Monday, October 31, 2011

Tale of Love

By Staff Writer, *Literature: Heer recital to revive interest in Sufi poetry* - The Express Tribune, Karachi, Pakistan; Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Faisalabad: University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, on Tuesday organised a Heer recital to revive student’s interest in Sufi poetry.

Several folk singers were invited to the event to recite Heer Ranjha’s epic tale of love.

Speaking at the occasion, UAF vice chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan said more events on Sufi poetry would be held in the future to enable students, and the youth in general, to understand and appreciate Sufi teachings.

He said a large number of Sufis had inhabited the areas now included in the country and that their was a vast collection of literature containing Sufi saints’ poetry in various regional languages like Urdu, Punjabi, Seraiki, Sindhi, Pushto and Balochi.

He said the university had decided to organise the Heer recital in view of the declining trend in the new generation’s interest in such literature.

He said poets like Waris Shah, Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain and Khwaja Ghulam Farid were among the leading reformists of their times. “They preached pacifism and strived to end warfare and differences among the people of the sub-continent,” he said.

Dr Iqrar said most Sufis were critical of the rulers of their times. He said Sufi had devoted their lives to promotion of peace, brotherhood among different religious communities, tolerance and patience through their poetry.

He said though English and Urdu translations of Sufi poetry was now widely available, the real message could not be grasped without reading these in the languages these were originally written.

He paid homage to folk singers for keeping the poetry alive by performing it. He said folk artists’ role could not be ignored in preserving Sufi poetry and spreading the message it contains.

Senior Tutor Prof Dr Muhammad Aslam said Waris Shah was renowned for his contribution to Punjabi literature.

He said Heer remained the most critically acclaimed work of the poet. He said to date folk artists recite the poem during get-togethers at almost every Punjabi village.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

'Ya Waris'

By Staff Writer, *'Faith keeps tradition alive'* The Times of India - Lucknow, India; Sunday, October 23, 2011

Lucknow: The annual fair organised to ensure that Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah stays in Dewa for his devotees ended with glittering fireworks on Saturday.

The saint is believed to be the 26th descendant of Hazrat Imam Hussain who lived about 100 years ago.

Legend says that Sarkar, as Haji Waris Shah is remembered by his followers, preferred wandering. But, his devotees wanted him to stay at Dewa for sometime. So they proposed to organise a fair to mark the death anniversary of his grandfather. He accepted the proposal on the condition that the mela be held around Karwa Chauth.

Dewa Mela attracts pilgrims from across the country to seek the saint's blessings.

They can be seen carrying chadars over their heads and chanting 'Ya Waris'.

"The echo of qawwalis and devotional songs makes the visit a spiritual experience," said MA Khan, a devotee.

Over the years, Dewa Mela has grown manifolds. "In the three important days of the festival (October 16-18), an estimated 20 lakh people visited," said Vikas Gothalwal, district magistrate Barabanki.

On what makes Dewa Mahotsava special, he said, "Faith keeps the tradition alive."

The fair, housing scores of stalls, a cattle and horse market, serve business purposes to the rural populace.

Cultural events, that saw performances from ghazal singer, Ghulam Ali and qawwali duo Sabri brothers, Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tewari, bhajan singer Anoop Jalota, acted as a bigger crowd puller. Kavi sammelan, Mushaira and Kishor Kumar night were equally popular.

Keeping the worldly characteristics aside, the mela is an occasion to remember the saint who was blessed since childhood. According to legends, Sarkar memorised the Quran even though he took lessons rather reluctantly.

As he grew up, instances proving his exceptional powers increased. Once the saint was crossing river Ghaghara on his way to Bahraich, but floods came in the way. Since there was no boat available, he decided to swim. This scared his companions who followed him reluctantly when the saint directed them. Surprisingly, the water was only knee-deep and everyone easily waded through.

It is also said that Haji always appeared tall in any gathering while his feet never showed any sign of dirt even though he remained bare-footed. Another commonly known thing about him is that he did not have a shadow.

[Picture: Urs in Dewa Shareef. Photo: Saint Waris Ali Shah Website.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

A Rare Spell of Magic

By Ammar Shahbazi, *A tryst with history* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, October 23, 2011

Silence. Dimly-lit chandeliers and flickering candle lights yellowed the breadth of the hall. The measured chiming of her ghungru in perfect sync with the beats of tabla went on and on freezing the sense of time.

Nahid Siddiqi’s Kathak performance at a Supporters of The Citizens Foundation’s fundraising event, celebrating the classics of great Sufi poet and musician of the Indian subcontinent Amir Khusro, cast a rare spell of magic on the audience.

It was veritably an enactment of an evening founded only in the books of literature or paintings stilled forever by anonymous artists at some princely court of Mughal India; it was virtually a rendezvous with history.

The event was hosted by Zia Mohyeddin, who clued up the audience with his encyclopedic knowledge of Indian classical music and the sheer impact of Amir Khusro in shaping the genre in so many ways.

“Amir Khusro could be summed up as light upon light. His literary and musical output was enormous. He gave the world of music Khayal and Tarana, two of the most vibrant forms of classical singing. He created Qawwali, and invented Taals and Ragas which are still in vogue.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mushtaq K Chapra thanked the supporters of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and revealed that their help had enabled the TCF to run 730 schools across the country and impart quality education to 102,000 underprivileged children all over Pakistan.

Some of the leading names in contemporary classical music in the country performed Khusro’s Ghazals in Persian, Hindi and the hybrid languages that he wrote in, and played instrumentals of his famous compositions.

“The native Persians (Iranians) don’t have a very high opinion about Persian literature that came out of the Indian subcontinent. They don’t even see Ghalib as someone significant, but when it comes to Khusro, the Persian critics are silent in awe,” said Mohyeddin, who was not only the MC of the show but played he role of a performer, narrating in his signature style the history of the giant of Indian classical musician.

The performers mainly comprised the alumni and faculty members of the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). Nafees Ahmad on sitar, Ustad Bashir Khan on Tabla, Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan on harp, Mohammed Hussain on harmonium and Ustad Salamat Hussain on flute made up the orchestra for the singers who took turns to pay their tribute to Khusro.

Ustad Salamat Ali, Mehnaz Begum, Ustad Nasreuddin Saami along with a troupe of young singers from NAPA performed.

When the famous compositions of Khusro like Mera Piya Ghar Aya and Mankunto Maula were performed by the Ustads with the utmost classics finesse, keeping the subtleties of ranges and the intricate structure of the melody just on dot, with perfect stretches of the highs and lows, the audience broke in applause.

To commend many a time in between the performances, say, a long breathless stretch of note or an intense sweeping stroke of sitar and table together.

But Nahid Siddiqui simply dazed. The critically acclaimed international Kathak dancer performed after a long time in Karachi, and to say the least, she made her presence on stage not only felt but a memorable one.

[Visit The Citizens Foundation]

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Intolerance Game

By Mohammed Wajihuddin, *In God’s name* - The Times of India - Mumbai, India; Sunday, October 23, 2011

The original Sufis, celebrated in Indian culture, were men who lived frugally and shunned publicity, confining themselves mainly to meditation and sermonising. Their disciples couriered messages to distant, and often hostile, destinations. The Sufis connected with the creator and cleansed the society they lived in.

Times have changed, and so have the Sufis' ways of opposing evil forces. Take last week's denouncement of Wahabi Islam by the All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board, a Sunni Muslim group rooted in the Sufi traditions of Islam.

At a mahapanchayat in Moradabad, UP, the Board's general secretary Syed Mohammed Ashraf Kachochavi claimed that Wahabi-inspired outfits like the Deobandis, Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind and Ahl-e-Hadees were radicalising Muslim youth. The Deoband seminary rejected the charge as a "malicious" campaign by the Sunni clerics who, according to the Wahabis-Deobandis, are bidatis (those who indulge in 'innovations' not practised in the Prophet's time) because they visit the mausoleums of Sufi saints.

The hardline attitudes of the Wahabis, who champion Saudi-backed petro-dollar Islam, apart, the supposedly Sufi-believing Sunnis (also called Barelvis) too are facing flak from Muslim liberals. The latter say that the Sunnis (who comprise around 80 per cent of Mumbai's Muslims) are not as moderate as they claim to be. They may not practice extremist Islam like many Wahabis do, but they too are conservative, patriarchal and sometimes viscerally sectarian.

The behaviour of certain Sunni groups bears out this charge. A couple of months ago, the Raza Academy, a Sunni organisation, opposed the appointment of a woman officer at the male-dominated Haj Committee and petitioned the central government to keep the committee "clean of women".

More recently, some members of the Academy protested against the title of a Hindi film called Azaan on the grounds that it signified the call to the faithful for prayers and, therefore, was provocative and sacrilegious. In Mumbai, many Sunni mosques have shut the door on Wahabis as well as Tablighis, the vagabond preachers who are also Deobandis.

"There are boards at Sunni mosques asking Wahabis and Deobandis not to pray there. Many Sunnis believe their mosques will get dirty and their namaz will be spoiled because of the presence of Wahabis.

This is against the message of Sufism, which has no place for hatred and discrimination. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's dargah is open to people of all faiths because he loved all human beings," says Farid Batatawala, who has practised Sufism for over six decades.

Of late, the Sunnis have started barring Deobandis from funerals as well. "I was stunned to hear a Sunni imam asking Deobandis to leave a funeral congregation recently," recalls a prominent Sunni in the city.

Sufi-Pandit Ghulam Dastagir, a Sanskrit scholar who also manages the mausoleum of a Sufi saint called Junglee Peer in Worli, says that such conduct is unbecoming .

"True practitioners of Sufism would not have protested or petitioned the court against naming a film Azaan. They would have sorted it out through dialogue and, if the film-maker had stuck to his stand, they would have prayed to Allah to forgive those who, according to their perception, insulted His words," he explains.

Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan adds that there are hardly any real Sufis today.

"Great souls like Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Hazrat Bakhtiar Kaki and Nizamuddin Aulia were real Sufis who practised and propagated tolerance and inclusiveness," he says. "Today most of those who claim to be practising Sufism are actually donning a facade."

Sunnis in Pakistan have gone one step beyond in the intolerance game.

The Sunni Ittehad Council, a Karachi-based organisation established in 2009 with the avowed aim of fighting "the growing Talibanisation of the country", last year rose to oppose the death sentence handed out to Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

In the name of Namoos-e-Risalat (preservation of the Prophet's prestige), many Sunni ulema justify the brutal killing of Taseer who had opposed Pakistan's draconian Blasphemy Law. So are Sunnis too becoming intolerant?

