The law, as it is, frowns at depictions in films that are not in tandem with the culture and tradition of the Kano people. Even though the law mandates all producers to submit their films to the Board for censoring after the completion of production, there is a need to amend that clause and mandate producers to share their ideas at the level of conceptualisation with the Board to be appropriately guided. It is left for the Board to decide what to do with the film if the producer decides to submit a copy before release.

Abba Al-Mustapha should Act!!!

In the interest of peace, the KSCB, under the leadership of Abba Al-Mustapha, should discontinue the promotion and production of the film at all costs. This is given the potential damages it could cause to the volatile situation in Kano. The Muslim community in Kano and beyond are saddened by this irrational depiction and public display, which directly affects a cherished symbol of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (SAW). In the same way, you thwarted the distribution and sales of Queen Primer in Kano. Please act fast now.

The KSCB remains the beacon of hope in preserving the culture and religion of the people of Kano, and we hope that it will continue to do so without fear or favour. The Board should avoid politicisation and preferential treatment of members loyal to the government and deliberately make Kano a difficult terrain for actors and musicians who align with the opposition.

I urge the Board to assess the film on the scale of cultural and religious values and their attendant consequences to Kano State’s peace. Already, people are aggrieved and have been registering their displeasure, specifically on the fictional beard, as a subject of ridicule in the post’s comment section on Facebook and other social media platforms. Some comments are inflammatory and may likely throw the State into chaos.

This is the time of political healing and concentration on fulfilling the myriad of campaign promises. Any distraction is uncalled for. As such, there is a need for the Board to provide policy direction to actors and musicians who have become stakeholders in political campaigns on how to produce content devoid of promoting hatred, public ridicule and rupture.

Ibrahim Uba Yusuf, PhD, lectures at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, and is the Director of Communications, Advocacy, and Outreach at the Centre for Media, Policy, and Accountability (CMPA). He can be reached at ibrahim.mcm@unimaid.edu.ng.

By: Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim

In today’s consistently evolving digital world, the pursuit of digital/ICT skills has become increasingly important for individuals and communities alike. This is particularly relevant for Muslim women, who often face unique challenges in balancing their religious and family values with their career choices, hence, making them to be left behind in the digital landscape.

In this article, we will explore the importance of creating awareness among Muslim communities about the need for Muslim women, especially the married ones, to pursue digital/ICT skills.

One of the primary concerns of Muslim women is the compatibility of their careers with their religious values and family life. Most jobs in our contemporary secular societies often raise ‘Sharee’ah’ concerns—which mostly revolve around free mixing and intimacy with ‘non-mahrams’, prolonged unavailability in their matrimonial homes that often impede performance of domestic responsibilities, compromising the Islamically mandated mode of dressing for Muslim women, and so on, making it challenging for some educated Muslim women to identify fulfilling careers that align with their religious values and beliefs.

God so kind, the recent advancements in the ICT sector has now alternatively offered a wealth of opportunities for Muslim women to pursue careers that are both fulfilling and compatible with their ‘Deen’ and family life, but unfortunately, most Muslim women lack sufficient awareness of those opportunities.

It is quite essential for Islamic scholars and Muslim elites to be aware of the recent advancements in the ICT sector and to consider enlightening their communities about the potential benefits of digital/ICT skills for Muslim women. By promoting awareness and understanding, these leaders can help Muslim women make informed decisions about their careers and contribute to the overall empowerment of the community, without compromising their religious values and beliefs.

Importantly, pursuing digital/ICT skills can also lead to remote job opportunities that offer flexibility and work-life balance. These jobs allow women to work from their homes, enabling them to demonstrate their supportive roles in their marriages, while still advancing their careers. Some of the skills that can lead to remote job opportunities include web development, copywriting, social media management, digital marketing, graphic designs, virtual administration, data analytics and so on.

Furthermore, encouraging Muslim women to pursue digital/ICT skills can lead to greater empowerment and intellectual development. By acquiring these skills, Muslim women can supportively contribute to their families’ finances and also become more intellectually sound, which is in line with the principles of Islam that promote the pursuit of knowledge.

In conclusion, we are in an interconnected world where digital skills are increasingly relevant across all sectors. Muslim women lawfully deserve to be equiped with these skills so they can also participate more actively in the global economy and contribute to the advancement of their communities, within the limits of Sharee’ah.

