Muslims

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The University of the Holy Qur’an and Taseel of Sciences of the Republic of Sudan awarded Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and renowned Islamic cleric, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), with an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Qur’anic Science.

While the Honourable Minister was awarded in May 2021, he received the award certificate and shared the same on social media only recently.

According to the official social media handles of the Minister, he was the first person in sub-Saharan Africa to receive the award. The statement, in part, reads:

“With the exemption of North Africa, he was the first African to receive the recognition on the Glorious Qur’an.”

During Ramadan, Sheikh Pantami delivers Tafsir at the Annur Masjid in the Nigerian capital, FCT Abuja. He also holds other preaching sessions outside the Holy Month at the same mosque or elsewhere.

By Salim Samaila Marafa

It was like yesterday, The crescent of Ramadan was sighted, and we started fasting. But here we are today, with a few days to Eid-el-Fitr. Indeed, the speed at which time flies is amazingly alarming.

Among God’s creatures, time is an independent creature that exists without hinging on anything. It flies without waiting. It comes and goes without notification, so you either learn how to manage it or fall victim to “lack of time.”

Time is an undefeated warrior. It saw the rising and falling of great heroes and significant events and memorable moments. But, It put all of them in the bin of history. That’s all. The only warriors who can defeat time are those who know how to use it well. Therefore, we should learn how to use and manage our time to our advantage before it shows its habit of slipping away without notice. Since our time is limited and our days are numbered.

Ramadan is the month’s name in the Islamic calendar, while the month is a small portion of the time. Therefore, we should use this time, Ramadan, wisely, positively and to our advantage.

Ramadan is Islamically considered a holy month of blessings and Allah’s abundance of mercy. Our beloved prophet (pbuh) even narrated that during Ramadan, Satan is chained, doors of hell fire are closed, and those of paradise are widely opened.

Also, Ramadan is Islamically considered a glorious period during which Allah spreads the mat of his forgiveness to his servant. So, as we are observing the fasting of day 18 today, skip reading this reminder and ask yourself this question “From day one of this month up to date, what did I do that can earn me Allah’s  forgiveness and blessing.” 

If the answer to the above question is ” I did this and that”, it is okay, but not enough. Redouble your effort within these few remaining eleven or twelve days. To have more blessings in your possession.

 However, if the answer to the above question is ” I did not do anything good,” then this is where your problem started. But don’t panic; you are not that too late. You still have 11 days ahead of you; you can turn over a new leaf before it’s over and be forgiven by Allah the almighty.

What should I do to be forgiven and blessed by Allah? 

This is a good question we should all ask ourselves. There are uncountable positive things one can do to earn Allah’s forgiveness in this holy month of Ramadan. 

First, take your Qur’an, open it with good intentions and read as many verses and chapters as possible. Remember, every alphabet (harafi) of the holy Qur’an attracts ten rewards when you read it in the sacred month of Ramadan due to the holiness and glory of the month. So, if you. You can read two chapters daily, meaning you can read the Qur’an before the month slip away.

Secondly, help those needy people around you. Give out voluntary charity (sadaqah) to those who deserve it. Allah will surely reward you and forgive you for it long as you did it for His sake.

Thirdly, do you have parents alive?

If yes, be obedient to them, and show a kind gesture towards them. Allah loves those who love and take care of their parents. If your parents are no more, Don’t worry, do what you should have done to them, to their friends and to old people in your neighbourhood.

And to your dead parents, ask Allah’s forgiveness and mercy for them whenever you observe a prayer or any act of ibadat. This is another way you can get Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.

When night spreads darkness over the world, don’t just sleep from A to Z. Wake up when night ages, perform ablution, observe at least two rakat Voluntary prayer ( salat) and ask Allah whatever you wish. The night is a special period during which Allah accepts the prayers of his servants.

Remember, you can do many other things to get Allah’s forgiveness and blessings, which I did not mention here. Just Do them. This is a Ramadan reminder from your brother in Islam. Have a good Reading.

May Allah accept our fasting, prayers and every act of ibadat. And may He count us among those He forgives in this holy month of Ramadan.

Salim Samaila Marafa wrote via salimsamailamarafa82@gmail.com.

