Muslims

With all sense of honour, respect and humility, your Excellency, I humbly write this letter to convey a fundamental message (worth noting) to you and members of your executive council as well as other relevant stakeholders.

Your Excellency, as you know, Kano State is among the most consequential and venerated African lands. The state hosts international and influential clerics of high repute that promote Islam and the sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to all domains in the north and beyond. Moreover, Kano has been the African commercial hub since the nineteenth century and the centre of learning and administration. For that cause, Kano is always at the front line of religious development and other aspects of human life. In addition, after the re-introduction of Shari’ah in early 2000, Kano embraced it in haste. Muslims have welcomed the development in good faith and unwavering conviction that if Shari’ah is appropriately implemented, life will become good and better in this world and have good fortune in the future existence.

Alhamdulillah! For the said development, the Kano state government established agencies to oversee Shari’ah affairs and ensure its implementation. Shari’ah commission was inaugurated as the apex body for Shari’ah matters and related business. Shari’ah courts were instituted and equipped. Well-trained experts were employed as Shari’ah judges. Zakah and Endowment (Hubusi) was founded and systemized to regulate the collection and distribution of Zakah wealth as stipulated by Allah and manage the waqf properties in the best interest of beneficiaries. The social reorientation directorate (Adaidaita Sahu) came into existence to ensure moral compliance by Muslims. The mighty Hisba Board was incorporated to complement the task of the Shari’ah Commission. The Office of Special Adviser on Religious Matters was created to support the Governor in dealing with Shari’ah functions. Above all, Shari’ah penetrates all government agencies and parastatals to the extent that it’s considered in all decision-making.

At districts and wards levels, the good people of Kano have cooperated. Groups of concerned Muslims constituted robust committees to compliment the government’s effort, namely Zauren Sulhu and its likes. They have significantly impacted the lives of ordinary people. Many such initiatives are in existence to this moment for their monumental works.

People believe that if such strategies are correctly implemented, they will bring sustainable socio-religious and economic development. It will curtail the ongoing bribery and corruption in civil service, robbery, burglary and phone snatching, immorality and other social vices. It will improve productive economic activities and reduce the high rate of poverty. It will promote Zakah awareness and boost the collection of Zakah wealth that, if used efficiently, will cater to the needs and demands of vulnerable widows and orphans as it did in history. This gesture will please Allah the Almighty; in return, He will bless Kano abundantly and ease the affairs of the state.

Your Excellency, the considerable success and giant achievements that Hisba is recording from its inception to date are commendable. Hisba is meeting its objective, mission and vision despite the factors hindering national progress. The support you are giving to the agency is laudable.

Your Excellency, what motivates and triggers me to write this letter is that the high poverty level, with over 55 per cent of the citizens being poor, is a matter of concern, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Thus, it may not be a surprise that beggars are trooping and roaming the streets today, begging and occupying masjids and other public gatherings, pleading for assistance in various forms. In addition, radio and Television stations are becoming typical to hear the voices of people echoing for help due to poverty and other reasons for the financial predicament.

Besides, I am aware that the state government created a body responsible for looking after the vulnerable and impoverished per the saying of Allahu (SWT) in the Qur’an suratul Tauba verse number 103. The matter of contention is that; is the state government aware of this situation and giving all the necessary support and attention to Kano State Zakah and Hubusi Commission to execute its responsibilities, or is the commission just becoming worthless?

Your Excellency, it’s a known fact that in early 2022 your administration engaged about 600 people in civil service as tax collectors. It’s indeed a wise decision, for it reduces youth unemployment. However, one may wonder how many zakah workers were recruited to support the activities of zakah and consolidate it to achieve its overall objective.

Your Excellency, sincerely, Kano is lagging regarding zakah collection and distribution in modern times while its neighbouring states and emirates are thriving in this noble course. For instance, in Jigawa state, Dutse Emirate alone is mobilizing zakah wealth that eclipsed that of Kano in multitude. The narration is still correspondingly in Kazaure Emirate and Hadejia Emirate, among others. By extension, Sokoto State Zakah and Endowment Commission (SOZECOM) under Malam Lawal Maidoki, Sadaukin Sakkwato, is providing leadership in the country. In other countries, poverty and unemployment are reduced to the barest minimum. These exciting stories signify that Kano state could also join the race and achieve a lot, as it has immense potential.