"I would not like any Muslim to be intolerant and extremist. Islam will be endangered if blasphemy, especially by fellow Muslims, is not contested," says Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi, secretary general of the London-headquartered World Islamic Mission, who is in Mumbai to participate in the three-day Sunni meet at Azad Maidan.

A. Faizur Rahman, secretary-general of the Chennai-based Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought among Muslims, points out that original Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as the spiritual union between man and God achieved without any intermediaries.

"Real Sufis in history have led almost ascetic lives, distancing themselves from physical lusts and worldly desires," he says. "If at all they had a public life, it was dedicated and confined to the service of humanity."

If only the self-proclaimed Sufis of today would heed this credo.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Changing Nature

By Mo Hashim, *From Nubia to Sudan: a rare Sudanese exhibition in Athens* -Sudan Tribune - Paris, France; Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Benaki Museum for Islamic Arts is located in a busy road in the tourist-packed Monistraki district of Athens, the Greek capital.

Under the Acropolis hill, where the Parthenon temple stands, a five-storey high building, with its collection of Islamic artifacts covering the 14 centuries of Islam, is host to a rare event happening in the agora of ancient Athens. An exhibition of photographs documenting the changing nature of the Sudanese Nile valley, from antiquity to present time.

This 80-pictures-large exhibition, is a genuine labour of love by archaeologists Alexandros Tsakos and his wife Henriette Hafsaas-Tsakos, a Greek-Norwegian couple, whose dedication to furthering our understanding of the Sudanese past is unquestionable, creative and thought-provoking.

The two researchers’ enthusiasm for Sudan is evident through this collection of images that captures several themes that are of great relevance to a new generation of young Sudanese and Sudanphiles.

But it is also a chance for visitors, Sudanese or otherwise, to ponder the fate of the country. The images contrast between the Meroitic pyramids, where monarchs of antiquity rest, with the Qubbas or shrines of Sufi saints, ancient temples and medieval mosques, the duality of the Nile and its deserts, of old rituals and new practices, Christianity and Islam, mud bricks and concrete walls.

Walking around the exhibition halls, from floor to floor, the pictures are laid out in a meticulous manner and arrangement as to fit in with the museum’s layout.

The pictures are introduced with simple extracts of verse encapsulating the human traits that bind us all together.

Visitors to the exhibition are handed out a map of the Northern Sudanese or Nubian Nile valley from Khartoum to Aswan. Places are named in English and Greek, as whilst English was introduced as international language to Sudan by its last colonizers, Greek was the language that for millennia had been used to document and communicate with the Nubian valley.

Visitors are introduced to Sudan’s Sufi or mystically inspired Islam. A tolerant religiosity that transcends time and is deeply rooted in the way the Nubians have held their faith in the Creator of the Nile, from the old dynastic times through the era of the Christian creed, and now in the age of Islam.

No image in the whole collection presents this tolerance as the one showing children of a Nilotic southern Sudanese family playing near the gate of their house in a village in the heart of the Mahas. The door to this family’s home is adorned in true Nubian fashion with Christian crosses with a rather large one on the door. This contrasts to the Islamic symbols that are used by their Nubian neighbours.

A set of images captures the Friday afternoon Zikir at the shrine of Omdurman’s Qadri saint, Shaykh Hamed al-Nil Al-A’raki. Images of prayers in prostration, capture the significance of prayers to the faithful.

The visitor is subsequently taken into a quick journey into the meaning of the Mosque. How the shrines of sufi saints could be seen as a historical parallels, a form of cultural continuity, to the Tarabeel, as the pyramids of northern Sudan are locally known.

The images carry subtle hints to the realities that impact the lives of those living in Sudan.

One picture captures a hole made by a mortar shell on minaret in Midan al-Khalifa opposite the dome of Al-Mahdi in Omdurman, when forces of the Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality movement, launched an ill fated, albeit daring attack, against the seat of the NCP regime in Khartoum in May 2008.

Water a most essential requirement for survival in the Nubian desert is celebrated by the photographers in all the different forms it impacts the lives of the Sudanese.

One set of photos brings a genuine Sudanese object to the fore of our attention. Clay pots that hold cool water for the thirsty, or for those seeking ablution for prayers, the Zir. A Zir by a Qubba in Abu Haraz is important for those visiting the Wali, as it is the Baraka-blessed water that quenches the thirst of the seeker.

We see water as rain, and how children of the Manaseer in the Fourth Cataract, before its flooding by the Merowe dam, were jubilant when raindrops caressed the banks of the river they knew for generations.

We then sail on the river, with Bantoons, Marakib, Falukas all boats on the river, before we encounter the artificial lakes of the dams, and the pristine ancient banks they flooded.

This gently weaved thread of narration gives the viewer a warmth of feelings harboured by the Greek Norwegian mission for Sudan. However, the exhibition is most of all, a gentle appeal to sensibility.

It raises concern and urgently calls for action, from the Sudanese and their friends worldwide, to pause and rethink once again as to how they want their country to develop and at what price?

This point, although not explicitly spelt out by the Athens celebration of the Nubian Nile, which is after all a cultural event, not a political protest, is one that all Sudanese need to address immediately.

Politics are never too far from all affairs Sudanese, with plans to build more dams and reservoirs along the Sudanese Nile and its tributaries; be it in Dal, the Third Cataract, Al-Setait or any where else, the need for action can not wait.

Many Sudanese needs are concerned with the development of electric power, but there are alternative options that are more cost-effective and environmentally sound, to hydro-generated electric power. We should not hark on Egypt of the 1950’s for inspiration; after all, this is the 21st century.

There are several other options for the Sudan, mainly in developing solar and wind generation alternatives. For the lobby calling for utilizing the river’s waters, there are better ways than changing, and forever, the nature and the environment of the age-old Nile.

However, one particular lobby, which reigns supreme in Khartoum, is that one opposed to any furthering of our knowledge of pre-Islamic Sudan, of Christian Nubia’s needs to change its understanding and accept alternative models of "development" other than hydro power, and what would mean flooding huge areas of land.

It is this lobby that considers the false Arab genealogies of late 18th century Mecca as the key proof of our misguided, beastly delusion of Arabism that must be challenged.

This view that ideologically rests upon the narrative purported by Ibn Kholdoun that Arab incursions succeeded in pacifying Nubia and its populations in their totality, and how our political identity is currently being fashioned. This lobby needs to be made to understand that the crime of destroying our land, to wipe out our history and our knowledge of it, will be in vain.

As I write these lines, the Sudanese government of the "Islamic Republic of Sudan" - as the state would shortly and in due time be renamed to – is considering the construction of more new dams along the Nile.

The exhibition is a subtle reminder of the fate that befell the Halfaweyeen and other Nubians in the 1960’s, but it is an actual documentation of what befell the Manaseer of the Fourth Cataract in the 2000’s.

It is a warning of the danger facing a river, that was kind to its neighbours, but is constantly being exploited under the guise of development, to displace peaceful docile populations, impoverish them, and destroy histories buried under the sands of time, and the Nubian Desert.

Mo Hashim is a Sudanese journalist living and working in the UK. He can be reached at ✉moehash@yahoo.com.

Picture: Qubba of Shaykh Idris Ali al-Rady "Al-Mahjoub" resident of Kweika an early 19th century Sufi shaykh and khalifa of al-Khatmiya tariqa in Sai in the land of the Mahas. Photo: ST.

The exhibition From Nubia to Sudan at the Benaki Museum runs from
October 7, 2011 to February 19, 2012.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Well Together

By PTI Staff Writer, *Arab Spring, Rumi and Sufism highlight at Jaipur Lit Fest 2012* - Firstpost.com - India; Wednesday, October 19, 2011

New Delhi: Sufism and the revolution that swept across the Arab world recently, is all set to take the limelight at the next edition of the Jaipur Literature festival in January 2012.

“Jaipur festival gets the best writers from everywhere. In India we get a varied range of writers we can showcase. Last year Namita Gokhale had tried to focus on Dalit literature. The next edition of the festival will focus on Sufi and Bhakti literature,” says William Dalrymple, one of the directors of the festival.

Jalal ad-Din Muammad Rumi who is a 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic would be the subject of talks among experts.

“We have tried to bring in experts on Sufi and Bhakti literature. There will be renowned Rumi experts like Franklin Lewis attending the festival. Also experts on sufism such as Carl Ernst and Richard M Eaton would be present, ” Dalrymple says.

Besides Sufism, the festival would extensively feature discussions on the Arab World which had faced a series of demonstrations and protests against totalitarian regimes earlier this year, with varied range of writers from Middle East pouring in.

“We will hold discussions on the ‘Arab Spring’ in the Middle East. Reza Aslan from Iran Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian lawyer and writer, Isham Matar, a Libyan author and Hanan Al-Shaykh, a Lebanese author will attend these discussions on Middle East,” says Dalrymple.

Dalrymple, himself a lover of Sufi music has featured Sufis in his various works.

His latest book Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India talks about Sufism. He also recalled his travel to Istanbul and Lahore where he says “Sufi music and great food always seemed to go well together”.

The noted Scottish author and historian was recently in the capital in a conversation with author Somnath Batabyal at an event at the Alliance Francaise here.

Co-founded in 2005 by Dalrymple and Indian author and publisher Namita Gokhale, the Jaipur Literature Festival has over the years managed to successully build itself as a brand with participation from international authors.

Over the years the attendees have included Nobel Laureates J M Coetzee and Orhan Pamuk. It is estimated that over 20,000 people, including foreign visitors turn up every year at the event that is held in the palace outside the walled city.

As the literary festival draws near, remarking on his hectic schedule Dalrymple says, “Jaipur festival is in danger of taking too much of my time. The only way to manage everything is to cut back on sleep,” he says.

Picture: William Dalrymple. Photo: AFP.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

A Call Across India

By Vidya Subrahmaniam, *Sufi Maha Panchayat denounces Wahabi extremism* - The Hindu - India; Sunday, October 16, 2011

“When anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to the police”

Moradabad: The All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) on Sunday gave a call to Sunni Muslims across India to reject and rebuff hardline Wahabism so that Islam could return to its tolerant, Sufi roots:

“When an extremist turns up at your door seeking your support, when anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to the nearest police station,”

said Board general secretary Maulana Syed Mohd Ashraf Kachochavi, addressing a large-sized Maha Panchayat of Sunni Muslims here.

The Maulana also asked the government to immediately pass legislation to set up a Central Madrasa Board so that fundings to madrasas could be audited and a watch kept on the flow of Saudi petro-dollars into madrasa education.

