Muslims

By Muhammad Muzzammil Bashir

She is a tall, plump, fair lady from the South. For the sake of privacy, let us call her Joy. She looked at me from head to toe and hissed, saying, “You should by now be in level 100 or 200.” I smiled uncomfortably. She added, “In fact, you’re supposed to be writing JAMB by now.” I asked her why. She replied, “You are too small to be in camp.” I managed to smile again and asked her how old she was. With a sheer, larger-than-life composure fully materialising on her face, she answered, “I’m so-and-so-year-old.” I humbly replied with my age number, and it became clear to us that I was two years older than her. She was full of apologies instantly. And guess what transpired after? We became friends.

It never occurred to me to write about my life on the camp until a day before our passing out when I was lying on my bed reflecting on the experiences I had had on camp. I wanted to write this piece immediately after we were out of camp, but many things took my attention elsewhere. I pray this piece may inspire those yet to enter the camp to open up their minds and embrace the life they are about to find inside the camp, as well as the general public to keep an open mind whenever they find themselves in a strange environment.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a one-year mandatory service that Nigerian graduates under 30 must undergo to teach unity and discipline. I had the opportunity to camp in Kano State in Batch B, Stream I. The camp opened on the 12th of July and closed on the 1st of August. It’s located in the Kusala Dam area of Karaye local government. The camp is bounded by the dam to the west and an army barracks to the north. The east border is where the local communities are settled, and the camp’s main entrance is at the south border. I read and heard a variety of suggestions from people who had camp experience on when I should set my travel to report to the camp on either the first day or on the second or third day, with some even suggesting one week after opening the camp while backing the benefits of their claims.

I weighed the options based on what I wanted to experience and achieve during camp. I chose to schedule my travel to reach camp on the first day. I got to the camp on Wednesday, July 12th, around 11 a.m. The first thing I noticed from the gate where our luggage was being checked before we moved on to the registration process was how the NYSC officials and the security personnel treated the corps members (CM). We were treated cheerfully with dignity and respect. After completing my registration, I moved to my hostel while others were going through the same process I went through. At around 3:45 p.m., the soldiers—instructors—asked us to go and wear our white shorts and T-shirts, the dress we were to spend our 21-day stay on camp wearing except on ceremonial occasions.

Among the first things you will hear from the NYSC officials at camp is that you do not own your time. The camp officials acknowledged it. They are the ones who tell you what to do at what time. You have to abide by it if you want to finish your orientation course in peace; otherwise, you will be decamped or punished depending on the severity of your misconduct. At around 4:05 p.m., they started blowing the bugle, a valveless sound instrument that serves as an alarm system in the military or paramilitary barracks. All the CMs that were able to finish their registration were marched to the parade ground, where we started receiving training on the basics of the match pass from the instructors after the usual welcome pleasantries. We were not released until 6:30 p.m., leaving most of us tired and stressed. After the Maghrib prayer at around 8 p.m., we went to the kitchen to collect our dinner. We were told there were no other activities for that day since it was our first day at camp. We, the Muslims, went to pray the Isha prayer and joined the rest at the mammy market to buy some items and other consumables for some of us who could not cope with the camp food. By 9:00 p.m., most of us had retired to the comfort of our beds to relax our bodies from the weariness of travel and parade activities so that we would have enough sleep and make tomorrow upbeat.

We sometimes hear many things about camp life before we enter camp. One such is that soldiers wake you up from sleep as early as 3:00 a.m. On our first night at the hostel, around 3:00 a.m., most guys were awake, fully kitted out in their whites, awaiting the bugle sound. The guy in my corner tried to wake me up at that time. I refused and told him we still had enough time to sleep because I had already checked it on the orientation guidebook given to us. I managed to cope with the noise and continued my sleep until 4:10 a.m., when I set my alarm before sleeping.

Alas, the sound of the mighty bugle came at around 4:45 a.m. By then, I was fully set to go out. The Muslims went to the mosque to do our Subh prayer, and the Christians went to the parade ground to observe their morning prayers. We joined them on the floor for morning meditation. The camp officials and instructors were there. Man O’War was there too. The camp PRO is in charge of moderating most of the events on base. She is a lady of average height, chubby, and black in complexion. She came to the front, took the mic, and greeted us, and we greeted her back. She then introduced the staffers, gave some instructions that would guide our peaceful stay on camp, and told us the schedule of activities for that day. She taught us the NYSC anthem and the national prayer (second stanza).

The first two to three days on camp are the most stressful for most coppers. We were subjected to only physical exercises and rehearsals for the swearing-in ceremony for those three days. The ceremony was scheduled to take place on Friday. So we started rehearsing on Wednesday afternoon of our first day of arrival. We were stressed out doing drills on the parade ground for most of the second day; even on the ceremony day, we did a final rehearsal in the morning before we were allowed to go and dressed up in our khaki trousers, crested vest, and jungle boots. The ceremony started at around 1100 hours after the arrival of the deputy governor of Kano State. After all the pleasantries and salutary parade went off, we were sworn in by the representative of the chief judge of Kano State.

From then on, the deputy governor gave his speech in English and Hausa and declared the orientation exercise open. We were then allowed to move around, socialise, and take pictures for memorabilia after the deputy governor was escorted back to his motorcade by the quarter guards and the NYSC officials. While on the parade ground during the ceremony, the sky started to go cloudy, giving all signs to start raining; we were forewarned that we were not allowed to move anywhere if it began to rain whenever we were on the parade ground, and more in particular during the ceremony in the presence of the special guest. Fortunately, in the first place, the rain started dropping lightly and stopped abruptly within a few minutes.