Your Excellency, this is a gentle reminder hoping to reach you and praying to Allah to grant you the ability to use it and make it among your legacies. Undoubtedly, instrumental Islamic economic policy will help you lay a solid foundation for uplifting the well-being of the good people of Kano state. Zakah will be a panacea to poverty, unemployment, corruption and all forms of vulnerability in Kano state. I, therefore, wish to submit that our emirates have vital roles to play in the reformation. Moreover, collaboration with key stakeholders is necessary at this stage.

Last but not least, I applaud your efforts to improve security affairs in Kano State despite worsening scenes in the country and other neighbouring countries. May Allah guard and preserve our dear Kano State and Muslim communities in Nigeria and beyond. May Allah support you and grant you maximum success in your reign and beyond. Ameen.

Yours

Aliyu Ɗahiru Muhammad

Department of Economics

Bayero University, Kano

alitahir797@gmail

4/11/2022

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Qatari government is preaching and introducing Islam to World Cup fans through murals placed in public places.

TRT World reported on Saturday that as Qatar prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it has placed several murals in public places bearing Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) sayings and traditions written in Arabic and English.

According to the report, the murals feature various sayings on mercy, charity and good deeds. They are situated across the Pearl District, a popular tourist attraction in the Qatari capital, Doha.

The initiative of Qatar’s government has been applauded by many Arab journalists and Muslims worldwide.

Qatar’s government has been unpretentious about not compromising Islamic values because of the 2022 World Cup. However, their stance on homosexuality and the LGBTQ community has been critical; the government deems it unacceptable to their country’s values and norms.

The Head of Security for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Major General Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ansari, in a statement, said the country does not want LGBTQ flags in the venues of the World Cup, and LGBTQ is not acceptable to the country.

He said: You want to demonstrate your view about the LGBTQ situation, do it in a society where it will be accepted. Don’t insult the whole society because of this. You cannot change the religion for 28 days”.

Qatar is the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup, the biggest tournament in the football world.

By Sulaiman Maijama’a

Almajiri System, over the last few years, has come under intense pressure, greeted with mixed reactions by stakeholders, especially in northern Nigeria. Many people have written many pieces on the negative consequences of the system, ascribing it to be one of the underlying causes of poverty, hunger, and insecurity, among other social vices in northern Nigeria. For this reason, it has been a topic of debate. Some call for repositioning the system, and some agitate for its total abolishment. In contrast, others argue that it should remain as it is today.

Undoubtedly, the present-day Almajiri system is, to a greater extent, different from what was obtainable in the pre-colonial era, hence the need for a review. Before British colonisation, the system, aside from the authorities’  high recognition and promotion, had enjoyed the support of other major stakeholders, such as the community, the parents and the pupils. So also, the whole financial burden of the system was being taken by the authorities with public funds. These indicate that the Almajiri system in those days was somewhat formal and, therefore, more organised.

However, the magnitude of the attack the system has now come under has given it a distorted image. It has developed a stereotype in some people, so much so that on the mention of the word “Almajiri”, the first connotation that comes to mind is negativity – illiteracy, poverty, hunger, dishonesty, insecurity and all sorts of social vices.

The word “Almajiri” is a derivative of an Arabic word, “Al muhajirun”, which could be traced right from the migration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Makka to Madina. Those who migrated with the prophet to Madina were called ‘Al-Muhajirrun’, meaning migrants. In Nigeria, the word “Almajiri” refers to those, usually teenagers, who are sent by their parents from respective villages and settlements to urban centres in the quest for Qur’an knowledge.

2014 UNICEF report estimated the number of Almajiri conservatively to be 9.5 million in Nigeria, predominantly in the northern part. If all of them were a nuisance, as widely believed by some people, the situation of our region would be worse than we could imagine. 

There is no doubt that there are bad eggs among them, which applies to every category of people. But, as much as bad eggs, there are equally good ones among the Almajiris who have passed through the system and become successful in different facets of life.

Almajiris excelled

Adamu Garba, a former Nigerian presidential aspirant, in an interview with the Punch Newspaper, says the Almajiri system in northern Nigeria produced some of the wealthiest men, including Africa’s pride, Aliko Dangote and the founder of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, amongst others. Garba said he was once an Almajiri before he acquired Western education.

When asked whether the Almajiri system promotes terrorism, Garba said Boko Haram has no connection with the Almajiri system because of the dichotomy between Islamic denominations in northern Nigeria. “So, it is very unlikely that you have an Almajiri man becoming a Boko Haram,” he told The Punch.