The Maha Panchayat was a sort of “coming out” event for the AIUMB, which claims to represent 80 per cent of Sunni Muslims (themselves accounting for the largest share of Indian Muslims) and yet has been barely visible on the Indian Muslim political and cultural scene.

The AIUMB's case is that despite their huge numbers, they have not been able to assert themselves because the Deobandis and the Wahabis have captured key Muslim institutions such as the Wakf Board and the madrasas, and also wield political influence far beyond their size:

“The government listens only to the hardliners. It has handed over Wakf properties and Masjids, which belong to us, to them.”

Board members stressed the threat from Wahabi extremism over and over in their speeches to the Maha Panchayat, arguing that a small group of people had succeeded in giving a bad name to Islam and Muslims, most of whom were Sunni Sufis and therefore peace-loving, tolerant and intensely patriotic.

Speakers also emphasised the essentially inclusive nature of Sufism which did not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims and allowed all communities to pray in their shrines. The Deobandis, on the other hand, did not allow their followers to go to Sufi dargahs.

“The time has come for us to come out and claim our rights. Let us take a pledge that we will never support Wahabi extremism — not today, not tomorrow. Let us take a pledge that we will work for the unity and integrity of our motherland,”

Maulana Kachochavi told the gathering. Later talking to the press, the Maulana made a strong pitch for a Madrasa Board saying:

“Right now the madrasas are under the control of Wahabi-inspired organisations which run on Saudi money. The ideology they teach and spread is hardline Wahabism. These organisations have put pressure on the government not to enact the Act. We want the funds to go to the really needy and poor.”

Remarkably, the Maha Panchayat appeared to have been boycotted by the influential Urdu press.

Last week, when the Board held a press conference in Delhi, Urdu journalists were openly hostile to the organisers, arguing that the AIUMB was trying to divide Muslims, and was no different from the Sangh Parivar, which saw all Muslims as terrorists.

Opposed to Congress

When journalists brought up the issue of the AIUMB's political leanings on Sunday, AIUMB members insisted that they were apolitical. However, Maulana Kachochavi made it clear that the AIUMB was opposed to the Congress,

“which propped up hardline organisations like the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.”

Asked if the AIUMB would put up its own candidates in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, he admitted that it was an idea they were considering, as

“that seems to be the only way to make people and the government hear us.” But for now, “we will vote whoever supports all our demands.”

Picture: Voice Against Terror: All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board president Hazrat Syed Muhammad Ashraf Ashrafi addressing the Muslim Maha Panchayat of board in Moradabad on Sunday. Photo: PTI.

Monday, October 24, 2011

A Great Value

By Staff Writer, *Moderate Islam Sufi sheikh joins Sawiris' Free Egyptians Party* - Ahram Online - Cairo, Egypt; Monday, October 17, 2011

With Saudi wahhabi version of Islam on the rise in Egypt, the more characteristically Egyptian Sufis field another candidate for parliamentary elections in alliance with the Free Egyptians Party

The Free Egyptians Party has announced that Sheikh Tarek Yasin of the Sufi Rifai Order has joined the party and will work through its Political Office.

“Sheikh Tarek will be a great value to our party,” says Bassel Adel, a member of the party's presidential committee.

“He represents the Sufi order, which adopts moderate Islam. This is what Egypt needs at the moment. We want to show the best we have and display our values of tolerance. We cannot waste any more time in disputes that aim to divide Egyptians.”

Adel added that the party will field Sheikh Yassin for the Imbaba seat in the parliamentary elections set for 28 November.

Some surveys suggest that at least six million people - or one in every three young men - belong to one or another of the more than 40 Sufi orders. However, experts and locals have noted a change away from the more spiritual form of Islam (Sufi) to stricter more Gulf-oriented Islam (Wahhabi).

The Free Egyptians is a liberal party founded by Egyptian business tycoon, Naguib Sawiris, after the revolution.

[Picture: Free Egyptians Party (Al-Masreyeen Al-Ahrrar) Logo. Photo: Wiki.]

Sunday, October 23, 2011

To Find Peace

By Rizwan Buttar, *A trip to Bullah Shah’s shrine* - Dawn.Com - Karachi, Pakistan; Friday, October 14, 2011

Baba Bullah Shah (1680–1757) was a sufi from Punjab. He was a follower of the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry and followed in the footsteps of the greats including Shah Hussain (1538–1599), Sultan Bahu (1629–1691), and Shah Sharaf (1640–1724).

He was well known for his liberal views and humanism.

According to popular lore, Bullah Shah traveled to Lahore in search of a murshid (teacher).

He found Hazrat Shah Inayat, a well-known Qadiri Sufi and gardener by profession. He told Shah Inayat that he was searching for God. To this Shah replied:

“What is the problem in finding God? One only needs to be uprooted from here and replanted there.”

Blessed by his teacher Shah Inayat, Bullah Shah went on to find abundant spiritual insight. His poetry is filled with his search for God as he goes on a spiritual journey.

Bullah Shah’s Kafis have been immortalised by Pathany Khan, Abida Parveen and Sain Zahoor.

The younger lot too has been exposed to his sufi thoughts due to Rabbi Shergil and Junoon with Bulleh ki jana mein kaun getting ample airtime.

A trip to Baba Bulleh Shah’s shrine is an experience in itself. Be it the devotees who come here to pay their respects or the malangs lost in their own world, everyone aims to find peace.

Picture: Baba Bullah's Shrine. Photo: Rizwan Buttar. [Click on the title to the original for more beautiful pictures (ed.).]

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Time to Speak Up

By TCN News,*A conference in Moradabad to check ‘Wahabi extremism’ in India* - Two Circles Net - Boston, MA, USA; Friday, October 14, 2011

New Delhi: All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board is concerned about the spread of ‘Wahabi extremism’ and radicalisation of Muslim youths in India.

The group of Sunni Sufi Muslims is holding a conference on 16th October in Moradabad with an aim to spread the message of peaceful co-existence to check the growth of hardline ideology in the country.

“Wahabi extremism is sweeping across the sub-continent. And after Afghanistan and Pakistan, the radical Wahabi Ideology is aggressively engaged in the radicalization of a few Indian Muslims.

It is time for the silent majority to speak up and take the centre stage. A vast majority of Muslims in India are Sunni Sufi Muslims who are nationalistic, patriotic and followers of the Sufi Saints”


Said Syed Babar Ashraf, National Secretary, All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board in a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi.

He also said that his group is organising a nation-wide campaign to spread the message of peaceful co-existence, in an attempt to check the growth of hardline ideology in the country. He said poverty and unemployment is pushing youths to radicalism.

“Increasing unemployment and rising poverty among Indian Muslims provides a fertile ground for breeding of this ideology.

The Wahabi hardliners through charities and by capturing mosques /madarsas have been indoctrinating innocent Muslims and are spending billions of dollars to hurt the democratic and secular fabric of the country built over centuries through peaceful activities of the Sufi saints”


Ashraf said, adding that it is the “need of the hour to stand up and raise the voice against this menace which poses a big threat to entire humanity as well as the internal security of our Nation”.

Named as Muslim Maha Panchayat, Moradabad conference will also discuss issues and problems confronting the Muslim community in the country.

Major issues to be taken up are: Transparency in appointment of members to various Central and State bodies and induction of Sufi Sunni Muslims in such bodies; Reservation for backward Muslims (as per the recommendations of Justice Ranganath Mishra Report) and Central Madarsa Board Bill (with amendments proposed by the Ulama and Mashaikh Board).

He said that Sajjadanashins or caretakers of most significant Sufi Khanquahs in India – Ajmer Shareef, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Kicchauchha Shareef, Marahra Shareef, Bareilly Shareef, Pandva Shareef (West Bengal) have come together under one umbrella body - The All India Ulema and Mashaik Board - to redefine the agenda for Indian Muslims.

The Muslim 'Maha Panchayat' is scheduled to be held on 16th October 2011 from 9 am onwards at New Moradabad Colony, Zero Point, Pakbara, Delhi Road, Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh).

Friday, October 21, 2011

The Shrine of Ibn Arabi

By Amr al-Fahham, *Sheikh Muhiddine: Shrine to an A-class philosopher and mystic* - Forward Syria Magazine - Damascus, Syria; Wednesday, October 12, 2011 / Issue # 55

When the Andalusian Sufi and philosopher Muhiddine Ibn Arabi decided to move to Damascus and spend the last 17 years of his life, he probably did not know that the place in which he was buried would hold his name forever.

Ibn Arabi, of course, died in Damascus at the age of 75 on November 10, 1240.

Ibn Arabi was not just a philosopher. He was a mystic, a poet, and one of the world’s most spiritual teachers. Known as al-Sheikh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master) he was born in 1165 into the Moorish culture of Andalusian Spain, the centre of an extraordinary flourishing and crossfertilization of Jewish, Christian and Islamic thought.

He wrote over 350 works including the Fusûs al-Hikam, an exposition of the inner meaning of the wisdom of the prophets in the Judaic/ Christian/ Islamic line, and the Futûhât al-Makkiyya, a vast encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge which unites and distinguishes the three strands of tradition, reason and mystical insight.

In his Diwân and Tarjumân al-Ashwâq he also wrote some of the finest poetry in the Arabic language. These extensive writings provide a beautiful exposition of the Unity of Being, the single and indivisible reality which simultaneously transcends and is manifested in all the images of the world.

Firmly rooted in the Quran, his work is universal, accepting that each person has a unique path to the truth, which unites all paths in itself. He has profoundly influenced the development of Islam since his time, as well as significant aspects of the philosophy and literature of the West. His wisdom has much to offer us in the modern world in terms of understanding what it means to be human.

The Muhajreen Neighborhood

The Sheikh Muhiddin district in Damascus, named after the philosopher, is part of the historical neighborhood called al-Muhajireen, lying along the slopes of the Mount Qassiun, overlooking the Syrian capital. Al-Muhajireen was a magnet for emigrants coming to Damascus during the late 19th century, sought after for its favorable climate, and panoramic view of Damascus.

Among the residents of the neighborhood were incoming Kurds, Circassians, and Albanians. By the early 20th century it became an attractive residential quarter as well, noted for the palace of the Ottoman Governor of Damascus, Nazem Pasha, which in 1943 was transformed into the Syrian Presidential Palace, hosting every Syrian leader from Shukri al-Quwatli to President Hafez al-Assad. Briefly in 1919-1920 it also served as the residence to Syria’s first—and last—monarch, King Faisal I.