By Abubakar Suleiman

The Holy month of Ramadan is the month wherein the glorious Qur’an was revealed; hence, virtually all practising Muslims worldwide are occupied by its recitation while they ponder its meanings.

Ramadan in Northern Nigeria is greeted with Tafsir sessions, that is, the exegesis of the glorious Qur’an by different Islamic clerics or scholars. Many of these sessions are aired on television, radio and sometimes live on Facebook and other social media platforms.

However, during this period, controversies are unfortunately never in short supply among the Muslim Ummah as scholars from different sects or strands in a sect reel out interpretations of some verses. Scholars who consider some of these interpretations as skewed or deliberate distortions of the intended meaning of those verses dish out rejoinders.

Therefore, rebuttals and counter-rebuttals are being voiced out from pulpits. Followers of these scholars, too, take to their keyboards and engage in online arguments or knowledge exchanges. Unfortunately, sometimes these arguments are not without ad hominem. And if one is not careful, the essence of Ramadan, a month wherein Muslim faithful devote a considerable part of their time to acts of worship, repentance and seeking Allah’s forgiveness, would be lost amidst fierce arguments on religious matters.

Despite being dead 16 years ago, people usually comb the archives to unearth Shaykh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam’s explanation or exegesis on trendy religious arguments. And often, the resurfaced audio or video clips serve as an arbiter or at least give clarity to the subject matter. Late Shaykh Ja’afar is that blessed.

This morning, I stumbled upon a video clip of the erudite scholar, Late Shaykh Ja’afar, wherein he elucidated the value of constructive argument as he gave the exegesis from the glorious Qur’an. The clip reminded me of my distant encounters with the blessed teacher.

Whenever I was in Kano state while he was alive, I would leave my relatives’ residence in the ancient city just to go listen to his sermon in his Jummuat mosque in Dorayi. After observing the Friday prayers, I would also rush to the mosque in Gadon Kaya and book a place with a praying mat for the Tafsir session that would take place in the evening after Magrib. After quenching my thirst for new knowledge on that day, I always look forward to the following Friday with eagerness and glee.

Far away from Kano, I always stayed glued to the radio with my pen and note to write maxims from Usuul Fiqh, Qawaa’idu At-tafsir, and many poems. I memorised many religious diktats from the late Shaykh long before I eventually came across them in books during my tutelage.

There are arguably many Islamic scholars who are more learned than him in the North, but he is arguably the most eloquent and knowledgeable when it comes to the exegesis of the glorious Qur’an. In addition, his unique style of translating the Qur’an with the Qur’an – the flawless and effortless ability to quote various verses relating to a verse under discussion – endeared him to many.

Plus, his didactic prowess and eloquent delivery are also laced with authentic prophetic traditions as understood by the companions of prophet Muhammad (SAW), who lived with him and were present when the revelation of the glorious Qur’an was taking place.

His telling and bold voice reverberate with powerful and meaningful Islamic knowledge. Furthermore, his ability to decompose complex religious issues into lucid tidbits made him phenomenal and outstanding. 

Despite these qualities, he is not without flaws, but Allah has blessed him with the humility to succumb to superior arguments and even own up to mistakes. He never hesitates publicly, acknowledging his errors, wrong perception, or explanation of a religious topic. It is normal to hear him say my explanation on so and so matter yesterday was not completely accurate, and here’s the correct explanation for it. This humble attribute is not very common among many religious clerics.

I was still carrying the pains of my mother’s death when the Shaykh was assassinated. My mother died six months earlier. However, the news of his assassination sent shivers down my spine. On that very day, knowledge was buried, wisdom was dwarfed and eloquence in didactic prowess nosedived. We seek solace in the fact that his legacies live on in the students he has groomed and his documented audio and video.

May Allah accept his martyrdom and grant him the highest stations in Jannatul Firdaus, amin.

Abubakar Suleiman writes from Kaduna and can be reached via abusuleiman06@yahoo.com. 

By Lamara Garba Azare

A chieftain of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State and former Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), Dr Abdullahi Baffa Bichi has distributed essential commodities worth millions of Naira to the needy as part of a humanitarian gesture to ease the suffering of the populace.