Garba also mentioned that many business giants are products of the Almajiri system. “Again, if you go to [the] Kano market, most of the rich people in the market are Almajiri. They came through Almajiri, they were able to get [the] necessary training in the Almajiri institutions, and they were able to get to where they are.”

Similarly, several renowned Islamic scholars were once Almajiris. A typical example is Sheik Muhammad Bin-Uthman.

Testimonies from people

Some people interviewed narrated how their encounters with some Almajiri lefts them with a memorable impression.

Abdullahi Muhammad, a resident of Kobi, an Almajiri-dominated area in Bauchi, narrated how an Almajiri once returned his valuable lost items.

“I once forgot my valuable properties around my house. I gave up finding them, but to my surprise, an Almajiri found and returned them to a nearby mosque. It was announced after a couple of days. I claimed ownership and recovered my items intact. I was surprised [at] how honest the boy was.”

In an interview, Aisha Abubakar, a housewife in the Kobi area in Bauchi, revealed that she had two little Almajis coming to help her with housework.

“Two little Almajis come daily to help me with some housework — they fetch me water, wash clothes, and sometimes I send them on an errand. I give them food and sew them clothing when they go home during holidays. For the past two years, they have been coming. They are honest”, she said.

Maryam Abdullahi, another housewife in the Gwallaga area, Bauchi, said she retained an Almajiri who, apart from helping her with housework, teaches her little children Arabic alphabets.

“I have an Almajiri that comes on Thursdays and Fridays to give Qur’an lessons to my children. I’m happy now that my children are good in the Arabic alphabet and Qur’an recitation, courtesy of the lesson they receive from this boy ( the Almajiri). I cannot thank him enough.”

When asked how honest and disciplined she finds the Almajiri, she said, “I send him uncountable times with money to buy foodstuff and other items, and I always find him unblemished.”

Murtala Aminu (Ɗankasuwa), a trader in an Almajiri-dominated area, when asked how he finds the Almajiris around him, he asserted that their stay in the area is a blessing.

“They recite the Qur’an every blessed day and night. This gives us tranquillity and peace of mind. In addition, we cite them as an example for our children to emulate their hard work searching for knowledge. Many of them memorised the Qur’an by heart. What could be more delightful?”.

We take good care of Almajiris under our watch — Almajiri teachers

When interviewed, some Almajiri teachers revealed to us how they strictly manage the Almajiris under their tutelage to be well brought up and face the realities of life early.

Mallam Muhammad Shafi’u Inuwa, an Almajiri teacher in Sabon Gida Tsangaya school, said, “under our school, we have about a  hundred Almajiris. We raise them early in the morning to take classes between 5:00 am and 10:00 pm. In the afternoon, we allow them to work to earn a living. At night, between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm, is also time for classes. We ensure that all the Almajiris return to their apartments when it is time for sleeping.”

On his part, Mallam Khamisu Ali (Gwani), another Almajiri teacher, said, “we try in this Tsangaya (Almajiri school) to imbue in them (the Almajiris) the spirit of hard work. Moreover, we encourage them to be self-reliant because to work and earn a living is better than to beg; that is why we allow them on school-free days (Thursdays and Fridays) to acquire skills.”

When asked whether the parents of the Almajiris come to check on their wards, Mallam Gwani said, “we are in contact with their parents. We face some challenges regarding this, but plans are underway to make it necessary for every parent to come in person and check on their wards at certain intervals.”

Regarding learning efficiency, Mallam Gwani stated that they had produced brilliant reciters, some of whom memorised the Qur’an by heart as teenagers.

Some Almajiris do not beg nor chant for food

In their efforts to face the realities of life and actualise self-reliance, some Almajiris interviewed claimed to have never begged nor gone to houses chanting for food

In this interview, a teen Almajiri, Zaharadden  Manu, explained how he sustains his life by harnessing and utilising the skill he learned back home before he was taken to Almajiranci.

“Every day after school hours, I go around nearby communities to do shoe shining, and it earns me a living. Then, on Thursdays and Fridays, I fetch water to housewives for food or money”, he said.

Musa Aliyu is an ambitious Almajiri who reconciles Qur’an learning and hand work. When asked where he sees himself in the decade, he said, “I see myself in the future as an educated person and a business owner with employees under me. I pursue this dream to the best of my ability.”