The Damascus middle class soon moved to al-Muhajreen, setting up impressive homes among the madaress (schools), Turkish baths, mosques, shrines, and historical tombs.

Ibn Arabi in Damascus

To visit the Sheikh Muhiddin district, one needs to begin a pedestrian stroll from the Al-Afif Square (near the current French Embassy) at the eastern end of the Muhajireen neighborhood. That walk automatically takes tourists uphill, until reaching a white dome from which they have to turn right and walk along the paved narrow street historically known as the Street of Schools (Sharee al-Madaress).

Thanks to the historical tombs that dot the district, dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman eras, the street has managed to remarkably maintain its charm, despite the passing of centuries.

Different architecture is noted on every street corner, along with different types of calligraphy, ornamentations and tiles. One of the first buildings that draws a visitor’s attention is a newly renovated one with a red dome, originally built back in 1298 and known as Al-Turbah Al-Takritia. Opposite to it is Darul-Hadith Al-Ashrafieh built in 1236 and Al-Madrassa Al-Murshidiyya.

The most outstanding monument, however, is the Sheikh Muhiddin Mosque where the Sufi philosopher's shrine lies since the mid-1200s. The mosque was originally a humble place of worship, carrying a shrine with Ibn Arabi’s name within it.

When the Ottoman Sultan Salim I conquered Damascus in 1516, he decided to renovate the mosque into its current shape and form. The mosque is an example of early Ottoman architecture with some local Damascene touches such as the basin in the middle of its courtyard.

Beside the tomb of Ibn Arabi lies the empty tomb of Emir Abdul Qadir Al Jazaeri, the Algerian resistance leader who died in Damascus in 1883 and whose remains were transferred to Algeria after the Algerian independence from France in 1966. Try not to miss the wooden noria situated south of the mosque. Designed in the 13th century; the noria was part of the world's earliest water supply system to be driven by gears and hydropower.

Damascene treasure

Although revered by Sufis and respected by historians across the world, Ibn Arabi’s shrine is one of the generally overlooked treasures of Damascus. Most tourists usually tend to visit the Umayyad Mosque and the Street Called Straight, or the ancient city of Palmyra, overpassing—unintentionally—the shrine of Ibn Arabi.

Surrounding the shrine are a Damascene patisserie shop that prepares traditional giant Damascene cookies (Ajweh), an Oriental broom shop, and a very vibrant fruits and vegetables bazaar known as the Friday Market.

A big portion of the historical neighborhood has been altered, sometimes beyond recognition, by wild urban planning, causing the Ibn Arabi neighborhood to lose some of its original charm and historical value.

A considerable part of it, however, has been maintained and upgraded by several Syrian governments since 1920, serving as an example for generations to come who have followed Ibn Arabi’s teachings.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Religious Tensions

By Kim Gamel, *Islamic hard-liners attack rival shrines in Libya* - San Francisco Chronicle / Associated Press - San Francisco, CA, USA; Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tripoli, Libya: Islamic hard-liners have attacked about a half-dozen shrines in and around Tripoli belonging to Muslim sects whose practices they see as sacrilegious, raising religious tensions as Libya struggles to define its identity after Moammar Gadhafi's ouster.

The vandalism has drawn concern at the highest levels as Libya's new rulers seek to reassure the international community that extremists will not gain influence in the North African nation.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the governing National Transitional Council, reacted with alarm to reports that graves were being desecrated and appealed to a top Muslim cleric, al-Sadek al-Gheriani, to issue a fatwa, or religious ruling, on the issue.

He also called for restraint. "I ask those destroying these mosques to stop doing that because this is not the time to do that," Abdul-Jalil said Tuesday at a news conference. "What they did is not on the side of the revolution."

The campaign appears to be aimed mainly at shrines revered by Sufis, a mystical order whose members often pray over the tombs of revered saints and ask for blessings or intervention to bring success, marriage or other desired outcomes. Hard-line Sunnis deem the practice offensive because they consider worshipping over graves to be idolatry.

In one case, witnesses said dozens of armed, bearded men wearing military uniforms ransacked a Sufi shrine in Tripoli this week, burning relics and carrying away the remains of two imams, or prayer leaders, for reburial elsewhere.

The assailants arrived in pickup trucks mounted with heavy weapons and stormed the gate to the compound housing the shrine, then dug up the two imams, identified as Abdul-Rahman al-Masri and Salem Abu Seif, and took the remains to be buried in a cemetery, according to the witnesses.

Many residents in the Al-Masri neighborhood welcomed the attack, accusing worshippers at the shrine of practicing "black magic." Sufism is a mystical tradition in Islam. The order says its mission is to live a simple life of contemplation and prayer but followers are frequently targeted by extremists.

Witnesses offered conflicting details, with some saying the attackers were heavily armed and came from other parts of the city and others saying it was a small group of unarmed locals.

Abdul-Hamid al-Sunni, one of the residents, said the presence of the bodies had prevented people from the neighborhood from praying there. He claimed it was a small group of some 20 people that exhumed the bodies.

He said residents had long wanted to get rid of the graves and he presented a petition signed by 120 people supporting the action, which began about 11 p.m. Sunday.

Dirt and rocks were piled high around the empty graves that had been dug in the floor of the white and light blue building in Tripoli's al-Masri neighborhood. Blackened piles of ash and pieces of pottery were in the courtyard outside after the attackers burned relics and other items from the shrine, which sits next to a Quranic school in the same compound.

"We need to build a new school here, a Quranic school, and we need to build a mosque and we need to build a small hospital for the area," al-Sunni said.

The attackers then jumped back into their vehicles and drove to another neighborhood where they dug up the grave of a man who had built a mosque there and was buried inside.

A shopkeeper in front of the al-Badri mosque who identified himself only as Mohsen said the men used hammers and shovels to exhume the remains, which they planned to bury in a cemetery. Mohsen said about 150 men blocked the roads leading to the compound and bragged about having come from al-Masri and planned to target more mosques.

"They shouldn't have done this because the relatives had already applied to rebury him anyway," the witness said Wednesday in an interview outside his store, declining to give his full name because of fear of retaliation.

Nader Omrani, who oversees religious affairs for the Tripoli local council, said three or four incidents had been reported in Tripoli and one in the town of Janzour, six miles (10 kilometers) to the west of the capital.

"Because of the public condemnation and quick action by this council ... this conduct has been contained," he said Wednesday.

Council members said the attacks were under investigation and it was not yet known who carried them out.

But observers familiar with the issue blamed Islamic fundamentalists known as Salafists and said talks were under way to persuade them to stop.

One man, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said many Libyans opposed Sufi traditions but did not want them handled violently.

Al-Gheriani, who was a key supporter of Libya's revolution, said in an audio recording posted Monday on his official website that he opposes the building of shrines over graves but he does not sanction their removal, particularly as fighting continues on two fronts, stalling efforts to form a new government.

"The country doesn't have a government with authorities imposed everywhere. Security is not prevalent, it is shaky and there are too many factions," he said, calling on groups to stop the attacks. "The time is not right. It may cause sedition ... and more bloodshed."

Stephen Schwartz, the executive director of the California-based Center for Islamic Pluralism and a Sufi himself, said the act showed Islamic extremists were starting to make their move. He said the targeting of rival mosques and cemeteries has been used throughout history as a highly symbolic way to assert control.

"It illustrates that there's a void ... and ... the radicals, the fundamentalists are going to try to fill that void," he said in a telephone interview. "They'll go where the opportunity is, where Muslims are divided and authority is weakened."

Picture: Libyans walk in front of an empty grave hole at the Shrine of Sidi al Masry, in Tripoli, Libya. Photo: Abdel Magid Al Fergany / AP.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

A World of Difference

By Sultan Abubakar, *Islam and Peace Building in West Africa (1) Imperatives of knowledge, justice & anti-corruption, by Sultan Abubakar* - Vanguard - Lagos, Nigeria; Monday, October 10, 2011

But for his position as a foremost traditional ruler in Nigeria, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar of Sokoto, mni, CFR, (he is the President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA]) could as well just pass for an intellectual – without prejudice to his military background.

In this paper he presented at the Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, last Monday, October, 3, 2011, his highness discusses the role of Islam in nation building, the values the religion brings and the prospects for peace and prosperity in the event that leaders and the led appreciate the significance of those values.

The Sultan also discusses the progress made so far in enthroning peace in a sub-region of clashing ethno-religious and political interests. Excerpts:

The search for sustainable peace, at all critical levels of our collective existence, remains one of the major challenges we face in the twenty first century. Today, more than ever before, we stand on the threshold of great opportunities.

Developments in various fields of human endeavor have made it easy to accumulate vast knowledge on peoples and cultures and to communicate this knowledge in ways never imagined before, with the real promise of bringing better understanding between us all.

Scientific breakthroughs have also made it possible to achieve human development at an unprecedented scale and to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of each and every one of us.

But these opportunities also come with great dangers – and these dangers have already begun to manifest themselves in ways that leave us with much to worry about. Bigotry and hatred are being elevated to a new pedestal and spread with relish and impunity.

Protracted conflicts, threats of war and the rise of extremism and militancy, from all sides of the socio-religious divide, have become the reality of our daily lives in many parts of the world. Regrettably, a significant portion of the world’s population still wallow in abject poverty and neglect, thereby fuelling the vicious cycles of conflict, violence and instability that we are now all too familiar with.

As a military officer and diplomatic representative, I have seen the devastation of war, not only in West Africa, but in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the world. I have witnessed the desperate cries of widows and orphans and the exasperation of bewildered families desperately struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives.

As the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs; as well as the Co-Chair of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council [NIREC], I have also seen the pain and suffering which ethnic polarization and religious misunderstanding could bring to a nation and its people; how ego and bigotry could conspire to deprive people of their rationality and good judgment and how religious leaders could set aside the teachings of their scriptures to lend a helping hand to these sectarian crises.

But during all these, I have also seen how people of goodwill could make a world of difference; how the right word at the appropriate time could heal an old wound; how a little help to those in distress could rekindle hope in our common humanity and how people of virtue, courage and determination could set aside their fears and misgivings to work together to re-establish and strengthen the bases of mutual co-existence within their diverse communities.

It is only appropriate for me to address you on Islam and Peace-Building in West Africa, and particularly in my home country, Nigeria, with the real hope that in our individual and collective efforts, we can contribute our little quota towards the realization of the Jodidi vision of promoting “tolerance, understanding and goodwill among nations and the peace of the world.”