The items, which include rice, cooking oil, noodles and other commodities estimated at several hundreds of millions of Naira.

Interestingly, the commodity was given across the board irrespective of the party affiliations of the beneficiaries.

Those who benefitted from the gesture prayed to Allah to reward him abundantly.

A widow with 7 children who said she travelled from a far distance to come and collect the gesture burst into tears of joy when she was given 25kg of rice, noodle and cooking oil, saying the last time she saw rice was about a year ago.

“We have no words to thank Dr Bichi. If he had known how happy we are now, certainly, he would further understand the suffering of many of us. To be frank with you, the last time I cooked rice in my house was a year ago when I was passing by the Kabuga area, and I saw a large crowd of women going inside BUK quarters to collect food items. I joined them, and luckily I was given too.”

The coordinator of the distribution exercise, Honourable Ghali Mu’azu, said several thousands of people male and female from across the state have benefited from the gesture.

According to him, this gesture had been instituted by Dr Bichi for a long period of time, spanning over two decades, and priority was given to the elderly and those with physical challenge cutting across all strata of people.

“We gave out to every lucky person irrespective of his political leaning. Ours is to touch humanity by giving it to the needy among the populace,” he said.

Mr Ghali commended the compassionate attitude and benevolence of Dr Bichi, who he described as kind-hearted and a man with a big heart.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The Bauchi State Government has suspended the much-awaited debate between a controversial cleric, Dr Idris Abdulaziz Dutsen Tanshi, and other scholars who tagged his recent comments about “seeking humanly impossible” help from Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as inappropriate.
 
The suspension, according to the state’s Sharia Commission, is until further notice.

Recall that during a Ramadan Tafsir session, Dutsen Tanshi was quoted as saying, “We don’t need help from Inyass; we don’t need help from Tijjanni; we don’t need help from Abdulqadiri; we don’t need help from Shehu Usman. In fact, even from the Prophet. That’s the end of it.

“Whose help do we need? Allah. It’s left to them to twist my words. The Prophet himself said, ‘If you need help, seek help from Allah.'”

Consequently, in a letter the Bauchi State Shari’a Commission sent to the cleric late yesterday night, it says, “I am directed to write and formally inform you of the reschedule[d] date of the interactive session earlier slated for Saturday, 8th April 2023.

“That the new date will be communicated to you accordingly, please.” 

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

It happened 40 years ago. A friend’s wife in Kano had delivered a bouncing baby boy. My friend chose Maikuɗi as the name for the baby. The families on both sides were having none of this. Maikuɗi was not a name, they argued. But he saw nothing wrong with it – a nice traditional Hausa name. He was adamant. They were adamant. Cue in A Mexican Standoff.

Three days before the naming ceremony, he blinked first and apparently gave up. With a glint in his eyes, he decided to name the child Ibrahim. A beautiful Hebrew name but cognately shared by both Muslims and Christians (from Abraham, the father of all). Everyone was happy – until it dawned on everyone that Ibrahim was the name of my friend’s father-in-law. Tricky. In Hausa societies, the names of parents are never uttered. In the end, everyone ended up calling the boy Maikuɗi! Right now, the boy is a successful international businessman living in the Middle East. Earning serious cash and living up to his name – which means one born on a lucky day. Or Tuesday.

A few years later, the same friend’s wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. He decided to name her Tabawa. Objections reloaded. Cue in Dog Day Afternoon. As previously, my friend blinked first. He decided to name her Hajara, another cognate of Hagar, the wife of Abraham. It also happened to be the name of his eldest sister. His mother could not utter it – both the Hausa and Fulani system of cultural relations prohibit mothers from calling the names of their first series of children. In the end, everyone ended up calling the child Tabawa. She is currently a university lecturer and a doctoral student in Nigeria. Living up to her name – which means Mother luck, or the name given to one born on Wednesday (in Kano; in Katsina, it is Tuesday) is considered a lucky day. Two children, both lucky in their lives. Their traditional Hausa names became their mascots as they glided successfully through life.