It was observed that on school-free days, markets and commercial centres get populated with Almajiris who do different works to earn some money to live on.

Give Almajiris the atmosphere to harness their full potential – Educationist

Comrade Abdullahi Yalwa, an educationist lecturer with the Department of Crimes Management and Control, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, opined, “I think that abolishing the system may not be realistic or so easily achieved. What should be done is to review and revise to align with realities. There is a correlation between nature and nurture, and the two must synchronise to give an effective and responsible person. If one is bound to succeed if given a better condition, he would be double or triple or would be in the book of record for the exceptional display of talent.”

Comrade Yalwa further said, “to maximise the benefits and reduce or eliminate the negative effects of the system. Parents need to be responsible by sponsoring their children when searching for knowledge. They should give them enough resources to manage themselves, visit them periodically, give them what they need in terms of their basic need and also appreciate the person taking care of them in order not for him to use them as slaves.”

On what the government and relevant authorities should do, Comrade Yalwa recommended that “the Almajiri teachers ought to be registered by the government, and a maximum number of students should be allotted to each, and they should have the basic necessities, especially accommodation facilities, where people have a responsible and decent life.”

Maijama’a is a student at the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano and wrote via  sulaimanmaija@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The 14th Emir of Kano State, Muhammadu Sunusi II, urged the general public to reject the rumour that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would redesign the naira notes to remove the Arabic text (“Ajami”) on them. 

Sunusi, a former governor of CBN, added that the rumour was false and baseless and meant to mislead the masses. 

Recalls that the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced the CBN’s intention to redesign, produce, release and circulate new series of N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes.

Sunusi disclosed this on Monday in a short video he made, which immediately went viral on social media platforms. 

The former Emir said he noticed the rumour circulating among people and said he spoke to the CBN governor about the development. 

“I heard some people, including clerics, engaged in a heated argument over redesigning the naira note, claiming that the Arabic text would be removed if the naira is redesigned. 

“I contacted the CBN governor about the development, and he clarified that the rumour in circulation was false.

Sunusi also urged the general public to disregard the rumour.

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

As we enter into the ‘will they, will they not’ mode of uncertainty typical of Nigerian public culture about the change of Nigerian higher currency denominations announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on 25th October 2022, my mind went back to an article I wrote on 16th April 2007. This was in the wake of the removal of “Arabic inscriptions” on the Nigerian currency (the Naira) on 28th February 2007 in the new currency notes that removed the Ajami (Hausa written in Arabic script) writing that indicated the denomination of the respective currency note and replaced with the Latin alphabet. This is a ‘remix’ of that posting on the then-popular platforms of Blogspot. Mine was called Nishadin Hululu (Hausa Popular Culture).

The full historical overview of how the Arabic “script” came to become part of the essentially northern Nigerian Muslim Hausa educational package is given in Manuscript Learnability and Indigenous Knowledge for Development – Hausa Ajami in Historical Context. A version is available at https://bit.ly/3zoi7XN.

I rarely bother to visit Nigerian “Naija” websites on the web or any other group of politically motivated Nigerians. I know what I will find – the usual vituperative tirade against northern Nigerians, Muslims, Hausa, ad nauseum. Southern Nigerians have three fundamental articles in their crusade against northern Nigeria: Islamic fanaticism, conservative feudalism and their weird perception of the “born to rule” syndrome held by the ‘northerners’. No matter how many groups of Nigerians you interact with, these three form the main focus of the divide in Nigeria. They are the main reasons why Nigerian “unity” is virtually impossible.

I doubt if there is any other group of Africans who hang out their dirty ethnic laundry like Nigerians. Although, I accept, for the most part, such ranting is probably not personal; they are basically religious – the Christian versus Muslim divide, rather than any feeling of superiority of one ethnic group over the other. Any such feelings of superiority are part of a religious template that sees the acquisition of education as the central criteria for judging the value of a whole people. Thus education, not religion, is the central fulcrum around which the Nigerian nation wobbles.

Southern Nigerians acquired education through Christian Missionary activities from about 1849. Such education became the mainstay of acquiring Westernized modernity. Inevitably Western education brought by Christian missionaries to Nigeria became equated with Western Christian values. For the most part, Christian southern Nigerians are happy with this because it makes them “civilised” – in the absence of any cherished antecedent cultural values. Thus, any other worldview is considered barbaric.