One of the core missions of the NYSC is to foster unity among Nigerian youths. This is achieved at camp through social activities and competitions between the different platoons; this brings harmony, gives a sense of belonging to the CM, and keeps their stay at camp from being boring. On this note, the NYSC orientation exercise, as some of us thought, is not entirely about drills during the three weeks. There are a lot of activities that are organised for the CM. Among them are sensitisation lecture series from various government and non-governmental organisations, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development (SAED) training, sports activities, cultural carnivals, social nights (where competition from drama to cultural and afro dances is observed), and cooking competitions, among others. After our swearing, the real camp life started, and we began to enjoy our stay there, with every day becoming increasingly impressive. Most camp friendships and love relationships form during this period and some even end in marriage. I made many friends, notably from the south and most from the north. From my short stay at camp, I cannot quantify the experience I gained, mainly from the coppers and some from the camp officials and non-camp officials (many market people). I had difficulty with the instructors’ (soldiers) language of instruction during the drills. They mostly give instructions in Pidgin English, and most of us from the North don’t understand it. I supposed they would use English, not vernacular, as a language of instruction since we are all graduates and should be treated as such.

One thing in common that most of my mentors have been advising me on is to seek leadership positions wherever I find myself. This will give me ample opportunities to gain leadership experience, build networking opportunities, and know how things are going in their grand scheme. This conviction led me to seek leadership positions and volunteer activities during my stay at camp. Everything in camp, from the level of the officials to the nonofficials and copper strata, is designed to have leadership roles. CM are each assigned to 10 different platoons by a computer algorithm. I found myself in Platoon 4. Each platoon is expected to have leaders who will coordinate its activities.

Leaders are mostly chosen through election or consensus by platoon members under the supervision of a platoon officer—an NYSC official. Hence, I had the opportunity to contest for the role of platoon leader. Two of us challenged: me and my colleague, Whinny. He was elected. Since we were both males who contested, an offer was thrown to the ladies for the position of deputy. Hence, I volunteered to take on the position of platoon secretary. Again, almost all the social activities have representatives from each platoon, mainly two people from each platoon. From social reps to sports reps, lecture reps, OBS (orientation broadcasting service) reps, parade commanders and their sub-guard commanders, and man o’ war, among others. These representative positions are primarily based on volunteerism and some on proficiency.

Upon all the rep’s volunteers during the process of selection, it never occurred to me to volunteer for anyone but lecture reps. I did that based on gut feelings; I instantly felt the urge to volunteer when it was announced. We were 20 lecture reps in number, two from each platoon. NYSC officials head the committee. Our main role is to come early in the morning, arrange the hall while morning meditation is going on at the parade ground, and help coordinate lecture activities. Also, six of us volunteered to take on the role of repertoires—the role of taking down key points of the lectures while they’re going on, typing them, and sharing them in our respective platoon WhatsApp groups for the sake of CM that were not around or not able to listen to the lectures attentively. This proved to be one of the two most demanding roles I had. It requires me to give my absolute attention to the lectures going on and, at the same time, take down important points. It deprives me of the informal opportunity to take a 2-3 minute nap that CM usually enjoy by cunningly dropping their facecap a little down to cover their eyes and escape being noticed by the officials during the lecture time. But the experience I had was worth the sacrifices. I met one of the most amazing people on camp on the committee. There is one of my Facebook friends, Abdoull Toro, whom I had never met face-to-face until in that committee. Surprisingly, we did not recognise each other until several days after we met in the committee during a normal chat we used to have while carrying out our assignment.

The other role that was so demanding was when I took on the position of Governor of Financial Inclusion Ambassadors with Chinecherem as my deputy, a very calm, intelligent young lady. This was during a 6-day training of financial inclusion ambassadors under the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in collaboration with NYSC and other sister federal agencies. The training aim is to train us with adequate knowledge to raise awareness of the knowledge and skills needed to manage individual, household, and business finances effectively, to build confidence in using financial products and services, and to strengthen participation in the formal financial sector in the community we are serving. This will serve as our CDS (community development service) during our service year, one of the four cardinal programs of NYSC; others include camp orientation, serving at the place of primary assignment, and winding up or passing out.

This training was one of the most insightful moments of my stay at camp. I found myself amid ambassadors who are majority holders of degrees in accounting, banking and finance, economics, and business administration, with me, a holder of a human anatomy degree, as their leader. The training session was mainly interactive and lively, to the point that time used to escape our notice. I met great people there who taught me many things about financial literacy and inclusion, especially our training instructor from the ministry, Mrs. Ruth Hussein, who was very accommodating and compassionate to us.

Even though holding a leadership position necessitates responsibilities, it usually comes with sacrifices. Among the camp activities I dearly missed were my drills. Members of our lecture committee do not usually attend morning meditations and parades. This left me only free to participate in afternoon parades when sports and rehearsals for parade competitions started. I was in first place among the competing parade CM. Then, out of the blue, financial inclusion training came, making me weigh my options. I chose financial inclusion based on personal convictions and other reasons. This caused me to be dropped from the parade group of my platoon because of my absenteeism. The six days of the training were the most stressful of my stay at camp. I will be in the hall from 5 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. in the morning for hall arrangements and morning lectures.

Then, I will return to the hall after breakfast from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. for another lecture series while doing the repertoire work. By 2:30 pm, after taking my launch, I will move to the training class to be there before anyone else as a leader to arrange the class and provide everything that we may require for its smooth running. We will not leave there until 5:30 p.m. when I will have a chance to go and watch football and volleyball marches. Between the periods of Magrib and Isha prayers, that is where I mostly used to have time for chats with my roommates and other friends. Immediately after Isha’s prayer, I will move to the hall and locate a place, mainly in the front row, for social nights. I slept most days from around 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.; this enabled me to compensate for the siesta I was supposed to have in the afternoon and relieve my stress during the day.