There may be misconceptions within Muslim communities about the compatibility of digital/ICT careers with Islamic principles. However, creating awareness can help address these misconceptions and demonstrate how these skills can be utilized in ways that are consistent with religious values.

It’s therefore crucial for community leaders, including Islamic scholars and Muslim elites, to actively promote the value of digital/ICT skills for Muslim women. Their support and endorsement can greatly influence the attitudes and decisions of community members.

Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim is a Public Affairs Analyst. He can be reached via: suleimibrahim00@gmail.com

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has concluded that there is none like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among the governors and political leaders of the South West. This was a sequel to the appointment yesterday of Chief Olayide Adelami as the new deputy governor of Ondo State by Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa. 

The Islamic human rights organisation based its conclusion on the governor’s failure to pick a Muslim as his deputy despite demands to that effect from various Islamic bodies, including MURIC.

This position was made known in a press statement issued by the group’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Friday, January 26th, 2024.

The full statement reads:

“Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa yesterday appointed Chief Olayide Adelami, a Christian, as the new deputy governor of Ondo State. 

“This appointment, in our opinion, is a direct rejection of the appeals made by several Islamic organisations, including the Muslim community of Ondo State, which controls about 40% of the total population. It also mirrors the insensitivity of Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa to the yearnings and aspirations of Muslims in Ondo State. 

“The appointment further demonstrates the total lack of hypocrisy in the mantra of ‘religious tolerance’ as publicly brandished by Christian leaders and their politicians in the South West. If there is any scintilla of religious tolerance and inclusiveness, it has been coming from the Muslim politicians and the Muslim population in the region. 

“Whereas President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sought to embrace inclusiveness and religious tolerance by giving top appointments to Christians, none of the Christian governors in the South West reciprocated by giving Muslims a similar treatment. 

“Sanwo-Olu of Lagos gave the Christians 43 commissioners, but he gave Muslims a meagre 14. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State gave Christians 16, but he gave Muslims only 4. In Oyo State, Seyi Makinde gave Christians 10 commissioners but gave Muslims 6. 

“The worst is Osun State, where the Christian governor, Ademola Adeleke, keeps deceiving the people that he is a Muslim. He also has a Christian deputy. That is the extent of executive fraud. Despite this Christian-Christian ticket in Osun State, the number of Christian commissioners is 17, while that of Muslims is just 7. 

“Ondo has 15 Christian commissioners against only 2 Muslims while Christian commissioners in Ekiti are 24 while the Muslims have 1 (one) only. 

“Who is like Tinubu among the six Christian governors in Yorubaland? There is none. Who can treat Yoruba Muslims with the same magnanimity which Tinubu extended to Christians at the federal level? None that we know of. 

“History will attest to Tinubu as the Muslim president who extended inclusiveness to hitherto hostile Christians. The annals will register Ayetilewa as the Christian governor of Ondo, who could not stomach the thought of having a Muslim deputy. Chroniclers will not spare the intolerant Christian governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti, who used their proverbial teeth to share the common patrimony of the South West but whom only Allah knows what they kept for their Christian brethren.

“Muslims are under heavy siege in the South West. They have become endangered species, oppressed, depressed, repressed, underemployed, overworked, underpaid, mere fish for evangelical fishermen, falcons caged for the falconer.”

By Abubakar Idris Misau

“…Muslims need to look no further than the Quran for guidance, where there are approximately 200 verses concerning the environment.”  — Ibrahim Ozdemir

Asked about what Islam has to say about the conservation of natural resources, here is my take: Like the secondary school students who would want to start arguing their points by defining the key terms of their topics, this writer defines Islam, conservation, and natural resources before connecting the dots. However, the terms are concisely defined, requiring only the essential information for even those unfamiliar with the terms to understand their existence. By defining the terms, the writer intended to allow as many classes of readers to take a message home from the article as possible. 

Meanwhile, unlike in the case of secondary school students, the intent of this article is not to score points but to reiterate, for it has often been neglected that Islam is the most compatible religion to science and remains the mother of many scientific disciplines. The religion explains and advocates for the conservation of natural resources – to say mildly. 

Islam, not because it was founded some 145 decades ago, but because it is often defined as such, is the Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred on the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. It has five pillars and six articles of faith. With the followers of this faith, called Muslims, numbering close to 2 billion worldwide, Islam is not only universally seen as the second-largest but also the fastest-growing religion in the world.