Northern Nigerians, specifically the Hausa and the Kanuri, acquired education through conversion to Islam since 1250 and even earlier in the Kanuri kingdom. The constant eddy of scholars from north African learning centres throughout the 14th to 17th centuries ensured a sustained scholastic tradition in Muslim northern Nigeria. Muslim northern Nigerians, therefore, had a longer exposure to the concept of formalised learning and literacy than southern Nigerians. Universal basic education was indeed introduced around 1464 in the city of Kano when new methods of indigenising the Arabic script to Hausa phonology were created. This led to the creation of a novel way of writing out the Hausa language in a script that young scholars will understand. This method of indigenising Arabic script to the Hausa language became “Ajami”. It became one of the main ways of educating young pupils in northern Nigeria. Do you remember all those “Almajirai” you see in northern Nigerian cities? Well, most are fluent in Ajami writing. Currently, the most prominent modern Hausa political singer (though not the most talented or likeable), Dauda “Rarara” Adamu Kahutu, has an extensive catalogue of his songs, all written in Ajami which he reads as he records in the studio.

Ajami, therefore, is any literacy strategy in which any language is written in Arabic. Over 50 languages are currently written in the script. First, let us look at the parallel sphere. If any African language is written in Latin characters, it can be called Ajami. Ajami is not Islamic; any more than the Latin alphabet is Christian.

However, in a new era of reform, CBN decided to remove the “Arabic” script from the Nigerian currency in new currency notes launched on 28th February 2007. The removal of the Ajami script on the Nigerian currency reflected Nigeria’s deep-rooted religious divide because the Arabic script was seen as religious – and Nigeria is considered a secular country. This equates Arabic with Islam – ignoring the vast number of Arab Christians throughout the Middle East.

The logic of the removal of what the Nigerian economic establishment calls “Arabic inscription” on the Nigerian currency given by the Nigerian Government was premised on using a Latin inscription that is available to all Nigerians (even if in mutually exclusive languages), rather than an exclusive script tied down to a particular religious culture. According to the then Governor of CBN, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, during a sensitisation visit to the Sultan of Sokoto,

“I will also like to inform you that the removal of the Arabic inscription on the notes is not targeted at any group or religion but rather to promote our language and cultural heritage…As you can see, Naira is the symbol of our nationalism and our pride. It is pertinent to let you understand that Arabic is not one of our national languages, and it was inscribed on the notes forty years ago because the majority of people then could read it in the northern part of the country to the detriment of their counterparts in the South (ThisDay, 16th February 2007, posted to the web 19th February 2007 at https://bit.ly/3TQ4FEw.

Similarly, the CBN issued a rebuttal to the controversies by stating that the “de-ajamization” was to “conform (to) Section 55 of the 1999 Constitution, which recognises four languages, English, Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba as medium of conducting government businesses.” After all, as they claimed, after forty years of Western education, most people in Nigeria should be able to recognise Roman inscriptions. This, we believe, can strengthen our unity by ensuring equity and fairness. Indeed, the replacement was done in national interest and the desire to comply with the Constitution of the country.”

But how can national unity be attained when a large proportion of the country is still marginalised? To prevent this marginalisation, the British colonial administration introduced the Ajami letters on the first Nigerian modernised currencies, well aware of the large education gap – and therefore, the ability to read and understand Latin characters on the country’s currency notes. An example was the £1 note.

“Fam daya” was prominently written to enable those literate in Ajami, but not the Latin alphabet, to identify the currency.

Interestingly, the main argument was that the presence of Ajami on Nigerian currency was seen to the “detrimental” to southern Nigerians (who presumably do not understand it) – yet the inclusion of the Latin alphabet is not seen as detrimental to non-Roman literate northern Nigerians (mainly Muslim Hausa, who presumably do not understand it). In this warped logic, it is, therefore, easier to alienate Muslim Hausa northern Nigerians than southern Nigerians, especially since a Christian was the President of the country (and a Christian Governor of the Central Bank facilitated the alienation). Of course, when a Muslim becomes the President, the arguments might be revisited – and reversed, which another subsequent Christian president will also revisit, and so on endlessly. Farooq Kperogi actually imagined a nightmare scenario that might come out of this in 2022 at https://bit.ly/3TOt2T1.