So, why the aversion to Hausa ‘traditional’ names? You can’t name your child Maikuɗi, but everyone will applaud Yasar (wealthy – mai kuɗi?). Or Kamal (perfection). Or Fahad (panther). Or Anwar (bright). Or Fawaz (winner). You can’t name your daughter Tabawa, but it is more acceptable to call her Mahjuba (covered). Or Samira (night conversationist –TikToker?). Name your daughter ‘Dare’, and you are in trouble. Change it to Leila, and you out of it, even though this is an Arabic for ‘dare’ (night).

A lot of the names the Muslim Hausa currently use have nothing to do with Islam. Bearers of such names rarely know their actual meaning or context. They were Arabic and forced on us by the Cancel Culture that attaches a derogatory ‘Haɓe’ coefficient to anything traditional to the Hausa.

Therefore, my friend, whose family story I just related, another friend and I decided to get together and be Wokish about traditional Hausa names. Paradoxically, none of us is genetically Hausa (whatever that might mean) – one had roots in north Africa, another had Kanuri heritage, and one had Agadesian and Torodbe roots – but all of us self-identified, with absolute honour and tenacity, as Hausa. None of this ‘Hausa-Fulani’ aberrational nonsense.

‘Hausa-Fulani’ appellation, in my view, is a Nigerian Cancel Culture device to suppress the Fulani culture. The Fulani may have conquered the ruling of the Hausa (except in one or two places) and imposed their rule. The Hausa, on the other hand, have linguistically conquered the Fulani. In Kano, claiming Fulani heritage is considered anthropological purity – without knowing a single word of Fulfulde (the Fulani language). Substituting rulers does not get rid of the general populace who remain what they are.

The third friend then took the task with gusto. He spent over ten years compiling authentic traditional Hausa names that have absolutely nothing to do with ‘Maguzanci’ (the label gleefully and contemptuously attached to any Hausa who is not a Muslim by the Hausa themselves) before Islam in about 1349, at least in Kano). He also collected names that had only a tinge connection to Islam. The end product was a hitherto unpublished list of 1001 authentic, genuine, traditional Hausa names that reflect the cosmology of the Hausa.

Hausa’s anthropological cosmology reflects the worldview and belief system of the Hausa community based upon their understanding of order in the universe. It is reflected in their naming system – just like any other culture. The Yoruba Muslims, for the most part, have retained this attachment to their traditional cosmology. Farooq Kperogi has done wonderful work on Yoruba naming, although with a focus on their adaptation of Muslim names. The failure of the Hausa to do so was, of course, due to the suffocating blanket of Cancel Culture that the Hausa had been suffering for almost 229 years.

Now, let’s look at the names and their categories. The first category I created from the 1001 Names, which I edited, revolved around Being, Sickness and Death. As noted earlier, the traditional Hausa centre their naming conventions on ecological and cosmological observations—using time, space and seasons to mark their births. Based on this, the first naming convention uses circumstances of birth. This category of names refers to the arrival of a child after another child’s death, the death of a parent, the sickness of the child immediately after being born or a simple structure of the child that seems out of the ordinary. Examples include:

Abarshi. This is derived from the expression, ‘Allah Ya bar shi’[May Allah make him survive]. A male child was born after a series of miscarriages. A female child is named Abarta. A protectionist naming strategy is where the child is not given full loving attention after birth until even evil spirits note this and ignore it and thus let him be. Variants include Mantau, Ajefas, Barmani, Ajuji, and Barau. Now you know the meaning of Hajiya Sa’adatu ‘Barmani’ Choge’s name – the late famous Hausa griotte from Katsina (1948-2013).

Then there is Shekarau, derived from ‘shekara’, a year. A male child is born after an unusually long period of gestation in the mother’s womb. A variant of this name is Ɓoyi [hide/hidden]. A female child is named Shekara. Now you know the meaning of the surname of Distinguished Senator Malam Ibrahim Shekarau from Kano.

A third example is Tanko. This is a child born after three female children. Variants include Gudaji, Tankari, Yuguda/Iguda/Guda. I am sure you know the famous Muhammed Gudaji Kazaure, a Member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria and his media presence in late 2022.