HISTORICAL LEGACIES

From the available records, Islam is more than a millennium old in West Africa. However, it was not until the mid-eleventh century that it began to emerge as a State Religion. According to Al-Bakri, A historian of the rigion, it was the Kingdom of Takrur, which acquired this status, followed half a century later by the Kingdom of Kanem under the Sayfawa.

By the 12th century Ghana had become Islamized, Mali emerged in the 14th century, to be taken over by Songhai in the 16th century, which hosted the Sankore University in Timbuktu, the first University in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Islamization of the Hausa States of Northern Nigeria began in earnest from the second half of the fourteenth century. Islam had become well-established by the turn of the seventeenth century.

The establishment of Islam in West Africa had always been predicated on a multi-ethnic and multi-racial basis.

HOW THE CALIPHATE TRANSFORMED ISLAM

The emergence of the Sokoto Caliphate in the early years of the nineteenth century, led by the erudite scholar, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, brought a drastic transformation of the Islamic scene in West Africa. The Sokoto Caliphate was a political as well as an intellectual revolution.

Politically, it initiated an extensive process of state formation which spanned across several states in Western and Central Africa. The political legacies of the Caliphate could be found in present-day Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and the Republic of Cameroon.

Intellectually, the Caliphate also succeeded in putting scholars at the helm of public affairs. As true intellectuals, they had to argue their way through almost every major decision they took and had the time and foresight to record their thoughts, ideas and the justification of their actions for posterity.

The Sokoto Triumvirate, namely Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio and Shaykh Muhammad Bello, authored over 300 books and pamphlets. Other Caliphate leaders were also prolific writers. Nana Asma’u alone wrote over 70 poems and tracts.

ENTHRONEMENT OF VALUES

But despite these impressive achievements, probably one of the Caliphate’s most enduring legacies had been in the area of values. I have drawn attention to this issue in both my lectures at Columbia University, New York, on 7th November, 2007 and at Oxford University, Oxford, England on 25 March, 2008.

It is my firm belief that these values, when properly understood and applied, would greatly aid our West African polities in evolving a dynamic and responsive governance framework and in providing a veritable yardstick by which political behavior and action could be assessed.

KNOWLEDGE AS BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance.

In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, “A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect….. If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over.

For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government. All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

PRIMACY OF JUSTICE IN THE POLITY

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near…. Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues.

There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice. Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

ANTI-CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities. When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

DIGNITY OF LABOUR

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor. Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright:

Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

INFRASTRUCTURE

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

UPLIFTING WOMEN THROUGH EDUCATION FOR GROWTH

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them….. This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation.

They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger.

They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust……. And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an. Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups.

In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although, a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools. The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group.

The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance. In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio,

“A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect….. If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over.

For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government. All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near…. Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues.

There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice. Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities. When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor.

Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright: Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them….. This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation.

They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger. They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust…….

And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an.

Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups. In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools.

The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group. The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

QUOTES

Bigotry and hatred are being elevated to a new pedestal and spread with relish and impunity

I have witnessed the desperate cries of widows and orphans and the exasperation of bewildered families desperately struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance

There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities

Being excerpts from Lecture By His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar mni, CFR, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA], At The Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, Monday, October, 3, 2011

New York, on 7th November, 2007 and at Oxford University, Oxford, England on 25 March, 2008. It is my firm belief that these values, when properly understood and applied, would greatly aid our West African polities in evolving a dynamic and responsive governance framework and in providing a veritable yardstick by which political behavior and action could be assessed.

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance. In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio,

“A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect…..

If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over. For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government.

All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near….

Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues. There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice.

Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities.

When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor. Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….

There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright: Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them….. This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation.

They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger. They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust…….

And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an.

Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups. In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools. The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group.

The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

QUOTES

Bigotry and hatred are being elevated to a new pedestal and spread with relish and impunity

I have witnessed the desperate cries of widows and orphans and the exasperation of bewildered families desperately struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance

There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities

Being excerpts from Lecture By His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar mni, CFR, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA], At The Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, Monday, October, 3, 2011

Oxford, England on 25 March, 2008. It is my firm belief that these values, when properly understood and applied, would greatly aid our West African polities in evolving a dynamic and responsive governance framework and in providing a veritable yardstick by which political behavior and action could be assessed.

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance. In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio,

“A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect…..

If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over. For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government.

All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near…. Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues.

There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice. Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities. When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor. Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….

There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright: Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them…..

This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation. They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger. They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust…….

And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an.

Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups. In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools. The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group.

The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

Being excerpts from Lecture By His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar mni, CFR, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA], At The Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, Monday, October, 3, 2011.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Tale of Love
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By Staff Writer, *Literature: Heer recital to revive interest in Sufi poetry* - The Express Tribune, Karachi, Pakistan; Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Faisalabad: University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, on Tuesday organised a Heer recital to revive student’s interest in Sufi poetry.

Several folk singers were invited to the event to recite Heer Ranjha’s epic tale of love.

Speaking at the occasion, UAF vice chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan said more events on Sufi poetry would be held in the future to enable students, and the youth in general, to understand and appreciate Sufi teachings.

He said a large number of Sufis had inhabited the areas now included in the country and that their was a vast collection of literature containing Sufi saints’ poetry in various regional languages like Urdu, Punjabi, Seraiki, Sindhi, Pushto and Balochi.

He said the university had decided to organise the Heer recital in view of the declining trend in the new generation’s interest in such literature.

He said poets like Waris Shah, Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain and Khwaja Ghulam Farid were among the leading reformists of their times. “They preached pacifism and strived to end warfare and differences among the people of the sub-continent,” he said.

Dr Iqrar said most Sufis were critical of the rulers of their times. He said Sufi had devoted their lives to promotion of peace, brotherhood among different religious communities, tolerance and patience through their poetry.

He said though English and Urdu translations of Sufi poetry was now widely available, the real message could not be grasped without reading these in the languages these were originally written.

He paid homage to folk singers for keeping the poetry alive by performing it. He said folk artists’ role could not be ignored in preserving Sufi poetry and spreading the message it contains.

Senior Tutor Prof Dr Muhammad Aslam said Waris Shah was renowned for his contribution to Punjabi literature.

He said Heer remained the most critically acclaimed work of the poet. He said to date folk artists recite the poem during get-togethers at almost every Punjabi village.
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Sunday, October 30, 2011

'Ya Waris'
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By Staff Writer, *'Faith keeps tradition alive'* The Times of India - Lucknow, India; Sunday, October 23, 2011

Lucknow: The annual fair organised to ensure that Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah stays in Dewa for his devotees ended with glittering fireworks on Saturday.

The saint is believed to be the 26th descendant of Hazrat Imam Hussain who lived about 100 years ago.

Legend says that Sarkar, as Haji Waris Shah is remembered by his followers, preferred wandering. But, his devotees wanted him to stay at Dewa for sometime. So they proposed to organise a fair to mark the death anniversary of his grandfather. He accepted the proposal on the condition that the mela be held around Karwa Chauth.

Dewa Mela attracts pilgrims from across the country to seek the saint's blessings.

They can be seen carrying chadars over their heads and chanting 'Ya Waris'.

"The echo of qawwalis and devotional songs makes the visit a spiritual experience," said MA Khan, a devotee.

Over the years, Dewa Mela has grown manifolds. "In the three important days of the festival (October 16-18), an estimated 20 lakh people visited," said Vikas Gothalwal, district magistrate Barabanki.

On what makes Dewa Mahotsava special, he said, "Faith keeps the tradition alive."

The fair, housing scores of stalls, a cattle and horse market, serve business purposes to the rural populace.

Cultural events, that saw performances from ghazal singer, Ghulam Ali and qawwali duo Sabri brothers, Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tewari, bhajan singer Anoop Jalota, acted as a bigger crowd puller. Kavi sammelan, Mushaira and Kishor Kumar night were equally popular.

Keeping the worldly characteristics aside, the mela is an occasion to remember the saint who was blessed since childhood. According to legends, Sarkar memorised the Quran even though he took lessons rather reluctantly.

As he grew up, instances proving his exceptional powers increased. Once the saint was crossing river Ghaghara on his way to Bahraich, but floods came in the way. Since there was no boat available, he decided to swim. This scared his companions who followed him reluctantly when the saint directed them. Surprisingly, the water was only knee-deep and everyone easily waded through.

It is also said that Haji always appeared tall in any gathering while his feet never showed any sign of dirt even though he remained bare-footed. Another commonly known thing about him is that he did not have a shadow.

[Picture: Urs in Dewa Shareef. Photo: Saint Waris Ali Shah Website.
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Saturday, October 29, 2011

A Rare Spell of Magic
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By Ammar Shahbazi, *A tryst with history* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, October 23, 2011

Silence. Dimly-lit chandeliers and flickering candle lights yellowed the breadth of the hall. The measured chiming of her ghungru in perfect sync with the beats of tabla went on and on freezing the sense of time.

Nahid Siddiqi’s Kathak performance at a Supporters of The Citizens Foundation’s fundraising event, celebrating the classics of great Sufi poet and musician of the Indian subcontinent Amir Khusro, cast a rare spell of magic on the audience.

It was veritably an enactment of an evening founded only in the books of literature or paintings stilled forever by anonymous artists at some princely court of Mughal India; it was virtually a rendezvous with history.

The event was hosted by Zia Mohyeddin, who clued up the audience with his encyclopedic knowledge of Indian classical music and the sheer impact of Amir Khusro in shaping the genre in so many ways.

“Amir Khusro could be summed up as light upon light. His literary and musical output was enormous. He gave the world of music Khayal and Tarana, two of the most vibrant forms of classical singing. He created Qawwali, and invented Taals and Ragas which are still in vogue.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mushtaq K Chapra thanked the supporters of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and revealed that their help had enabled the TCF to run 730 schools across the country and impart quality education to 102,000 underprivileged children all over Pakistan.

Some of the leading names in contemporary classical music in the country performed Khusro’s Ghazals in Persian, Hindi and the hybrid languages that he wrote in, and played instrumentals of his famous compositions.

“The native Persians (Iranians) don’t have a very high opinion about Persian literature that came out of the Indian subcontinent. They don’t even see Ghalib as someone significant, but when it comes to Khusro, the Persian critics are silent in awe,” said Mohyeddin, who was not only the MC of the show but played he role of a performer, narrating in his signature style the history of the giant of Indian classical musician.

The performers mainly comprised the alumni and faculty members of the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). Nafees Ahmad on sitar, Ustad Bashir Khan on Tabla, Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan on harp, Mohammed Hussain on harmonium and Ustad Salamat Hussain on flute made up the orchestra for the singers who took turns to pay their tribute to Khusro.