While navigating the hilly valley camp life, trying to carry out all the responsibilities on my shoulders, as a human being with a desire for knowledge and life ambition, I have to make sure I create time for extracurricular activities that keep me spiritually active and intellectually creative. Under normal circumstances, even when I was in school, when it was time for semester exams, what I normally did first thing in the morning after Fajr prayer was my recitation of the glorious Qur’an before embarking on any other activity.

Camp life comes with different scenarios, and I don’t have the liberty to own my time for the time being. Despite that, I found time to recite 1-2 hizb daily throughout my camp stay. This enlightened my heart and gave me a sense of connection with my Creator. Even though all these were going on, as an avid reader of books, spending 1 or 2 days without reading makes me feel like a part of my body is missing, which I must find and place back to feel complete. I managed to read one book in camp—the book that we were reading at The Literati Book Club that month. This at least gave me a sense that I’m still moving on the right path towards my life purpose.

Apart from the experience I gained from the leadership positions I held and the volunteerism in which I engaged myself, I was given favours from the officials I interacted with and some from friends and colleagues during my stay at camp. Since before my graduation from the university, I have had the ambition to serve in Kano due to its ample opportunities, particularly in the commerce sector. My ambition later changed to Lagos, which I dropped for some reasons. Our call-up letter was not uploaded to the portal until a day before the commencement of camp in the afternoon.

I was so happy when I saw I was posted to Kano State, the state I desired. I had nothing better to do than thank the almighty God. Under normal circumstances, CM seeks to relocate to their desired state for health issues, marriage, or personal reasons. Some CMs follow the lawful means to get approval for their relocation if they meet the criteria. While some follow unlawful means, resulting in many of them falling prey to scammers. My engagement with officials gave me the privilege to relocate wherever I wanted. But what I wish to do is Kano. I was privileged to choose where I should be posted for my primary assignment. I did not have anywhere in mind. My response was always anywhere that is pretty good.

My 21-day stay at the NYSC orientation camp is momentous, with bundles of experience, knowledge, and networks I will continue to cherish.

Muhammad Muzzammil Bashir wrote via mbashir199@yahoo.com.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The move by the Kano State Government to remove some lewd and pernicious teaching materials from the curriculum of both public and private basic schools in the state has been commended by the Muslim rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

The Kano State Government, through the office of the Special Advisor on Private and Voluntary Institutions, issued the prohibition in an announcement made on Thursday, 5th October 2023. 

In the announcement, the Kano State Government listed some six (6) textbooks prohibited for instructional use “due to observed inclusions(sic) of inappropriate and sexually explicit contents that are harmful to the morals of our young students.”

The decision of the Kano State Government, under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to prohibit the use of obscene teaching materials in the state has come at the right time. Therefore, all parents, educationists, learners and advocates must embrace and support the initiative so as to tame the alarming rise of immorality amongst the youths in the state. 

The human rights group lent its support by calling on the authorities to ensure strict compliance by both public and private schools in the state. 

The commendation was contained in a statement released by the Chairman of the Kano State Chapter of the group, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, on Friday, October 6, 2023. 

Mr Indabawa further said:

“As one of the front-line advocates for the removal of all obscene teaching aids from the nation’s educational system, we at MURIC rejoice and commend the Kano State Government for doing the needful by prohibiting the use of some selected teaching materials found to contain sexually explicit contents which are perverse to the moral upbringing of pupils in the state.

“The surreptitious inclusion of explicit sexual contents in some of the basic education teaching materials was part of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) developed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) for worldwide use to promote promiscuity, fornication and homosexuality. This is one of the evils of globalisation. Certainly, this strange knowledge contradicts our faith, culture and values.

“Aside from the CSE, many textbooks used in Nigerian schools have been corrupted with lewd contents. 

“Nigerians may be well aware that in the last twenty years or so, classical English literature books and novels such as Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Merchant of Venice, Weep Not Child, Things Fall Apart, The Man Died, African Child, Akin the Drummer Boy, Mine Boy, The Delinquent and so forth have been removed from our school curricula and replaced with sex-related local English literature and other science books containing lewd and pernicious matters to give the unsuspecting young school pupils the wrong impression that self-control is unnecessary and that casual sex makes them feel good; that they should engage in casual sex before marriage; that ‘safe sex’ is what to aim for in life provided that they don’t get pregnant and if they do get pregnant, they should go for abortion. 

“As we may equally be aware, one of the negative consequences of this is the sexualisation of primary and secondary school pupils.

“Therefore, the prohibition of the use of offensive textbooks by the Kano State Government must be backed by appropriate legislation to provide a legal framework for sanctioning any erring school authority for effective implementation of the government’s directive.

“The Office of the Special Advisor on Private and Voluntary Institutions and Kano Educational Resource Department (KERD) must be well-equipped to ensure strict compliance as it is our belief that some self-seeking, unscrupulous and unconscientious groups and individuals may attempt to frustrate the effort with the support of the global conspiracy designed to destroy the fabric of our family value system, decency and modesty.

“We also call on other state governments to emulate Kano State Government by reviewing and removing all lewd and pernicious teaching materials from their various basic education curriculum.

“Finally, we reiterate our earlier call, made on the 25th May 2023, to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), a federal government agency charged with the responsibility of implementing educational policies in Nigeria, to immediately review and expunge any sex-related content from the curriculum being used in Nigerian basic schools.”