Each of these sampled names reflects a philosophical worldview, reflecting spiritual resignation or slight humour. They, therefore, encode the traditional Hausa perspective of living and dying as inscribed in the way they name their children.

Names that even the contemporary Hausa avoid because of bad collective memory are those linked to wealth and being owned or slavery.

Slaves have prominently featured in the political and social structure of the traditional Hausa societies, especially in the old commercial emirates of Kano, Zaria, Daura and Katsina. Their roles are clearly defined along socially accepted norms, and they are expected to perform given assignments demanded by their masters.

Slaves in Kano are divided into two: domestic and farm-collective. Trusted and, therefore, domesticated slaves are mainly found in ruling houses and are prized because of their loyalty to the title holder. Farmyard slaves were often captured during raids or wars and were not trusted because of the possibility of escape. They were usually owned by wealthy merchants or farmers and were put to work mainly on farms

Although the institution of slavery as then practised has been eliminated in traditional Hausa societies, the main emirate ruling houses still retain vestiges of inherited slave ownership, reflected even in the categorisation of the slaves. For instance, in Kano, royal slaves were distinguished between first-generation slaves (bayi) and those born into slavery (cucanawa).

At the height of slave raids and ownership, particularly when owning a slave was an indication of wealth, the names of the slaves often reflected the status of the owner. Examples of these names include Nasamu (given to the first slave owned by a young man determined to become a wealthy man), Arziki (first female slave owned by a man), Nagode (female slave given away to a person as a gift), Baba da Rai (first gift of a male slave to a son by his father), Dangana (male slave of a latter-day successful farmer or trader, although later given also to a child whose elder siblings all died in infancy. The female slave variant is Nadogara), and Baubawa (slaves with a different faith from the owner), amongst others.

The changing political economy of Hausa societies since the coming of colonialism has created new social dynamics, which included the outward banning of slavery. Thus, many of the names associated with slaves and ‘being-owned’ in traditional Hausa societies became disused, unfashionable, or, which is more probable, to be used without any idea of their original meaning. It is thought that some records of them may be of value. An example is ‘Anini’, usually a slave name but later used to refer to a child born with tiny limbs. The ‘smallness’ is also reflected in the fact that ‘anini’ was a coin in the Nigerian economy, usually 1/10th of a penny—a bit like the small Indian copper coin, ‘dam’ (from which the English language got ‘damn’, as in ‘I don’t give a damn’).

Further, with the coming of Islam, slave names were eased out and replaced by conventional Muslim names as dictated by Islam, Retained, however, are slave names that also served as descriptors of the functions of the slave, even in contemporary ruling houses. Examples of these slave titles, which are rarely used outside of the places, include:

Shamaki (looks after the king’s horses and serves as an overseer of the slaves), Ɗan Rimi (King’s top slave official and looks after all weapons), Sallama (King’s bosom friend [usually a eunuch], same role as Abin Faɗa), Kasheka shares the household supplies to king’s wives [usually a eunuch], Babban Zagi (a runner in front of the king), Jarmai (the head of an army), Kilishi (prepares sitting place for the king), amongst others. These names are almost exclusively restricted to the palace and rarely used outside its confines. Cases of nicknames of individuals bearing these names remain just that but had no official connotation outside of the palace.

The coming of Islam to Hausaland in about the 13th century altered the way traditional Hausa named their children and created the second category of Hausa beside the first ‘traditional’ ones. This second category became the Muslim Hausa, which abandoned all cultural activities associated with the traditional Hausa beliefs. This was not an overnight process. However, taking it as it does, centuries. Even then, a significant portion of Muslim Hausa material culture remains the same as for traditional Hausa. The point of departure is in religious or community practices, which for the Muslim Hausa, are guided by tenets of Islam.

Affected at this point of departure is naming conventions. This is more so because Islam encourages adherents to give their children good meaningful names. These names must, therefore, not reflect anything that counters the fundamental faith of the bearer or reflect a revert to a pre-Islamic period in the lives of the individuals.

However, while predominantly accepting Muslim names, traditional Hausa parents have domesticated some of the names to the contours of their language. For instance, Guruza (Ahmad), Da’u (Dawud), Gagare (Abubakar), Auwa (Hauwa), Daso (Maryam), Babuga (Umar), Ilu (Isma’il), amongst others.