Collectively referred to as Ummah, Muslims believe that their religion, a Deen or comprehensive way of life, is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith revealed many times through earlier prophets such as Adam, Nuhu (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and Isa (Jesus) may peace and blessings be upon them all. Perhaps in the most concise edition, this can be said to be the meaning of Islam.

Conservation, however, carries different meanings depending on the time and situation in which it is used. For example, the meaning it conveys in the sciences as physics is not the same as that which it takes in arts. Meanwhile, in this essay, the meaning relating to natural resources is strictly considered. It is thus the triangle of protection, management and wise use of the resources in question for the benefit of current and coming generations. The natural resources meant to be conserved are the tangible and intangible materials drawn from nature – which are utilised with little to no alteration. Examples of such resources include vegetation, wildlife, land, water, sunlight and so on.

Given the above definitions, this article suggests that Islam as a religion and a way of life speaks about natural resources and even strongly preaches that they must be protected, managed and wisely used.

While there is no one place in the Qur’an where it is said, “Oh you who believe do well to conserve your forests…” and or that failure to protect wildlife could amount to crumbling in the fire of Jahannam; evidence from the same book and other sources such as the tradition of the Prophet (Sunnah) are very clear and enough to debunk [to say mildly] any opinion that is against conservation of natural resources – at least from Islamic viewpoint.

To start with, Allah The Exalted [SWA] says in Surah Yunus, Qur’an chapter 10 verse 14, “Then we made you trustees (Khalifa) on the earth after them, to see how you would act.” Other verses, such as in Surah Al-Ahzab (Q 33:72) and Surah Al-An’am (Q 6:165), directly emphasise the same message. In line with this, the Prophet [PBUH] said, “The world is a beautiful and verdant, verily God, The Exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves” (Saheeh Muslim).

According to Muhammad A. Chakaki, an independent environmental consultant and a founding member of the American Green Muslims in the Direct, that man is made the khalifa, trustee, steward, successor, custodian, …name it, “does not mean absolute power of humans over nature. … It is a trust, an immense responsibility.” Indeed, Chakaki’s explanation of this stewardship could hardly be far from the truth. 

For in Surah Al-Ahzab, chapter 33, verse 72, Allah [SWA] says, “Verily, We offered the entrusted property (Amana) to the heavens, and the Earth/land, and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and foolish.” As man is allowed to use the natural resources upon which he is made a custodian, being warned against using it extravagantly presents stewardship as a double-edged sword: remaining as an honour whilst also a test.

At the heart of the famous George Washington University stands the Islamic Studies Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Of the highest order, Nasr is a faculty, an environmentalist, a philosopher, and an author of more than 50 books and over 500 articles. The erudite scholar expresses his environmental philosophy in terms of Islamic Environmentalism and Resacralization of Nature. According to the more-than-90-year-old distinguished academic, environmental crisis cannot be understood, much less solved, without a wider spiritual approach. In his view, man must humble himself as the steward he is and stop the dictatorial approach in his relationship with nature. [See, for instance, his book ‘Religion and the Order of Nature’].

While many of Nasr’s propositions are frowned at and thrown to the dust bin, labelled as too unscientific and religiously induced – because ours is an over-obsessed-with-technology sort of a world – the very idea that environmental crisis is a self-inflicted wound caused by human activity, remains a universal convention. Surah As-Shura has it all said: “And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned…”

However, influenced by Nasr, in an opinion published by Aljazeera, a renowned environmentalist and a professor of philosophy at Uskudar University Turkey, Ibrahim Ozdemir said, “Islam teaches its followers to take care of the earth.” And that in his opinion, the one simple yet neglected solution to the environmental crisis is ‘interpreting the issue from an Islamic perspective’.

In this line of thinking, when this writer [of this article] writes, he shall discuss Hima (Protected Area), Waqf (Endowment), and Israf (Prohibition of Wastefulness), among other natural resource conservation concepts – from an Islamic viewpoint. Meanwhile, suffice it to say that climate change and its resulting environmental crisis are real, and Almighty Allah says in Surah Al-Ra’ad, “… Verily, Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in themselves…” [Q 13:11].

Abubakar Idris Misau, a graduate of Forestry and Wildlife from the University of Maiduguri, writes from Yola, Nigeria. He can be reached via email at abubakaridrismisau@gmail.com.