The inclusion of the script on the Nigerian currency by the British colonial administration was an acknowledgement of the rich literary heritage of a vast number of people in Nigeria who could not read the Latin script– and not a strategy to impose Islam on anyone in Nigeria. Indeed, the British colonial administration had no reason to propagate Islam. Yet on the currencies circulated by the same administration, the “Arabic inscription” was conspicuously present. This was maintained until 2007 when the despised Arabic inscription was removed and replaced with the much-loved Latin ‘inscription’. An example with ₦50 illustrates this.

The ₦50 with the ‘Arabic inscription’ of Ajami merely indicates that it is fifty naira in Hausa. In the redesigned ₦50, the Roman name for the Hausa was ‘naira hamsin’ instead of the Ajamized ‘hamsin’ in the old note. Yet, ‘hamsin’ means fifty in Arabic! So, like it or not, Arabic remains on the naira. To get rid of it, you have to get rid of the Hausa language entirely since about almost 45% of Hausa words are based on the Arabic language.

Further, other multicultural countries pay such homage to multiple literacies in their currency notes. The Indian currency, for instance, has 15 language scripts, including Urdu (Ajami) – despite Arabic not being part of its national languages.

And while not explicitly stated, the links made by the Nigerian economic establishment with Arabic to Islam seem to be part of a move to “de-Islamize” Nigeria – scoring a cheap point, particularly in the way most northern Nigerian states re-introduced Islamic Shari’a in their governance from 1999 led by Zamfara State, and the earlier issue of Nigeria’s membership of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) in January 1986, which the Nigerian Christian (as well as Marxist Muslim) groups were against.

We look forward to the new currency notes in December 2022.

Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu wrote from the Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. He is, among many other things, the former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He can be reached via auadamu@yahoo.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Investigations by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) revealed that there had been massive purchases and hoarding of paddy rice across the country by the suspected members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). 

A statement by the MURIC chairman, Kano State Chapter, Mallam Hassan Sani Indabawa, disclosed on Friday, calling on the Nigerian authorities to look into what it described as the ‘unwholesome attitude by the Christian association. 

The Muslim body also revealed that CAN is deliberately trying to create artificial food scarcity to discredit the Federal Government by making its efforts in the agriculture sector look like a failure. 

The statement read, “Series of investigations conducted by MURIC has revealed a disturbing trend of massive purchase of paddy rice across the rice producing belt, cutting across the three northern agricultural ecological zones of the country. Several reports from the field established that a huge number of strange people are massively buying the commodity in bulk in Kebbi, Niger, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi and Yobe states.

 “The eight northern states account for over 70% of the rice being produced in the country. Nigeria is currently the largest producer of rice in Africa with a production capacity of 5.0m metric tonnes per annum.

“With the onset of the current harvest season, the unusual high demand for the commodity has already spiked the price upwards, aiming for the roof. While farmers may be happy with a good price, however, the rush for the mass purchase of the commodity is enough to raise some genuine concerns.

 “Farmers and other stakeholders noticed an organized and coordinated purchase of the commodity in large quantity. From Kebbi State, down to Gashua in Yobe State, the story of the influx of people, mainly Christians, is the same. They came for massive purchases of tons of rice, both milled and paddy.

CAN make the purchase in large quantity

“Our investigations further point to a high likelihood of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) being involved in this orchestrated mass purchase of rice produced for all Nigerians particularly because the buyers in large quantities are all Christians. They come with their weighing scale and tons of money. It is very suspicious.

 “Apart from the existing aggregating centers, new ones have emerged where the commodity is bought at a higher price. This has already made the price of the commodity to jump up at an alarming rate.

“While farmers and local dealers are happy with the new buyers, many are, alarmed by the disturbing trend. Many of the “new rice merchants” admitted to have been mobilized for the exercise. While it is obvious that the ordinary farmer is happy that he is getting ready buyers, the discerning mind must ask the question: Why are they all Christians?

CAN is plotting against Nigeria, Muslims

“The questions begging for answers are: What is the game plan of CAN? Why is the Christian body desperate to make the bulk purchase and hoard the commodity? And why at this crucial time, a few months to the general elections? Their action has already created unnecessary fear and anxiety, as no one is sure of CAN’s motive.

“Is CAN deliberately trying to create artificial scarcity, or is the Christian umbrella body preparing for a worst-case scenario? Or is it trying to discredit the Federal Government by making its efforts in the agriculture sector look like a failure? We all know how food is being weaponized in modern conflicts. Is CAN driving Nigerians to a stage when everyone will be forced to go to church for before they can get rice to buy?