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

The painting evoked memories. And a sense of scholastic pride. Pride in being part of a process that has generated centuries of excellence. And today is Teacher’s Day, a case for celebration of scholarship from below. Even Google’s Doodle for the day acknowledges this.

Years ago, a painting was brought to me to purchase by an artist, Nura Yusuf – the artist being aware I am an art nut. It was a medium-sized canvas and truly beautiful in a photorealistic way. My Ajamization of Knowledge initiative inspired him. But there was no way I could afford the price he was asking, even if I accepted that it was a fair price. I asked his permission, though, to photograph it with my Sony DSC.

I eventually saw the canvas hanging in the outer waiting room of the Emir of Kano’s main reception chamber. Regretfully, you will only notice it if you swing your head up. I think, eventually, it was relocated.

Looking at the painting, as I said, evoked memories of Makarantar Malam Hussaini, Mandawari. Now renamed Makarantar Malam Buhari and reinvented as an Islamiyya school, along Sabon Titi, in the inner city of Kano. In the school, when Malam Hussaini was the Head, you left early if you reported early; otherwise, you stayed behind after the school closed to continue your studies.

Memories of going from house to house, requesting the good folks to allow us to brush their cooking pots with our bare hands, seeking the fine soot that covers the pots, the result of open-fire cooking with logs of wood. Once you gather enough powdered soot, you then dunk your hand in a bowl of water and wash the soot off. Next, you sprinkle a few crystals of gum Arabic in the water and boil the lot – effectively creating a syrupy ink, the classical ‘tawada’. While burnt wood from home cooking fires can do the job, the elite of Tsangaya inks is ‘zuge’, a burnt desert-date tree. The ink itself is often mixed in various colours, depending on its use in copying the Qur’an. These colours come in handy, especially on the graduating certificate – allo – when it is decorated with zayyana calligraphic designs. A whole industry has existed around this trade for years, especially in the heart of the city of Kano, northern Nigeria.

To make a pen, you need a thick dry stalk – gamba – from the grass used for fencing (zana) homes in rural areas. Using a Tiger razor blade (not Nacet, as it easily breaks), you sharpen the edge of the stalk and fashion a neat nib, creating an alƙalami — pen. There were many styles for the nib, depending on the writing to be done. For some, the alƙalami can be a true calligraphic tool.

Properly armed with a pen and ink, you begin the process of carefully copying the verses of the Qur’an, according to your grade, onto the wooden slate until you copy the right passages. You lean it against the wall for it to dry and await your turn to read what you copied by the teacher. Once properly groomed on the reading, off you go to practice reciting on your own.

Once you feel you are proficient enough, you go back to the teacher, read your passages and once satisfied with your diction, and cadence, you are permitted to go to the next passages – wash off the present one – wanke allo – and copy the next sequence. Due to the dark colour of the ink, the wooden slate often absorbs the ink and darkens the slate. The best way to get rid of it is to use sandpaper to scrape it completely – or, failing that due to cost, rice bran – ɓuntu – which works just as well – to remove traces of the previous ink. If the smudges or shadows of the ink still remain, you can use powdered limestone – farar ƙasa – to overlay the darker stain of the ink, giving a clean white surface on which to write.

Ink is kept in a pot, kurtun tawada, while the pens are kept in a pen holder, ƙorami/alkurdu. For adolescents starting up, it was the wooden slate. For the more advanced students, the writing is done on conqueror bond paper (usually imported from North Africa), but the pen is now a quill from the tail or wing feathers of a bird (chicken, duck, guinea fowl).

And in case one gets thirsty doing all that hard work, you can always quench your thirst from the water stored in your water bottle – jallo, made from a gourd. This type of water bottle enters into the Hausa lexicon with the expression: “ina neman sa kamar ruwa a jallo/desperately looking for him.”

This scholastic tradition is well-preserved in this painting by Nura Yusuf, who incidentally happened to be a brother to the writer and poet Khalid Imam. Being Teachers Day today, I dedicate this painting to all Alarammomi, Gardawa, and Ƙolawa, who are my fellow classmates in every Tsangaya in this country. We pray for the souls of our Malaman Tsangaya, who set us on the right path. Allah Ya jiƙansu da Rahama.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused a section of the media and its allies of continuously neglecting the increasing death toll of Nigerian Muslims but are quick to report the fabricated number of dead Christians at the instance of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

It has come to our notice that the majority of security-related challenges being faced in Nigeria, most of which result in the death of Muslims, especially when in large quantity are mostly unreported or, at best, under-reported; we at the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) have seen this as a ploy to portray Muslims as the perpetrators of these various crimes in Nigeria, ranging from terrorism, kidnapping, cattle rustlings, banditry, etc.

The Muslims have always been complacent, consoling themselves without making noise on various social media platforms whenever the unpleasant news of the death of their brothers and sisters in Islam filters in. This is because Allah has emphasised to us through the Holy Quran that “All Souls Shall Taste Death” (Qur’an 3:185), whereas CAN is always quick at playing the victim card, and its voice can be heard at the seventh heaven.

Social media and traditional news media also become awash with unprintable comments to escalate the incident beyond the real magnitude. The Muslims are, therefore, always at the receiving end. In contrast, Muslims lose the highest number of victims of the security challenges Nigeria is currently facing.

It is a known fact that the majority of the act of terrorism by the dreaded terrorist organisation in Nigeria (Boko Haram) has led to the death of more Muslims than Christians; the terrorist group detonated bombs in metropolitan areas in the northern part of Nigeria where the Muslims have the highest population. It is, therefore, only logical to say that the terrorist group targets Muslims more than Christians; thus, any Christian who becomes a victim is more collateral damage because the real targets are the Muslims.