By Umar Sheikh Tahir (Bauchi)

Columbia is an Ivy League University, one of the eight most prestigious institutions in the United States of America. Ph.D. students at this university undergo two years of coursework. One of the classes I took was Islam, Knowledge and Forms, which a visiting professor from Germany taught. Part of the course is a library visit to the exhibitions section under the project of Islamic Sciences, Science, Nature, and Beauty: Harmony and Cosmological Perspectives in Islamic Science (2022) at Butler Library, the largest library of Columbia University with millions of resources. 

The exhibition contained objects, images, rare manuscripts, and other learning materials. Two materials, among others, became the most astonishing factors in the exhibition: one of them is a rare copy of the Holy Quran, and the second is a locally handmade wooden tablet (Allo).   

The instructor asked everyone to talk about any material in the exhibition. Students gave their feedback on the experiences passionately; different things wowed everyone. When it came to my turn as someone who had known these items since childhood in my father’s private library, where we sneaked as children, which housed similar treasures. To us, these are the most useful items in his library as we do not read books; we only view images and magazines, such things that are not viewed as essential to the readers. Then, I shared my familiarity with these items, telling them I was exposed to most of the exhibited materials from my upbringing in Northern Nigeria, including “rare manuscripts” of the Quran. 

The Quran displayed was a giant copy of the original Uthmanic Quran, denoted to the third Caliphate of the Muslim nations who reigned (644/23H–656/35H). It was so amazing to all of us. As for me, the Quran is the most frequently read book in my entire life, and to their surprise, I can read this copy fluently without diacritical marks. I highlighted that memorising the holy Quran, even without understanding Arabic, is common in Northern Nigeria.  Most of my fellows never knew that sometimes people memorise it at an early age. I did not shock them with that, as I am one of them. 

In the second incident, Professor Brinkley Messick invited me to speak in his class on Islamic Shariah Law as someone with experience with an Islamic Madrasa background and went to Azhar University in Egypt. The theme of the class is the Islamic madrasa. He is interested in the Islamic tradition, as evident from the cover of his book, “Calligraphic State.” 

The Professor brought Allo a wooden tablet to the class and circulated it to students. Everyone was looking at it with surprise. I named it to them as a personal tablet for inscription and memorisation of the holy Quran, and the students asked for more details. I said we write verses from the holy Quran for memorisation after repeating it several times; not everyone understands how that works, except those with Islamic background. However, when I told them when we wash the script, we drink it, everyone was left with open mouths, surprising our embodiment of the holy book, including the professor. They could not process as modernised individuals with high sensitivity to germs and bacteria. Again, as I told our class last semester, this is very common in Northern Nigeria. 

Coincidently, one of the attendees from a Saudi background added that people used some scripts for Talismite and protection from Djinn (Ruqyā in Arabic or Ruqiyya in Hausa) by reciting some verses in water. I told her this is true; we have that part in our culture too, but the biggest part is that we drink washed script for the embodiment and show respect for not letting a drop of that water on the ground as a sacred word. As kids, we were told that whatever verses we memorise from the holy Quran and drink will stay in our hearts for a long time.

In reference to that, American Professor of Islam in Africa Rudolph Ware published his book Walking Quran on the Madrasa system in West Africa. He referred to those Quranic students’ embodiment as the Walking Quran in relation to the narration of the Hadith reported in the books of Hadith such as Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim; Aisha was asked about Prophet Muhammad’s PBUH character, and she said he was a Walking Quran.  

Our cultural legacy, often undervalued by some of us in our region, gained recognition at Ivy League institutions. Those people appreciate a centuries-old Quranic educational tradition or Almajiri system and show their respect to our subregion. Even our way of drinking the washed script of the Quran mesmerised them. 

A professor dedicated his projects to studying a school system called Daara schools in Senegambia or the Tsangaya schools in Northern Nigeria, making it evident that our legacy is an astonishing point to those communities. Then, as indigenous Africans who were introduced to the colonial system of Education less than a century ago in Northern Nigeria, we should be more proud of our system by appreciating those communities who choose to preserve it, as they make our subregion a central point of high intellectual conversation around the world. 

We should not deny our legacy by stigmatising the Almajiri system of education. Instead, we should support it and create a way of modernising it to empower and preserve our centuries-old legacy.  Whoever shows kindness to the Quran and its reciters will receive people’s applauses in this life, including Western intellectuals, and God’s reward in the hereafter. Thanks to those state governments in Northern Nigeria who support and recognise this system of education.

Umar Sheikh Tahir is a PhD student at Columbia University, New York, USA. He can be reached via ust2102@columbia.edu.