Kano: Protecting the people and the philosophy of the prophet- Bala Ibrahim

The video of a renowned Islamic scholar that was murdered while leading the early morning prayers in Kano, in the person of Sheikh Jaafar Mahmoud Adam is circulating in social media, in what looks like a predestined interpretation of an event. The Sheikh’s narratives go thus:

“In Islam, whoever abused Prophet Mohammed, (PBUH) is to be sentenced to death. That is jurisprudence. Even if he seeks forgiveness, he can only enjoy the benefit of such forgiveness in the hereafter. But the power to execute such judgement is not in the hands of the public. It’s the sole responsibility of the authorities. It is obligatory for the government to kill him. It is necessary for the sharia judge to pronounce the death penalty on him. Because he is filth in the eyes of the public. Abusing the prophet of Islam, PBUH is the height of terrorism in the world. Even if the person announced repentance, the judge cannot pronounce his forgiveness. He can only inform him of the possibility of him enjoying God’s pardon in the hereafter. But here, you must be killed in order for it to deter others from blasphemy. That is what is in jurisprudence. And if that is not the judgement passed on him, it has become illegal for the public to interact with him. It is prohibited for him to be granted marriage. You should fire him if he is under your employment because he is useless. He is filth that is not worthy of transacting with. Whoever has no respect for your prophet, doesn’t deserve your own respect. And for God’s sake, is there anyone or anything more prestigious than the prophet of Islam, PBUH? May Allah protect us and protect our belief”-Late Sheikh Jafar Mahmoud Adam.

For months, Kano, Nigeria’s oldest commercial city and the most populous state in the country, that is predominantly Muslim, has been embroiled in controversy, sequel to the utterances of an Islamic cleric accused of blaspheming Prophet Muhammad’s companions. The cleric, Abduljabbar Kabara, a few days back appeared in a public debate organized by the Kano State government for him to defend his comments.

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However, Kabara refused to answer questions from his opponents, despite being the one who requested the public debate. As a result, the moderator, Prof. Salisu Shehu, a professor of Islamic Studies, ruled that Mr Kabara “consistently strayed off the topic of discussion and avoided answering questions asked him.”

The Islamic Professor ruled that the cleric’s earlier comments on Prophet Muhammad’s companions “were his personal opinion, not part of Islamic teaching” as he claimed.

Kano has been under tension since the commencement of the controversy, which was triggered by the provocative and often unrepentant position of the cleric.

In a statement issued on Friday, by the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammed Garba, the government said, following the receipt of the first information report from the police by the Office of the Attorney General and commissioner for justice, which prepared charges against the cleric, “Abduljabbar was subsequently arraigned on Friday, July 16, before an Upper Sharia Court Judge, Kofar Kudu, Alkali Ibrahim Sarki Yola, where the charges that included blasphemy, incitement, and sundry offences were mentioned. After the court sitting, it adjourned the case to July 28, while the scholar would remain under police custody until Monday when he would be sent to prison till the adjourned date”.

While some people sympathetic to the cleric are quick to accuse the government of being unfair to him, in the light of the volatility of the situation, alongside the constant threats coming from some extremists, keeping the cleric in association with the public has the risk of exposing him to the possibility of being attacked or harmed physically.

Already, some of his former followers, including those that claimed to be his notoriously diehard supporters, have been circulating terrifying threats on social media, to the effect that come what may, they must burn his mosque, if the government fails to sanction him.

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Abduljabbar is famous for his controversial religious commentaries and statements that are regarded as sacrilegious and embarrassing to the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

Occasional and Sporadic outbreaks of ethnic and religious violence are not new to Kano, especially when the Prophet of Islam is blasphemed.

In 1996, on the accusation of blasphemy, Gideon Akaluka was beheaded in the city by some Islamic fanatics. Also in 2016, a 74-year-old Christian woman, Bridget Agbahime, was equally murdered at the Kofar Wambai Market by a mob, after she was accused of blasphemy.

In the light of such antecedents, and the growing number of radical groups of zealots in the state, it behoves the government to be properly proactive in protecting the people and the philosophy of the prophet.

Ibrahim, a media advisor writes from Abuja.