In an effort to set the records straight, MURIC has carried out a statistical analysis of violent attacks and has gathered data on Muslims who were casualties of various attacks carried out by armed groups such as Boko Haram, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), armed bandits, herdsmen and the so-called unknown gunmen.

It was discovered that between 2021 and 2022, the total number of Muslims who have become casualties is as high as two thousand two hundred and sixty-four (2,264). This figure is for reported cases. Only Allah knows the exact number of thousands of unreported cases of Muslim deaths.

Of this figure, 1,829 were killed by Boko Haram, 288 Muslims fell victim to banditry, 98 were killed by unknown gunmen, 36 by herdsmen and 13 by IPOB.

We appeal to the Muslim populace not to seek vengeance as Allah is sufficient for us, and only Allah knows the punishment most suitable for perpetrators of the killings. We also remind co-country men to tread softly and not to insult the sensitivity and cool-headedness of Nigerian Muslims; our religion teaches “Peace”, and on that mantra, all our engagements are based.

Lastly, while we acknowledge that efforts made by the security agents are already yielding results, we implore them to increase their vigilance to ensure a prosperous and peaceful nation.

By Aisha M. Auyo

In my last article, I wrote about how verbal appreciation affects marriage. In this episode, I will discuss how our words have the power to build or break our marriages. Words are not just for communication; they are for construction and destruction.

We are builders when we use our words wisely. With our words, we are creating a marriage that matters, a union that makes it through the good and bad, through thick and thin.

Here are a few things that you can build with your words in marriage

1. Intimacy

Intimacy is not just something physical. Share your heart with your spouse. Cultivating a marriage with meaningful communication will build deeper intimacy. 

Words move two hearts closer together and unite them as one. 

Dear wife, be patient with your husband – we all know men generally don’t talk as much… They are people of action.

Allah didn’t create marriage to be boring! Have fun for His sakes! From sending a naughty text during the day, a random phone call with words that will make your spouse want to finish whatever they are doing and come home to using words that will build anticipation.

Simple sentences like “I made your favourite dish” or “I’ll come home with your favourite smoothie” can do the trick. It is not the entity that matters. It’s about knowing that your Significant Other has thought about you and even tried to do what pleases you.

When you are together, set aside time for just the two of you to talk. Be intentional and selective with your words. Flirt with one another.

2. Build encouragement

Wives, one of the best things YOU can do for your relationship is to be an encourager. Encouragement can come naturally through sincere daily prayers. Through voicing delight in whatever is done or given to you, through words of gratitude. This will make him want to do more.

Men, women are highly receptive to words. Simple sentences could fuel her attitude for years. The phrase “Allah yai miki albarka” (We want this very badly), or “We can’t do without you”, is all she needs to hear to be her very best.

3. Build confidence

Life is hard, full of tough and sobering reminders that we live in a broken world. So, use your words to encourage and build hope in your spouse. 

Tell them you believe in them and trust their ability to excel. In a world full of competition, envy, and self-doubt, be the number one person who believes your spouse, uplift them, and make them trust themselves. From writing exams, presentations, business ideas, etc. Instil the seed of belief and confidence in them.

Men, please encourage your wife and boost her confidence in her looks and dreams. We need this like oxygen. With your support and trust, we can be the best version of ourselves.

Women, showing doubt in your man’s ability or dreams will kill his ego. His zeal to work hard, his zeal to excel. If there’s one thing that keeps men alive more than oxygen, it should be a massaged ego.

4. Heal

Words heal broken people, sick people, tired people, people who lost loved ones, even people in coma! I’m sure you’ve watched a movie where friends or families of a person in life support talk and say good things to them, and with time, the person in a coma comes back to life. This works not only in movies but also in real life. 

Soothing words for a broken person can help their physical and mental recovery immensely. Hearing someone say that they care about you, believe in your ability to heal, or that life will get better is often enough to improve someone’s mood in their lows.

Life-changing events, sickness, ailment, etc., can affect one spouse or the other. Be the person who brings harmony and healing to your spouse through words. Make it a point to say something positive to your significant other, even once a day.

However, let us always remember that our words can cripple, destroy and disrupt as much as they can build and construct. Verbal abuse is as powerful and destructive as physical abuse. It’s not every time we say what we feel. Most times (Not always woo), silence is better than some utterances. 

Avoid any word that will bring negativity, fear, or discouragement to your spouse. Never threaten or demean your spouse. If an issue needs to be resolved, choose your words wisely.

Know that words, once spoken out, can never be taken aback. The words ‘I’m sorry’, ‘I don’t mean it,’ and ‘it was a joke’ can never undo what you said. Some words create wounds that apology will never heal.

Aisha Musa Auyo is a Doctorate researcher in Educational Psychology, a wife, a mother of three, a homemaker, a caterer and a parenting/ relationship coach.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

An appeal has gone to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that all regions, faiths and sections benefit from political appointments made by his government while no ethnic group or faith is seen to be favoured above others. 

Making the appeal on Monday, 18th September 2023, was the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola. The head of the Islamic human rights organisation added that appointments made so far by Tinubu are lopsided because they favoured mainly Yorubas and Christians. He advised the president to ensure balance in coming appointments. 

The full text reads:

“We are shocked to our marrows that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been appointing Christians and Yorubas mainly to key positions since the inception of this administration at the expense of Muslims. For instance, five out of eight security chiefs appointed earlier are Christians. Ministerial posts have not been different.