Ustad Salamat Ali, Mehnaz Begum, Ustad Nasreuddin Saami along with a troupe of young singers from NAPA performed.

When the famous compositions of Khusro like Mera Piya Ghar Aya and Mankunto Maula were performed by the Ustads with the utmost classics finesse, keeping the subtleties of ranges and the intricate structure of the melody just on dot, with perfect stretches of the highs and lows, the audience broke in applause.

To commend many a time in between the performances, say, a long breathless stretch of note or an intense sweeping stroke of sitar and table together.

But Nahid Siddiqui simply dazed. The critically acclaimed international Kathak dancer performed after a long time in Karachi, and to say the least, she made her presence on stage not only felt but a memorable one.

[Visit The Citizens Foundation]
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Friday, October 28, 2011

The Intolerance Game
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By Mohammed Wajihuddin, *In God’s name* - The Times of India - Mumbai, India; Sunday, October 23, 2011

The original Sufis, celebrated in Indian culture, were men who lived frugally and shunned publicity, confining themselves mainly to meditation and sermonising. Their disciples couriered messages to distant, and often hostile, destinations. The Sufis connected with the creator and cleansed the society they lived in.

Times have changed, and so have the Sufis' ways of opposing evil forces. Take last week's denouncement of Wahabi Islam by the All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board, a Sunni Muslim group rooted in the Sufi traditions of Islam.

At a mahapanchayat in Moradabad, UP, the Board's general secretary Syed Mohammed Ashraf Kachochavi claimed that Wahabi-inspired outfits like the Deobandis, Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind and Ahl-e-Hadees were radicalising Muslim youth. The Deoband seminary rejected the charge as a "malicious" campaign by the Sunni clerics who, according to the Wahabis-Deobandis, are bidatis (those who indulge in 'innovations' not practised in the Prophet's time) because they visit the mausoleums of Sufi saints.

The hardline attitudes of the Wahabis, who champion Saudi-backed petro-dollar Islam, apart, the supposedly Sufi-believing Sunnis (also called Barelvis) too are facing flak from Muslim liberals. The latter say that the Sunnis (who comprise around 80 per cent of Mumbai's Muslims) are not as moderate as they claim to be. They may not practice extremist Islam like many Wahabis do, but they too are conservative, patriarchal and sometimes viscerally sectarian.

The behaviour of certain Sunni groups bears out this charge. A couple of months ago, the Raza Academy, a Sunni organisation, opposed the appointment of a woman officer at the male-dominated Haj Committee and petitioned the central government to keep the committee "clean of women".

More recently, some members of the Academy protested against the title of a Hindi film called Azaan on the grounds that it signified the call to the faithful for prayers and, therefore, was provocative and sacrilegious. In Mumbai, many Sunni mosques have shut the door on Wahabis as well as Tablighis, the vagabond preachers who are also Deobandis.

"There are boards at Sunni mosques asking Wahabis and Deobandis not to pray there. Many Sunnis believe their mosques will get dirty and their namaz will be spoiled because of the presence of Wahabis.

This is against the message of Sufism, which has no place for hatred and discrimination. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's dargah is open to people of all faiths because he loved all human beings," says Farid Batatawala, who has practised Sufism for over six decades.

Of late, the Sunnis have started barring Deobandis from funerals as well. "I was stunned to hear a Sunni imam asking Deobandis to leave a funeral congregation recently," recalls a prominent Sunni in the city.

Sufi-Pandit Ghulam Dastagir, a Sanskrit scholar who also manages the mausoleum of a Sufi saint called Junglee Peer in Worli, says that such conduct is unbecoming .

"True practitioners of Sufism would not have protested or petitioned the court against naming a film Azaan. They would have sorted it out through dialogue and, if the film-maker had stuck to his stand, they would have prayed to Allah to forgive those who, according to their perception, insulted His words," he explains.

Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan adds that there are hardly any real Sufis today.

"Great souls like Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Hazrat Bakhtiar Kaki and Nizamuddin Aulia were real Sufis who practised and propagated tolerance and inclusiveness," he says. "Today most of those who claim to be practising Sufism are actually donning a facade."

Sunnis in Pakistan have gone one step beyond in the intolerance game.

The Sunni Ittehad Council, a Karachi-based organisation established in 2009 with the avowed aim of fighting "the growing Talibanisation of the country", last year rose to oppose the death sentence handed out to Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

In the name of Namoos-e-Risalat (preservation of the Prophet's prestige), many Sunni ulema justify the brutal killing of Taseer who had opposed Pakistan's draconian Blasphemy Law. So are Sunnis too becoming intolerant?

"I would not like any Muslim to be intolerant and extremist. Islam will be endangered if blasphemy, especially by fellow Muslims, is not contested," says Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi, secretary general of the London-headquartered World Islamic Mission, who is in Mumbai to participate in the three-day Sunni meet at Azad Maidan.

A. Faizur Rahman, secretary-general of the Chennai-based Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought among Muslims, points out that original Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as the spiritual union between man and God achieved without any intermediaries.

"Real Sufis in history have led almost ascetic lives, distancing themselves from physical lusts and worldly desires," he says. "If at all they had a public life, it was dedicated and confined to the service of humanity."

If only the self-proclaimed Sufis of today would heed this credo.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Changing Nature
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By Mo Hashim, *From Nubia to Sudan: a rare Sudanese exhibition in Athens* -Sudan Tribune - Paris, France; Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Benaki Museum for Islamic Arts is located in a busy road in the tourist-packed Monistraki district of Athens, the Greek capital.

Under the Acropolis hill, where the Parthenon temple stands, a five-storey high building, with its collection of Islamic artifacts covering the 14 centuries of Islam, is host to a rare event happening in the agora of ancient Athens. An exhibition of photographs documenting the changing nature of the Sudanese Nile valley, from antiquity to present time.

This 80-pictures-large exhibition, is a genuine labour of love by archaeologists Alexandros Tsakos and his wife Henriette Hafsaas-Tsakos, a Greek-Norwegian couple, whose dedication to furthering our understanding of the Sudanese past is unquestionable, creative and thought-provoking.

The two researchers’ enthusiasm for Sudan is evident through this collection of images that captures several themes that are of great relevance to a new generation of young Sudanese and Sudanphiles.

But it is also a chance for visitors, Sudanese or otherwise, to ponder the fate of the country. The images contrast between the Meroitic pyramids, where monarchs of antiquity rest, with the Qubbas or shrines of Sufi saints, ancient temples and medieval mosques, the duality of the Nile and its deserts, of old rituals and new practices, Christianity and Islam, mud bricks and concrete walls.

Walking around the exhibition halls, from floor to floor, the pictures are laid out in a meticulous manner and arrangement as to fit in with the museum’s layout.

The pictures are introduced with simple extracts of verse encapsulating the human traits that bind us all together.

Visitors to the exhibition are handed out a map of the Northern Sudanese or Nubian Nile valley from Khartoum to Aswan. Places are named in English and Greek, as whilst English was introduced as international language to Sudan by its last colonizers, Greek was the language that for millennia had been used to document and communicate with the Nubian valley.

Visitors are introduced to Sudan’s Sufi or mystically inspired Islam. A tolerant religiosity that transcends time and is deeply rooted in the way the Nubians have held their faith in the Creator of the Nile, from the old dynastic times through the era of the Christian creed, and now in the age of Islam.

No image in the whole collection presents this tolerance as the one showing children of a Nilotic southern Sudanese family playing near the gate of their house in a village in the heart of the Mahas. The door to this family’s home is adorned in true Nubian fashion with Christian crosses with a rather large one on the door. This contrasts to the Islamic symbols that are used by their Nubian neighbours.

A set of images captures the Friday afternoon Zikir at the shrine of Omdurman’s Qadri saint, Shaykh Hamed al-Nil Al-A’raki. Images of prayers in prostration, capture the significance of prayers to the faithful.

The visitor is subsequently taken into a quick journey into the meaning of the Mosque. How the shrines of sufi saints could be seen as a historical parallels, a form of cultural continuity, to the Tarabeel, as the pyramids of northern Sudan are locally known.

The images carry subtle hints to the realities that impact the lives of those living in Sudan.

One picture captures a hole made by a mortar shell on minaret in Midan al-Khalifa opposite the dome of Al-Mahdi in Omdurman, when forces of the Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality movement, launched an ill fated, albeit daring attack, against the seat of the NCP regime in Khartoum in May 2008.

Water a most essential requirement for survival in the Nubian desert is celebrated by the photographers in all the different forms it impacts the lives of the Sudanese.

One set of photos brings a genuine Sudanese object to the fore of our attention. Clay pots that hold cool water for the thirsty, or for those seeking ablution for prayers, the Zir. A Zir by a Qubba in Abu Haraz is important for those visiting the Wali, as it is the Baraka-blessed water that quenches the thirst of the seeker.

We see water as rain, and how children of the Manaseer in the Fourth Cataract, before its flooding by the Merowe dam, were jubilant when raindrops caressed the banks of the river they knew for generations.

We then sail on the river, with Bantoons, Marakib, Falukas all boats on the river, before we encounter the artificial lakes of the dams, and the pristine ancient banks they flooded.

This gently weaved thread of narration gives the viewer a warmth of feelings harboured by the Greek Norwegian mission for Sudan. However, the exhibition is most of all, a gentle appeal to sensibility.

It raises concern and urgently calls for action, from the Sudanese and their friends worldwide, to pause and rethink once again as to how they want their country to develop and at what price?

This point, although not explicitly spelt out by the Athens celebration of the Nubian Nile, which is after all a cultural event, not a political protest, is one that all Sudanese need to address immediately.

Politics are never too far from all affairs Sudanese, with plans to build more dams and reservoirs along the Sudanese Nile and its tributaries; be it in Dal, the Third Cataract, Al-Setait or any where else, the need for action can not wait.

Many Sudanese needs are concerned with the development of electric power, but there are alternative options that are more cost-effective and environmentally sound, to hydro-generated electric power. We should not hark on Egypt of the 1950’s for inspiration; after all, this is the 21st century.

There are several other options for the Sudan, mainly in developing solar and wind generation alternatives. For the lobby calling for utilizing the river’s waters, there are better ways than changing, and forever, the nature and the environment of the age-old Nile.

However, one particular lobby, which reigns supreme in Khartoum, is that one opposed to any furthering of our knowledge of pre-Islamic Sudan, of Christian Nubia’s needs to change its understanding and accept alternative models of "development" other than hydro power, and what would mean flooding huge areas of land.