So, here you are. If you are looking for an authentic, ‘clean’ traditional Hausa name or trying to understand your friend’s traditional Hausa name (or even yours), you are welcome to 1001 Traditional Hausa names.

The list is divided into two. The first contains 869 authentic traditional Hausa names. The second contains 132 Arabic/Islamic that the Hausa have somehow domesticated to their linguistic anthropology.

The file is available at https://bit.ly/42HJl97.

By Ahmed Deedate Zakaria

Madinan-educated Professor of Islamic Law, Prof. Arsalan Muhammad, has distributed 40 bags of foreign rice to his students. 

On Tuesday, Professor Arsalan, who is reputed for his generosity, donated 40 bags of rice to the 400-level students of the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. 

The beneficiaries organised themselves into groups to receive the professor’s rare act of kindness. 

The Daily Reality gathered that all interested students got the rice irrespective of their faith.

Professor Arsalan is known for his generosity and always reaches out to outstanding students with textbooks, handouts and even money.

Below is a brief biography of Professor Arsalan Muhammad:

Professor Muhammad Arsalan was born in 1968. He attended several local Quranic schools between 1973 to 1983. Arsalan started his formal education in 1983, got admission into Jama’atu College of Arabic Studies Zaria and graduated in 1987. He then proceeded to Bayero University Kano, where he obtained his Diploma between 1987-1990.

Muhammad Arsalan travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and got admission into the Faculty of Sharia, Islamic University Madina and graduated in 1995 and returned to Nigeria immediately and served his NYSC in 1996. 

Muhammad Arsalan got admission for his LL.M. and appointment as a Graduate Assistant in the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, in 1996 and graduated in 2000 and proceeded to his PhD in 2001 and graduated in 2009. 

Arsalan was promoted to the rank of Lecturer 2 upon his successful completion of his LL.M in 2000 and promoted to the rank of Lecturer 1 in 2005, and to the rank of Senior Lecturer in 2009, he was also promoted to the rank of Reader/Associate Professor in 2012 and finally promoted to the rank of Professor in 2015.

By Usman Muhammad Salihu.

Religion has been a part of Nigeria’s political landscape for decades. The country has a diverse population with multiple religions, such as Christianity, Islam, and traditional faiths.

The influence of religion on Nigerian politics cannot be overemphasised, as it plays a significant role in shaping political decisions and outcomes. However, the involvement of religion in politics in Nigeria has come with both positive and negative consequences.

One of the positive consequences of involving religion in Nigeria’s politics is the promotion of moral values. Religion teaches moral values such as honesty, integrity, and justice, which are crucial for a stable and just society. Religious leaders can use their platforms to advocate for these values and hold politicians accountable for their actions. Additionally, religion can inspire people to participate in politics and contribute to the development of their communities.

On the other hand, the involvement of religion in Nigeria’s politics has also led to negative consequences. One of the most significant adverse consequences is the proliferation of religious extremism and intolerance. The politicisation of religion has fuelled religious conflicts and violence, leading to the loss of lives and property. The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, is an example of the consequences of religious extremism in Nigeria.

Another negative consequence of involving religion in Nigeria’s politics is the erosion of the country’s secularism. Nigeria is a secular state, but the involvement of religion in politics has led to the blurring of lines between religion and state. This has resulted in the adoption of policies that favour one religion over the other and the exclusion of minorities from political processes.

Furthermore, the involvement of religion in politics has also resulted in the emergence of religious leaders as political power brokers. This has led to the entrenchment of corruption in the political system, as religious leaders often use their positions to secure political appointments and contracts for their followers.

In conclusion, the involvement of religion in Nigeria’s politics has both positive and negative consequences. While religion can promote moral values and inspire people to participate in politics, it can also fuel religious conflicts and lead to the erosion of secularism.

Therefore, it is essential to strike a balance between religion and politics to ensure that the positive consequences of faith are maximised while minimising the negative effects. This can be achieved by promoting interfaith dialogue, adopting policies that promote equality and inclusivity, and establishing effective mechanisms to hold politicians accountable for their actions.