“All five key appointments made by President Tinubu to revive the economy were given to Christians and Yorubas mainly. These new appointees include the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the newly nominated CBN Governor, Dr. Michael Cardoso, Hon. Zacch Adedeji; Acting Chairman, FIRS; the Chairman, Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele and Mr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser on Economic Affairs.

“Many competent Muslims who campaigned and voted for Muslim-Muslim ticket during the presidential election were ignored. It is interesting to note that some of those Muslims are eminently qualified to hold key political offices since there are professors, engineers, medical doctors and holders of doctorate degrees among them.

“To add salt to injury, one of the best Muslim ministerial nominees, the man who championed the Muslim-Muslim ticket and mobilised the whole North behind Asiwaju, has been jettisoned. Also, Professor Ali Isa Pantami, who took the communication and digital economy to enviable heights during the last administration, was ignored. Where, then, is our Muslim president taking Nigerian Muslims?

“MURIC rejects this trending narrative that makes competence the raison d’etre for concentrating appointments in any particular tribe, religion or group. Government’s tentacles should be spread nationwide in the search for competence. Neither should the need for skills be used as a cover for the marginalisation of some sections of Nigeria. 

“We assert clearly, emphatically and unequivocally that competence is not the monopoly of any tribe, faith or group. Talented Nigerians are to be found everywhere if sincere searches are conducted. 

“Besides, government should take the lion share of the blame if competent hands cannot be found in any section, creed or group for certain assignments. It means the government has not, ab initio, allowed educational and training facilities to be fairly and evenly distributed, or that the government has failed to consciously integrate all segments of the Nigerian society. All sectors must therefore have equal opportunities to participate in governance.

“This regime must be wary of allegation of nepotism, which the previous regime was accused of. Nigeria is a vast country with talented men and women in all nooks and crannies. The government must not just pick the low-hanging skills or those on the water surface. It must send its underwater swimmers to dive below the surface in order to bring the gems to dry land.

“Our message to President Tinubu is this (and we want the president’s handlers to take this to him) the cacophony of voices of dissatisfied Muslims has reached an unbearable crescendo such that MURIC is now constrained to speak up. People are complaining, particularly Muslims from the North and South West, and they can only be ignored at the risk of foregoing 2027. 

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our Muslim brother, but that should not stop us from criticising him if he does the wrong thing. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Help your brother when he is wronged and even when he is wrong…”

“Traceable as well as well-known authors on social media are exchanging lopsided lists either tilted in favour of Christians who did not vote for the Muslim-Muslim ticket or in favour of Yorubas only. Such lists raise questions of nepotism and that of marginalisation of the same Muslims who stood behind Asiwaju and voted massively for him. 

The pervading hunger everywhere in the land may force some regions to seek a pound of flesh in 2027 if they are denied political appointments where it matters. In particular, President Tinubu should ensure that the North, which was his strategic ally in the 2023 presidential election, is not stinted of political appointments. Otherwise, he will destroy the thin veneer of solidarity which currently exists between the North and the South West.

“We remind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that all regions, faiths and sections deserve political appointments. The Tinubu administration must not be the exclusive preserve of the Yorubas at the expense of other tribes, nor the monopoly of Rome at the expense of Madinah. No region must be sentenced to hunger, starvation and political isolation. 

“Tinubu’s next appointments must see a shift in body language. All regions, faiths and sections must benefit from political appointments made by this government, while no ethnic group or faith is seen to be favoured above others.

“Meanwhile, we in MURIC accept full responsibility for the dilemma facing Nigerian Muslims as their Muslim-Muslim ticket has turned into a ‘Christian majority government’. We admit being in the forefront of the campaign for a Yoruba Muslim presidency which has become a bone in the throat of Yoruba Muslims in particular and Nigerian Muslims in general. 

“With heavy hearts, we tender unreserved apology, first, to the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for what we led him to even though he showed no interest at the beginning, and to other Nigerian Muslims, particularly those who have been accusing us of misleading them. 

By Huzaifa Dokaji

When people reflect on the fall of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1903, they often conjure up images of British soldiers armed with the formidable Maxim gun on the left, juxtaposed with local inhabitants wielding swords, bows, and arrows on the right, fervently chanting “Allahu akbar.” Unfortunately, this portrayal does not align with historical reality. The foot soldiers were mainly Africans, while Europeans primarily served as commanders and strategists rather than frontline combatants. The bulk of the invading forces were drawn from previously subjugated regions, frequently comprising individuals from the target community itself.

As demonstrated by Philip Afaedie’s PhD thesis, The Hidden Hand of Overrule: Political Agents and the Establishment of British Colonial Rule in Northern Nigeria, 1886–1914, individuals such as Adamu Jakada established their reputations and livelihoods by providing valuable intelligence to European forces. In the case of Kano, for instance, Ciroman Kano Abdu Lele, the son of Emir Kano Tukur (reigned 1893–1895), supported the British invasion in exchange for their promise to restore him to the Kano throne, which his family had lost after the Kano Civil War (1893–1895), known as the Basasa (of course they didn’t honour the agreement after the war!). Others, driven by diverse motivations, also aligned themselves with the British cause.

As recounted by Baba of Karo to Mary Smith (see Baba of Karo: A Woman of the Hausa Muslim), people in rural areas, fed up with pervasive political and social corruption, celebrated colonial conquest with a popular song, “Nasara kun dade ba ku zo ba”. The Resident of Kano also noted in an intelligence report to the British acting High Commissioner on July 9th, 1903, that the peasantry embraced British conquest due to their deep-seated resentment towards their rulers. “Nasara kun dade ba ku zo ba” carries more profound implications than its composers may have intended. Scholars like Murray Last (1967), Rudolph Ware (2014) and Paul Lovejoy (2016), along with others, have shown us how and why the Sokoto Jihad was one of the most important political and social revolutions of the 19th century, thanks to the egalitarian nature of its goals. However, Nasara kun dade ba ku zo ba demonstrates how such ideals were lost by the closing decade of the century, prompting common people to seek refuge in the hands of Christians. Nevertheless, the intellectual class remained committed to their quest for an egalitarian society through the Islamic ideological vehicle.