It is this lobby that considers the false Arab genealogies of late 18th century Mecca as the key proof of our misguided, beastly delusion of Arabism that must be challenged.

This view that ideologically rests upon the narrative purported by Ibn Kholdoun that Arab incursions succeeded in pacifying Nubia and its populations in their totality, and how our political identity is currently being fashioned. This lobby needs to be made to understand that the crime of destroying our land, to wipe out our history and our knowledge of it, will be in vain.

As I write these lines, the Sudanese government of the "Islamic Republic of Sudan" - as the state would shortly and in due time be renamed to – is considering the construction of more new dams along the Nile.

The exhibition is a subtle reminder of the fate that befell the Halfaweyeen and other Nubians in the 1960’s, but it is an actual documentation of what befell the Manaseer of the Fourth Cataract in the 2000’s.

It is a warning of the danger facing a river, that was kind to its neighbours, but is constantly being exploited under the guise of development, to displace peaceful docile populations, impoverish them, and destroy histories buried under the sands of time, and the Nubian Desert.

Mo Hashim is a Sudanese journalist living and working in the UK. He can be reached at ✉moehash@yahoo.com.

Picture: Qubba of Shaykh Idris Ali al-Rady "Al-Mahjoub" resident of Kweika an early 19th century Sufi shaykh and khalifa of al-Khatmiya tariqa in Sai in the land of the Mahas. Photo: ST.

The exhibition From Nubia to Sudan at the Benaki Museum runs from
October 7, 2011 to February 19, 2012.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Well Together
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By PTI Staff Writer, *Arab Spring, Rumi and Sufism highlight at Jaipur Lit Fest 2012* - Firstpost.com - India; Wednesday, October 19, 2011

New Delhi: Sufism and the revolution that swept across the Arab world recently, is all set to take the limelight at the next edition of the Jaipur Literature festival in January 2012.

“Jaipur festival gets the best writers from everywhere. In India we get a varied range of writers we can showcase. Last year Namita Gokhale had tried to focus on Dalit literature. The next edition of the festival will focus on Sufi and Bhakti literature,” says William Dalrymple, one of the directors of the festival.

Jalal ad-Din Muammad Rumi who is a 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic would be the subject of talks among experts.

“We have tried to bring in experts on Sufi and Bhakti literature. There will be renowned Rumi experts like Franklin Lewis attending the festival. Also experts on sufism such as Carl Ernst and Richard M Eaton would be present, ” Dalrymple says.

Besides Sufism, the festival would extensively feature discussions on the Arab World which had faced a series of demonstrations and protests against totalitarian regimes earlier this year, with varied range of writers from Middle East pouring in.

“We will hold discussions on the ‘Arab Spring’ in the Middle East. Reza Aslan from Iran Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian lawyer and writer, Isham Matar, a Libyan author and Hanan Al-Shaykh, a Lebanese author will attend these discussions on Middle East,” says Dalrymple.

Dalrymple, himself a lover of Sufi music has featured Sufis in his various works.

His latest book Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India talks about Sufism. He also recalled his travel to Istanbul and Lahore where he says “Sufi music and great food always seemed to go well together”.

The noted Scottish author and historian was recently in the capital in a conversation with author Somnath Batabyal at an event at the Alliance Francaise here.

Co-founded in 2005 by Dalrymple and Indian author and publisher Namita Gokhale, the Jaipur Literature Festival has over the years managed to successully build itself as a brand with participation from international authors.

Over the years the attendees have included Nobel Laureates J M Coetzee and Orhan Pamuk. It is estimated that over 20,000 people, including foreign visitors turn up every year at the event that is held in the palace outside the walled city.

As the literary festival draws near, remarking on his hectic schedule Dalrymple says, “Jaipur festival is in danger of taking too much of my time. The only way to manage everything is to cut back on sleep,” he says.

Picture: William Dalrymple. Photo: AFP.
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

A Call Across India
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By Vidya Subrahmaniam, *Sufi Maha Panchayat denounces Wahabi extremism* - The Hindu - India; Sunday, October 16, 2011

“When anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to the police”

Moradabad: The All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) on Sunday gave a call to Sunni Muslims across India to reject and rebuff hardline Wahabism so that Islam could return to its tolerant, Sufi roots:

“When an extremist turns up at your door seeking your support, when anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to the nearest police station,”

said Board general secretary Maulana Syed Mohd Ashraf Kachochavi, addressing a large-sized Maha Panchayat of Sunni Muslims here.

The Maulana also asked the government to immediately pass legislation to set up a Central Madrasa Board so that fundings to madrasas could be audited and a watch kept on the flow of Saudi petro-dollars into madrasa education.

The Maha Panchayat was a sort of “coming out” event for the AIUMB, which claims to represent 80 per cent of Sunni Muslims (themselves accounting for the largest share of Indian Muslims) and yet has been barely visible on the Indian Muslim political and cultural scene.

The AIUMB's case is that despite their huge numbers, they have not been able to assert themselves because the Deobandis and the Wahabis have captured key Muslim institutions such as the Wakf Board and the madrasas, and also wield political influence far beyond their size:

“The government listens only to the hardliners. It has handed over Wakf properties and Masjids, which belong to us, to them.”

Board members stressed the threat from Wahabi extremism over and over in their speeches to the Maha Panchayat, arguing that a small group of people had succeeded in giving a bad name to Islam and Muslims, most of whom were Sunni Sufis and therefore peace-loving, tolerant and intensely patriotic.

Speakers also emphasised the essentially inclusive nature of Sufism which did not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims and allowed all communities to pray in their shrines. The Deobandis, on the other hand, did not allow their followers to go to Sufi dargahs.

“The time has come for us to come out and claim our rights. Let us take a pledge that we will never support Wahabi extremism — not today, not tomorrow. Let us take a pledge that we will work for the unity and integrity of our motherland,”

Maulana Kachochavi told the gathering. Later talking to the press, the Maulana made a strong pitch for a Madrasa Board saying:

“Right now the madrasas are under the control of Wahabi-inspired organisations which run on Saudi money. The ideology they teach and spread is hardline Wahabism. These organisations have put pressure on the government not to enact the Act. We want the funds to go to the really needy and poor.”

Remarkably, the Maha Panchayat appeared to have been boycotted by the influential Urdu press.

Last week, when the Board held a press conference in Delhi, Urdu journalists were openly hostile to the organisers, arguing that the AIUMB was trying to divide Muslims, and was no different from the Sangh Parivar, which saw all Muslims as terrorists.

Opposed to Congress

When journalists brought up the issue of the AIUMB's political leanings on Sunday, AIUMB members insisted that they were apolitical. However, Maulana Kachochavi made it clear that the AIUMB was opposed to the Congress,

“which propped up hardline organisations like the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.”

Asked if the AIUMB would put up its own candidates in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, he admitted that it was an idea they were considering, as

“that seems to be the only way to make people and the government hear us.” But for now, “we will vote whoever supports all our demands.”

Picture: Voice Against Terror: All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board president Hazrat Syed Muhammad Ashraf Ashrafi addressing the Muslim Maha Panchayat of board in Moradabad on Sunday. Photo: PTI.
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Monday, October 24, 2011

A Great Value
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By Staff Writer, *Moderate Islam Sufi sheikh joins Sawiris' Free Egyptians Party* - Ahram Online - Cairo, Egypt; Monday, October 17, 2011

With Saudi wahhabi version of Islam on the rise in Egypt, the more characteristically Egyptian Sufis field another candidate for parliamentary elections in alliance with the Free Egyptians Party

The Free Egyptians Party has announced that Sheikh Tarek Yasin of the Sufi Rifai Order has joined the party and will work through its Political Office.

“Sheikh Tarek will be a great value to our party,” says Bassel Adel, a member of the party's presidential committee.

“He represents the Sufi order, which adopts moderate Islam. This is what Egypt needs at the moment. We want to show the best we have and display our values of tolerance. We cannot waste any more time in disputes that aim to divide Egyptians.”

Adel added that the party will field Sheikh Yassin for the Imbaba seat in the parliamentary elections set for 28 November.

Some surveys suggest that at least six million people - or one in every three young men - belong to one or another of the more than 40 Sufi orders. However, experts and locals have noted a change away from the more spiritual form of Islam (Sufi) to stricter more Gulf-oriented Islam (Wahhabi).

The Free Egyptians is a liberal party founded by Egyptian business tycoon, Naguib Sawiris, after the revolution.

[Picture: Free Egyptians Party (Al-Masreyeen Al-Ahrrar) Logo. Photo: Wiki.]
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Sunday, October 23, 2011

To Find Peace
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By Rizwan Buttar, *A trip to Bullah Shah’s shrine* - Dawn.Com - Karachi, Pakistan; Friday, October 14, 2011

Baba Bullah Shah (1680–1757) was a sufi from Punjab. He was a follower of the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry and followed in the footsteps of the greats including Shah Hussain (1538–1599), Sultan Bahu (1629–1691), and Shah Sharaf (1640–1724).

He was well known for his liberal views and humanism.

According to popular lore, Bullah Shah traveled to Lahore in search of a murshid (teacher).

He found Hazrat Shah Inayat, a well-known Qadiri Sufi and gardener by profession. He told Shah Inayat that he was searching for God. To this Shah replied:

“What is the problem in finding God? One only needs to be uprooted from here and replanted there.”

Blessed by his teacher Shah Inayat, Bullah Shah went on to find abundant spiritual insight. His poetry is filled with his search for God as he goes on a spiritual journey.

Bullah Shah’s Kafis have been immortalised by Pathany Khan, Abida Parveen and Sain Zahoor.

The younger lot too has been exposed to his sufi thoughts due to Rabbi Shergil and Junoon with Bulleh ki jana mein kaun getting ample airtime.

A trip to Baba Bulleh Shah’s shrine is an experience in itself. Be it the devotees who come here to pay their respects or the malangs lost in their own world, everyone aims to find peace.

Picture: Baba Bullah's Shrine. Photo: Rizwan Buttar. [Click on the title to the original for more beautiful pictures (ed.).]
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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Time to Speak Up
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By TCN News,*A conference in Moradabad to check ‘Wahabi extremism’ in India* - Two Circles Net - Boston, MA, USA; Friday, October 14, 2011

New Delhi: All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board is concerned about the spread of ‘Wahabi extremism’ and radicalisation of Muslim youths in India.

The group of Sunni Sufi Muslims is holding a conference on 16th October in Moradabad with an aim to spread the message of peaceful co-existence to check the growth of hardline ideology in the country.