“We call on the Nigerian authorities to look closely into this desperate move. Both the apex body of Nigerian farmers, the Apex Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) admitted to the unusual demand and the unprecedented hike in the price of the commodity at the peak of this year’s harvest season. 

“The Federal Government should do the needful by preparing adequately and timely to forestall possible hunger due to mischievous hoarding of this essential commodity by some evil forces. FG can evolve a counter-purchase plan to save Nigerians from the Shylock merchants in CAN. We warn CAN to eschew any diabolical plan it may have with the massive purchase of the commodity,” the statement added.

By Dr Aliyu Dahiru Muhammad

My brilliant friend Dr Muhsin Ibrahim, who tries to mentor and guide many followers on social media, raised a concern about how some people announce death news on social media. I found the topic interesting, especially the responses it generated. So, I contributed my points of view which I am reproducing here for the benefit of others.

1. I think we should learn the ethics of announcing death to a relative and the general public. For instance, posting the news on sick beds or even a corpse picture is unethical and unprofessional.

2. We should be aware and sensitive whether we are the ones to inform others or not. For instance, I post this kind of news when the death directly affects me, a relative, close friends etc. However, some elders represent their areas and people respect and trust them.

3. We should be mindful of the time and how we announce if we are to do it. For instance, it was reported that one of the wives of the Prophet’s companion, whose son died, prepared him and dressed well before her husband came back. When he returned, she brought him food and had a marital relationship with him. After that, she asked him if someone kept trust in him and he now comes to take it, would he mind? He said no, it belongs to the owner. She now told him that Allah, that gave us our son, had taken him back. He now took a deep breath and started asking why you appeared the way you did until they had so and so relationship. She said to calm him down and allow him to submit easily to Allah’s will. Interestingly, they got another son who excelled among the companions in that relationship.

4. We should be ready and prepared, not panic always, and accept the sad reality. Since it’s the time of information and communication technology, and we use it for almost everything in our life, why not announce the death of our beloved ones? I rarely call on some people because after the closest relatives, neighbours and friends, as you have hundreds of contacts, it will be faster to let people know, and many people would tell you; I ATTENDED THE JANAZA because I saw your post. We know the benefits of praying for a person that passes away especially attending the funeral (Janazah) and seeking Allah’s forgiveness for them. We all want that, so there is no problem if we let people know with WISDOM.

5. We should pray even if we don’t type anything on a post, as Allah accepts a believer’s prayer. By so doing, we are actually attracting rewards to ourselves.

6. Since visiting the graveyard is difficult for some of us due to the situation we are in, the environment or other reasons, this may still remind us that death is inevitable. It’s coming to us all. It also sensitizes us to get ready and pray that it comes to us when Allah is pleased with us inshaAllah.

7. We should remember, one day, it’s ours, others will post, and we pray to Allah; whoever sees that, if he knows us, he will testify we lived a good life and have a good relationship with others and try to follow the teachings of our religion on all matters. May Allah forgive us, take our lives as faithful, and grant us your Rahma – Ya ArhamarRahimin.

Aliyu Dahiru Muhammad, PhD, wrote from Bayero University, Kano.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) frowned at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) decision to block Muslims from entering its camp to make a bank transaction or any other business in the camp located along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

MURIC also claimed that RCCG thwarts Muslims from entering the camp to check their WAEC, JAMB and other examinations.

Prof. Ishaq Akintola who frowned at the development disclosed this in a statement Monday and also demanded the relocation of examination centres from the RCCG camp.

“Our office has been inundated with complaints from Nigerian Muslims who have been denied access into the Lagos-Ibadan expressway camp of the RCCG.

“Among the complainants are Muslims who registered for the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as well as other examinations.

“Attempts by the candidates to enter the RCCG camp in order to check their examination centres are always rebuffed by RCCG security men who turn them back at the gates with clear messages that Muslims are persona non grata inside the camp.

“The second group of Muslims who are not allowed to enter are those who opened bank accounts in some of the banks located inside the camp like Eco Bank, Unity, Guaranty Trust Bank, FCMB, United Bank for Africa, Zenith and Access Bank. This ugly trend has been on for quite some time but the complaints have increased in number recently.

“It is even more interesting to note that those behind this obnoxious practice are Yoruba Christians while the victims are Yoruba Muslims. Those who talk about religious tolerance being rampant in Yorubaland have therefore missed the point.