M.S. Umar’s seminal work, Islam and Colonialism: Intellectual Responses of Muslims of Northern Nigeria to British Colonial Rule, has powerfully shown us how such intellectuals reacted to British colonial conquest and the various strategies they adopted to challenge it. They saw it as temporary—God’s wrath upon an erring community. Defining the conquest as a temporary setback, the grand vizier of the Sokoto Caliphate equated it to the shaving of a beard.

In his poems titled Nuzhah and Intisaf, Sheikh Yahya an-Naffakh (b. 1898 and known as Malam) described the British conquest as the ‘triumph of absurdity’ caused by scholars who have replaced ‘the humility of Knowledge with the stupidity of ignorance’ and rulers who have exchanged ‘the wisdom of governance with the arrogance of past glory’. Malam himself came from a family that was a victim of such crass anarchy. The winning side of the Kano Civil War imprisoned his father, who was a legitimist. A young Malam secured his release by writing a petition to the Resident of Kano, Mr. Palmer, advocating against the unjust imprisonment.

Although oral traditions suggest that Dan Fodio prophesied the fall of the Caliphate to European Christians, it is more plausible that news of their encroachment reached Sokoto through traders and pilgrims travelling the trans-Saharan trade routes, ultimately reaching Mecca. For instance, in the early 19th century, the influential Lagos trader Madam Tinubu sent a letter to the Caliph of Sokoto, Bello dan Fodio, informing him of European activities along the coast. Furthermore, Paul Lovejoy’s research on Umar el-Fellati reveals that Fellati witnessed the British occupation of Egypt in 1882 and even acted as a double agent, providing the British with information about the Caliphate while simultaneously reporting on British activities in Northern Africa.

Huzaifa Dokaji is a PhD student and teaching assistant at the Department of History, State University of New York at Sony Brook. He can be reached via huzaifa.dokaji@stonybrook.edu.

By Baba Isa

While reviewing my collection of photographs, I stumbled upon a significant historical image that reminded me of a momentous event during a public lecture in Sudan. It was during this event that distinguished figures such as Prof. Salisu Shehu, Prof. Sagagi, and Prof. Maqari embarked on a special joint visit to Sudan some years ago. Their visit aimed to understand the exceptional approach Sudanese institutions took in providing training to Nigerian students on their soil, enabling them to return to Nigeria as productive individuals.

During this lecture, Prof. Salisu Shehu said, “The educational experience for Nigerian students in Sudan extended beyond academic excellence. These students, who received education in diverse fields, also imbibed qualities of respect, commendable attitudes towards their communities, and a sense of understanding towards various religious doctrines. This was different to their counterparts studying in different foreign nations.

Prof. Added that the Nigerian Sudan-educated students exhibited unmatched expertise and skills compared to their counterparts in Nigeria. Therefore, the Council of Ulama of Nigeria felt compelled to delegate us to come to Sudan and delve deeper into brief research and learn more about strategies employed by Sudanese institutions and their communities to empower these students. So that we can take back reports to Nigeria and put it into practice”.

The lecture was delivered at the International University of Africa (Indimi Hall) during this insightful visit, and I captured the picture.

Regrettably, the Sudan we love, the Sudan we learn from and once held in high esteem, an exemplar of a hygienic educational environment, now stands ravaged by conflict. It’s disheartening that we have not extended a helping hand to a nation from which we have drawn knowledge and inspiration. Sudan, which significantly contributed to the growth and development of our region through its educational support (like its massive Scholarship scheme to everyone in any course without exception)and enlightened Islamic scholars, medical doctors and other professionals, remains in dire need of our attention, prayers, and support.

Northern Nigeria has encountered setbacks in the realm of girls’ education. In the past, we lamented the shortage of female doctors, resulting in inadequate female doctors in healthcare for women in our hospitals. Our parents in the Northern region were hesitant to enrol our sisters in local institutions, let alone consider overseas education, given concerns about religious beliefs, cultural norms and environmental disparities.

These barriers hindered the prospect of sending our sisters abroad for education. This predicament led us to lag in conventional education and the attainment of female medical doctors. Recently, a positive shift has occurred as our parents have become more receptive to sending our sisters to study medicine and various other disciplines, especially in Sudan, due to the conducive educational environment and Islamically oriented. However, it is disheartening to note that challenges mar the current situation in Sudan.

The aftermath of the evacuation of Nigerian students from Sudan – more than 2000 – medical students, primarily females from the north- has left us searching for alternatives that can provide the same nurturing educational environment. Regrettably, no such choice has presented itself, leaving us feeling powerless.

Recent events have highlighted the impactful role that Northern Nigerian scholars have played in resolving crises, as evidenced by their intervention in the unrest following a coup in Niger. Drawing from this, I earnestly beseech our esteemed Northern scholars to extend their benevolent interventions to Sudan. While Sudan may not be a member of ECOWAS, its historical and cultural ties to us cannot be taken away. Just as we stand by Niger, we must stand by Sudan.

In this challenging time, I humbly implore our esteemed Ulama to exert their influence and restore peace and tranquillity in Sudan. Just as they have done in our region and Niger, their intervention could serve as a beacon of hope for a nation that has been an invaluable contributor to our growth and development.