Usman Muhammad Salihu writes from Mass Communication Department, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, Bauchi state. He can be reached via muhammadu5363@gmail.com.

By Dr Shamsuddeen Sani

In a flurry of literary exploration, my daughter recently stumbled upon the book entitled Concubines and Power. Her curiosity was piqued as she asked me to explain the meaning of “concubine”. A seemingly simple inquiry prompted a deep and complex conversation encompassing a broad range of considerations about slavery, including its religious underpinnings and contemporary relevance.

That exchange reignited my intellectual curiosity, leading me to revisit the noteworthy insights presented in Jonathan AC Brown’s seminal work, Slavery and Islam. I was compelled to reflect on and share some of the most insightful revelations from this ground-breaking work.

The book meticulously examines the historical context and practice of slavery within the Islamic tradition, as well as the ways in which Islamic law and theology have addressed the institution of slavery. Brown argues that slavery was ubiquitous throughout much of human history and was not unique to Islam.

However, Brown also acknowledges that slavery played a significant role in the development of Islamic civilisation and that the Islamic legal tradition provided a framework for the regulation of slavery. He offers an insightful and nuanced perspective on this complex issue, providing valuable insights into the intersection of religion and human rights.

Brown’s book highlights a fundamental premise: the Islamic tradition’s nuanced and intricate approach to slavery. On the one hand, Islamic law allowed for the practice of slavery; on the other, it imposed stringent limitations on how slaves could be treated and offered opportunities for manumission. According to Brown, these regulations illustrate a deep-seated concern for the well-being of slaves and a profound appreciation of their inherent human dignity.

At the same time, Brown acknowledges that there were significant abuses of the institution of slavery within Islamic societies. For example, he notes that some Muslim scholars and rulers sought to justify and perpetuate the practice of slavery through a misinterpretation of Islamic teachings and that many slaves were subjected to inhumane treatment.

He argues that while there are certainly instances of slavery and human trafficking that occur in Muslim-majority countries, these practices are not inherently Islamic and are often the result of broader social and economic factors.

By Aisha Musa Auyo 

The current trends of housemaids poisoning their employers are so sickening and scary. It happened countless times, and one can’t escape seeing one or two videos of such heinous acts. From sexual and physical to mental abuse, housemaids and their masters always have these issues in their relationship.

Whenever I encounter such an incident, I wonder why we continue to employ maids or why others leave their homes and work with people they hate. I had maids, and I grew up with maids in our house. But things are different now. People do not fear God. Humanity is lost. From the employee to employers, we are all at fault. 

As much as we agree, the maids are vulnerable and more likely to become victims. Unfortunately, these maids have upped their games, and the family employed them are becoming the victims. I’m not here to tell who is right or wrong, but I know that maids had abused us, taken advantage of our kindness, stolen from us, and deceived us to the extent that we decided we no longer have maids in our home.

Is it easy? No. Is it doable? Yes. We can bring an end to this problem. This issue is almost none existence in developed countries. Regardless of how educated or wealthy you are, cleaning your home is something one takes pride in doing, except for celebrities and rich people who employ the services of cleaning agencies who can hardly be cheated on and are less likely to betray too.

Another advantage of doing your house chore is that it helps you burn calories. Moving your body here and there, doing this and that makes you burn calories, makes you more energetic and more alert. As a result, you gain most of the advantages that come with doing exercise. Researchers have proven that active women around the home are healthier and less likely to be attacked with a certain illness than women who sit and do nothing all day.

As a homemaker, I’ve devised ways to survive without a maid, and with the help of Allah, I’m doing fine, if not great. I don’t have the constant apprehension of trying not to harm another person or be hurt by that person. The peace that comes with this feeling is priceless. 

1. Wake up earlier than others, or simply reduce your sleep hours. You will be surprised what an extra hour will do to make your work faster and your home cleaner. This can be an hour before everyone wakes up or an hour after everyone else sleeps. This will give you undivided attention to do whatever needs to be done.