“But the difference is the case in matters concerning religion where they operate as Christian or Muslim groups or as corporate entities. The same Christian teacher who lives in the same house with many Muslims without any problem is the same teacher who will snatch the hijab from the head of a female Muslim student in the school.

“Simply put, there is no religious tolerance in Yorubaland. That is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

“The RCCG camp saga cited above is one good example. RCCG has used opportunities at its disposal to build a big camp on Lagos-Ibadan expressway. It has also equipped the camp with necessary infrastructural facilities including a university, schools, clinics, banks, residential houses.

“MURIC acknowledges the right of RCCG to do all these but at the same time members of the public should be given access to them. Failure to allow that access robs RCCG of an important quality and role in social relations, namely, neighbourliness and service to the people. Afterall many other entities have such facilities and keep them open to the public.

“As a way forward, we demand, first and foremost, the relocation of all public examination centres from the RCCG camp. This camp should be delisted by WAEC, JAMB, NECO and other examination bodies for practising religious apartheid.

“Any individual or institution that applies to examination bodies to host examinations must give access to the public, particularly the candidates. Anything to the contrary is arbitrary and alien to the culture of education. A situation whereby candidates of a particular religion are shut out of the premises of the examination venue is unfair, unjust and unacceptable by any standard.

“We advise Muslims to stop going inside the RCCG camp. It is private property where Muslims are not welcome. Muslims residing in the vicinity should patronise banks and other business concerns located outside the camp.

“However, we warn that banks and other business concerns located within RCCG camp may start losing their Muslim customers if they continue within RCCG camp. Our advice to the banks id to engage RCCG authorities in dialogue on this matter,” Akintola said.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A Nigerian lady, Aisha Abubakar Hassan, has emerged as the second-position winner in the just concluded sixth edition of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Holy Qur’an Competition for women in Dubai. 

Fifty countries participated in the competition that was held from the 1st to the 7th of October at the Dubai Culture and Science Society.

Aindati Sisi from Senegal came first, while Aisha Abubakar Hassan from Nigeria and Shima Anfal Tabani from Algeria took the second and third places, respectively.

According to the organisers, the participants were women Quran memorisers with mastery of tajweed. They also have to be under 25 years old. 

The first position-winner received 250,000 dirhams; the second got 200,000 dirhams, and the third 150000 dirhams. Other participants who performed brilliantly in the competition were also handsomely rewarded.  

The Dubai International Holy Qur’an Award, DIHQA, hosts and organises the event for women worldwide annually.

By Dr. Isa Muhammad Inuwa

We woke up to the maddening, stunning macabre and grim sorrow of the demise of Sheikh Dr Youssef Al-Qardawi, renowned scholar and jihadist of international repute. As we weep profusely, both internally and outwardly, over this irreparable loss, his death indicates that the sun has set down for yet another era of Islam, as yet another chapter is closed.

Late Al-Qardawi can go down in history as a titanic whale in the fathomless ocean of Islamic knowledge and jurisprudence. He authored many valuable compendia and an estimated 120 to 200 books, famous among which is Al-Halal Wal Haram, that addressed and gave solutions to vital lawful and unlawful issues in Islam.

He was a contemporary of scholars and jihadists of like minds such as Sheikh Hasanul Bannah, Sayyid Qutub, Sa’eed Hawaah, Kishk and the rest. The personalities mentioned above formed the nucleus of the Islamic Brotherhood movement’ ‘Ikhwanul Muslimuuna’ in Egypt around the 1950s to 1960s.

Ikhwan’s formidable movement under the late Hassan Al-Banna’s leadership served as an alternative political group that brokered power in Egypt by participating in the democratic process and contesting political posts. Former president Muhammad Morsi was a testimony to Ikhwan’s influence in the mainstream politics of Egypt.

More so, the hitherto Islamic movement in Egypt, administered by vibrant and agile youths, had impacted and triggered similar gestures in many countries and Muslim communities worldwide.

While some Ikhwan eggheads, such as Hassan Al-Bannah, were martyred amidst the struggle, others, like the late Youssef Al-Qardawi, survived, lived longer and contributed to humanity on many fronts.

May The Almighty Allah accept the late Sheikh Qardawi and uplift his status in the highest and exalted Jannah, amen!

Dr Isa Muhammad Inuwa writes from Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, via ismi2000ng@yahoo.com.