Pharm. Baba Isa, Former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Sudan.

By Abdulbasid Aliyu Adam

Parents have been reminded of the need to play their parental role in providing qualitative education to their wards to curtail social vices.

Dr Abdullahi Jaji of Aminu Saleh College of Education Azare remarked while presenting a paper themed, the challenges of post-primary Education in Northern Nigeria: the Role of Stakeholders at the closing ceremony of the three-day annual quiz, debate and essay competition organised by MSSN Bauchi State Area Unit.

Dr Jaji, who spoke at length on the challenges of post-primary Education in Northern Nigeria, attributed the menace to the misplacement of priority by the parents. Hence the need for parents to shoulder all the responsibilities of their children’s education described knowledge as the bedrock of every development.

Earlier in his welcome address, the quiz coordinator of MSSN Bauchi state, Dr Muhammad Adamu Hamid, said the program was designed to improve the readiness of Muslim students in Bauchi State to face the Senior Secondary school Certificate Examination to meet world tertiary institution entry requirements in an examination malpractice free environment.

Dr Hamid, a lecturer with the Department of Mass Communication, Pen Resource University Gombe, charged the participants to double their efforts in seeking religious and Western education.

Speaking at the occasion, Amir of the MSSN Bauchi State Area Unit, Dr Rabi’u Barau Mball, applauded the efforts of the host communities for their job well done and urged the relevant authorities to continuously support the activities of MSSN at all levels for the speedy development of education and the state at large.

Dr Barau Mball, a lecturer with the Department of Sociology, Bauchi State University Gadau, used the medium and informed the public that the leadership of the society would host the 2023 National Islamic Vocation Course (IVC) hence the need for government support and all the sister agencies.

In their separate remarks at the occasion, Hon. Ahmed Mai Kudi Yaya, a member representing the Misau constituency in the State Assembly and Hajiya Bahijja Auwal Babaji, deputy chairman of Giade Local Government as well as the District Head of Giade represented by the Galadiman Giade, commended the state leadership of MSSN for organising the August, events and prayed for its sustenance.

The program, which draws participants from SS one and two of all secondary schools across the twenty local governments of the state, held at the Government Science Secondary school Giade, declared Katagum local government as the overall best, followed by Bauchi and Toro as Second and third, respectively.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

As the failure of the Senate to confirm the ministerial nomination of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, continues to generate controversy, an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save the North-West alliance which gave him victory at the polls by ensuring that El-Rufai gets the ministerial appointment.

MURIC made its stand known on Sunday, 13th August 2023, after an emergency meeting of its Central Think Tank (CTT) held in the evening of the previous day. A statement signed by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, after the meeting reads: 

“The Central Think Tank (CTT) of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) met yesterday to consider the circumstances surrounding the failure of the Senate to confirm the nomination of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as a minister. 

“CTT considered the issue a major setback to the North-West alliance which gave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu victory during the 2023 presidential election. Furthermore, CTT regards the non-confirmation of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination as a big threat to future alliance between the North and the South-West. The North may not hobnob with the South-West again if the champion of the North-South alliance is shabbily treated.  

“CTT also noted the huge contribution of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who persuaded the Northern political elite, particularly the twelve Northern governors, to allow power to go to the South. It was observed that the monumental power shift of 2023 was a fulfilment of a 2019 agreement. It was therefore an act of honour while El-Rufai is seen as the icon of Northern integrity. 

“CTT affirms clearly, emphatically and unequivocally that it behoves the South as represented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reciprocate the North’s noble stand by walking his talk, particularly his open offer and public invitation to Mallam El-Rufai to join his cabinet. The story of Tinubu’s invitation to El-Rufai to join his cabinet is already public knowledge.

“It has become necessary to jog the President’s medulla oblongata today because the North has exhibited integrity by keeping its promise on power shift to the South. It therefore behoves the South to reciprocate, to manifest decorum, decency and dignity, particularly with the ‘Omoluabi virtue’ for which the Yoruba are well known.

“Tinubu has a duty to protect the good name of the Yoruba people in particular and the whole South in general. Besides, a promise is a promise in Islam and Tinubu is a Muslim. Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an ‘And fulfill the promise, surely (every) promise shall be questioned about.’ (Qur’an 17:34). Allah also said, ‘O you who believe! Fulfill your pledges.’ (Qur’an 5:1).

“The good relationship and the bond between the North and the South-West must not be allowed to break. 2027 is around the corner. Even 2031 is already knocking and politicians are already doing their calculations. The North supported Tinubu because they found him to be credible. He must not do anything capable of diminishing that credibility.

“El-Rufai is the gem of the collection and everybody knows it. He is a performer. He is cerebral, iconic. If it is true that the president himself already hinted El-Rufai to set the machinery in motion for the energy sector, the president is morally bound to walk his talk regardless of all other encumberances. 

“Records show that there are precedents. Festus Keyamo was cleared in spite of Senate’s earlier objection. Something made Senate change its mind. Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo got this same El-Rufai cleared despite Senate’s opposition in 2004. El-Rufai withdrew having read between the lines. He will still do it for the sake of Nigeria if the president’s body language conforms.

“Criminality, dishonesty, fraud, impunity, lack of patriotism and other Nigerian problems spring from a wrong mindset. They will all disappear or at least be reduced to the barest minimum if the leadership sets the pace. Islamic scholars North and South who nurtured the North-South alliance are watching. All men and women of conscience are keeping vigil. Nigeria holds its breath and shivers. The buck stops at Mr. President’s table.”