2. Engage other family members. From your kids to whomever you are living with, allocate an age-appropriate chore to everyone, and ensure they do it. Even if it’s just cleaning up after their mess. A five-year-old can wash their plate and spoon. Can pick up toys, and older than/six years old can change the bedding, bathe themselves, and clean up after using the loo.

3. Clean as you go. From always picking up dirt and cleaning drops with wipes or napkins to washing dishes as you cook and immediately after eating, you will manage to have a clean space almost all the time.

4. Reduce the number of plates for dishing up. All those fancy food flasks, jugs, spoons, forks, saucers, knives, and big trays are not a must. Use only what you need except when you have visitors. I mostly dish up from the pot straight to the plate (there are elegant plating styles to please the eyes) or a plate and a bowl. Fruits could be served or arranged in a big bowl for everyone to eat together. Drinks can be served directly in used water bottles or paper cups, so you can just throw them away after use. 

5. Hire a one-day help at intervals. The point here is to get someone to help you with things you find hard and time-consuming. For example, laundry is my number one weakness, so we employed someone to do this, as the person doesn’t have to go and stay with us to achieve this. You can engage them weekly or bi-weekly, so they can help you with bulk cleaning, like removing the cobwebs, cleaning the compound, brushing sofas and rugs, and doing other deep cleanings that will help keep the house sane throughout the weeks. If this is not an option for you, you can just take the clothes to laundry services, as you will need all the help you can get.

6. The toilets. Depending on the number of people using it, a bathroom should be washed every other day. In between, ensure that every mess is cleaned after usage.

7. Fridges and freezers; the fridge can be cleaned and decluttered once a week, and the freezer can be cleaned once a month, depending on how you shop and cook.

8. Buy machines that will make your work easier. From a washing machine, a strong blender that can blend Tiger nuts and beans, a vacuum, a dishwasher, and many others, depending on your pocket size, you need all the help you can get. This is where your husband comes in. He should know that you made a sacrifice for the safety and sanity of the family, and you need his financial support and understanding.

9. Husbands, we need your support here. You see, all those allowances that should have been used to pay a maid, we need it, in two or three folds. We are the glorified house helps now. We keep the home set and safe. A token will motivate us to do better.

Verbal support is a must. Commend her efforts for taking good care of the homeland and everyone in the family. It’s not easy. I know it’s her duty, but one or two good words won’t hurt, you know?

Still, the husband should try to overlook when she sometimes errs in caring for the house. She is only human, with two hands. And if you can sometimes help with one or two things when you are less busy, that will be a plus for you and her, if you know what I mean.

If you can afford it, make water and electricity 2/47-thing. This is a necessity, not a luxury. She needs this to make work easier for her. Almost all the tasks at home need either electricity, water, or both.

10. Look for temporary help when you are sick or pregnant. Find someone reliable from your family or friends to help you before you get back on your feet.

11. If you can afford it, carve out a playroom or a play area for your kids so that they limit their playing objects to that place. Your living room should always be clean; a toy here and there will make that mission impossible.

12. Lastly, start the day with prayers and a potent stimulant. A hot black tea or coffee will do the trick. Trust me; you need it. If you are an addict like me, ensure you never run out of it. Also, habitually do the zikr – Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, and Wallahu Akbar – while you go around your daily routines. Our prophet taught Nana Fatima this when she asked him to give her a slave to help her with domestic chores. He said this would be best for her, here and hereafter. Listen to radio, podcasts, Quranic recitations, music, or audiobook. This will energise, entertain, educate and make housework less burdensome and easy for you.

My fellow woman, this piece is not for the sick, pregnant, lazy, or full-time working mom (9-5). If you are lucky with your maid, hold on to her, don’t come and kill yourself with work.

But if you are healthy, up and doing, have a flexible job, or not working at all, this is for you; congratulation. You will be rewarded immensely for this. You will have peace of mind, thus not constantly worrying about what’s happening in your house. You will raise a family who will learn to manage a home without depending on others. You won’t raise another person’s child at the expense of yours. And trust me, it won’t last forever. Once the kids are all grown, you can relax and do minor chores.

Whenever I feel overwhelmed and think of getting a maid, this idea will often cross my mind, especially if I can afford it. I ask myself, how will I cope if I live in a Western country? This resets me.

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