“Wahabi extremism is sweeping across the sub-continent. And after Afghanistan and Pakistan, the radical Wahabi Ideology is aggressively engaged in the radicalization of a few Indian Muslims.

It is time for the silent majority to speak up and take the centre stage. A vast majority of Muslims in India are Sunni Sufi Muslims who are nationalistic, patriotic and followers of the Sufi Saints”


Said Syed Babar Ashraf, National Secretary, All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board in a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi.

He also said that his group is organising a nation-wide campaign to spread the message of peaceful co-existence, in an attempt to check the growth of hardline ideology in the country. He said poverty and unemployment is pushing youths to radicalism.

“Increasing unemployment and rising poverty among Indian Muslims provides a fertile ground for breeding of this ideology.

The Wahabi hardliners through charities and by capturing mosques /madarsas have been indoctrinating innocent Muslims and are spending billions of dollars to hurt the democratic and secular fabric of the country built over centuries through peaceful activities of the Sufi saints”


Ashraf said, adding that it is the “need of the hour to stand up and raise the voice against this menace which poses a big threat to entire humanity as well as the internal security of our Nation”.

Named as Muslim Maha Panchayat, Moradabad conference will also discuss issues and problems confronting the Muslim community in the country.

Major issues to be taken up are: Transparency in appointment of members to various Central and State bodies and induction of Sufi Sunni Muslims in such bodies; Reservation for backward Muslims (as per the recommendations of Justice Ranganath Mishra Report) and Central Madarsa Board Bill (with amendments proposed by the Ulama and Mashaikh Board).

He said that Sajjadanashins or caretakers of most significant Sufi Khanquahs in India – Ajmer Shareef, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Kicchauchha Shareef, Marahra Shareef, Bareilly Shareef, Pandva Shareef (West Bengal) have come together under one umbrella body - The All India Ulema and Mashaik Board - to redefine the agenda for Indian Muslims.

The Muslim 'Maha Panchayat' is scheduled to be held on 16th October 2011 from 9 am onwards at New Moradabad Colony, Zero Point, Pakbara, Delhi Road, Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh).
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Friday, October 21, 2011

The Shrine of Ibn Arabi
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By Amr al-Fahham, *Sheikh Muhiddine: Shrine to an A-class philosopher and mystic* - Forward Syria Magazine - Damascus, Syria; Wednesday, October 12, 2011 / Issue # 55

When the Andalusian Sufi and philosopher Muhiddine Ibn Arabi decided to move to Damascus and spend the last 17 years of his life, he probably did not know that the place in which he was buried would hold his name forever.

Ibn Arabi, of course, died in Damascus at the age of 75 on November 10, 1240.

Ibn Arabi was not just a philosopher. He was a mystic, a poet, and one of the world’s most spiritual teachers. Known as al-Sheikh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master) he was born in 1165 into the Moorish culture of Andalusian Spain, the centre of an extraordinary flourishing and crossfertilization of Jewish, Christian and Islamic thought.

He wrote over 350 works including the Fusûs al-Hikam, an exposition of the inner meaning of the wisdom of the prophets in the Judaic/ Christian/ Islamic line, and the Futûhât al-Makkiyya, a vast encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge which unites and distinguishes the three strands of tradition, reason and mystical insight.

In his Diwân and Tarjumân al-Ashwâq he also wrote some of the finest poetry in the Arabic language. These extensive writings provide a beautiful exposition of the Unity of Being, the single and indivisible reality which simultaneously transcends and is manifested in all the images of the world.

Firmly rooted in the Quran, his work is universal, accepting that each person has a unique path to the truth, which unites all paths in itself. He has profoundly influenced the development of Islam since his time, as well as significant aspects of the philosophy and literature of the West. His wisdom has much to offer us in the modern world in terms of understanding what it means to be human.

The Muhajreen Neighborhood

The Sheikh Muhiddin district in Damascus, named after the philosopher, is part of the historical neighborhood called al-Muhajireen, lying along the slopes of the Mount Qassiun, overlooking the Syrian capital. Al-Muhajireen was a magnet for emigrants coming to Damascus during the late 19th century, sought after for its favorable climate, and panoramic view of Damascus.

Among the residents of the neighborhood were incoming Kurds, Circassians, and Albanians. By the early 20th century it became an attractive residential quarter as well, noted for the palace of the Ottoman Governor of Damascus, Nazem Pasha, which in 1943 was transformed into the Syrian Presidential Palace, hosting every Syrian leader from Shukri al-Quwatli to President Hafez al-Assad. Briefly in 1919-1920 it also served as the residence to Syria’s first—and last—monarch, King Faisal I.

The Damascus middle class soon moved to al-Muhajreen, setting up impressive homes among the madaress (schools), Turkish baths, mosques, shrines, and historical tombs.

Ibn Arabi in Damascus

To visit the Sheikh Muhiddin district, one needs to begin a pedestrian stroll from the Al-Afif Square (near the current French Embassy) at the eastern end of the Muhajireen neighborhood. That walk automatically takes tourists uphill, until reaching a white dome from which they have to turn right and walk along the paved narrow street historically known as the Street of Schools (Sharee al-Madaress).

Thanks to the historical tombs that dot the district, dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman eras, the street has managed to remarkably maintain its charm, despite the passing of centuries.

Different architecture is noted on every street corner, along with different types of calligraphy, ornamentations and tiles. One of the first buildings that draws a visitor’s attention is a newly renovated one with a red dome, originally built back in 1298 and known as Al-Turbah Al-Takritia. Opposite to it is Darul-Hadith Al-Ashrafieh built in 1236 and Al-Madrassa Al-Murshidiyya.

The most outstanding monument, however, is the Sheikh Muhiddin Mosque where the Sufi philosopher's shrine lies since the mid-1200s. The mosque was originally a humble place of worship, carrying a shrine with Ibn Arabi’s name within it.

When the Ottoman Sultan Salim I conquered Damascus in 1516, he decided to renovate the mosque into its current shape and form. The mosque is an example of early Ottoman architecture with some local Damascene touches such as the basin in the middle of its courtyard.

Beside the tomb of Ibn Arabi lies the empty tomb of Emir Abdul Qadir Al Jazaeri, the Algerian resistance leader who died in Damascus in 1883 and whose remains were transferred to Algeria after the Algerian independence from France in 1966. Try not to miss the wooden noria situated south of the mosque. Designed in the 13th century; the noria was part of the world's earliest water supply system to be driven by gears and hydropower.

Damascene treasure

Although revered by Sufis and respected by historians across the world, Ibn Arabi’s shrine is one of the generally overlooked treasures of Damascus. Most tourists usually tend to visit the Umayyad Mosque and the Street Called Straight, or the ancient city of Palmyra, overpassing—unintentionally—the shrine of Ibn Arabi.

Surrounding the shrine are a Damascene patisserie shop that prepares traditional giant Damascene cookies (Ajweh), an Oriental broom shop, and a very vibrant fruits and vegetables bazaar known as the Friday Market.

A big portion of the historical neighborhood has been altered, sometimes beyond recognition, by wild urban planning, causing the Ibn Arabi neighborhood to lose some of its original charm and historical value.

A considerable part of it, however, has been maintained and upgraded by several Syrian governments since 1920, serving as an example for generations to come who have followed Ibn Arabi’s teachings.
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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Religious Tensions
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By Kim Gamel, *Islamic hard-liners attack rival shrines in Libya* - San Francisco Chronicle / Associated Press - San Francisco, CA, USA; Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tripoli, Libya: Islamic hard-liners have attacked about a half-dozen shrines in and around Tripoli belonging to Muslim sects whose practices they see as sacrilegious, raising religious tensions as Libya struggles to define its identity after Moammar Gadhafi's ouster.

The vandalism has drawn concern at the highest levels as Libya's new rulers seek to reassure the international community that extremists will not gain influence in the North African nation.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the governing National Transitional Council, reacted with alarm to reports that graves were being desecrated and appealed to a top Muslim cleric, al-Sadek al-Gheriani, to issue a fatwa, or religious ruling, on the issue.

He also called for restraint. "I ask those destroying these mosques to stop doing that because this is not the time to do that," Abdul-Jalil said Tuesday at a news conference. "What they did is not on the side of the revolution."

The campaign appears to be aimed mainly at shrines revered by Sufis, a mystical order whose members often pray over the tombs of revered saints and ask for blessings or intervention to bring success, marriage or other desired outcomes. Hard-line Sunnis deem the practice offensive because they consider worshipping over graves to be idolatry.

In one case, witnesses said dozens of armed, bearded men wearing military uniforms ransacked a Sufi shrine in Tripoli this week, burning relics and carrying away the remains of two imams, or prayer leaders, for reburial elsewhere.

The assailants arrived in pickup trucks mounted with heavy weapons and stormed the gate to the compound housing the shrine, then dug up the two imams, identified as Abdul-Rahman al-Masri and Salem Abu Seif, and took the remains to be buried in a cemetery, according to the witnesses.

Many residents in the Al-Masri neighborhood welcomed the attack, accusing worshippers at the shrine of practicing "black magic." Sufism is a mystical tradition in Islam. The order says its mission is to live a simple life of contemplation and prayer but followers are frequently targeted by extremists.

Witnesses offered conflicting details, with some saying the attackers were heavily armed and came from other parts of the city and others saying it was a small group of unarmed locals.

Abdul-Hamid al-Sunni, one of the residents, said the presence of the bodies had prevented people from the neighborhood from praying there. He claimed it was a small group of some 20 people that exhumed the bodies.

He said residents had long wanted to get rid of the graves and he presented a petition signed by 120 people supporting the action, which began about 11 p.m. Sunday.

Dirt and rocks were piled high around the empty graves that had been dug in the floor of the white and light blue building in Tripoli's al-Masri neighborhood. Blackened piles of ash and pieces of pottery were in the courtyard outside after the attackers burned relics and other items from the shrine, which sits next to a Quranic school in the same compound.

"We need to build a new school here, a Quranic school, and we need to build a mosque and we need to build a small hospital for the area," al-Sunni said.

The attackers then jumped back into their vehicles and drove to another neighborhood where they dug up the grave of a man who had built a mosque there and was buried inside.

A shopkeeper in front of the al-Badri mosque who identified himself only as Mohsen said the men used hammers and shovels to exhume the remains, which they planned to bury in a cemetery. Mohsen said about 150 men blocked the roads leading to the compound and bragged about having come from al-Masri and planned to target more mosques.

"They shouldn't have done this because the relatives had already applied to rebury him anyway," the witness said Wednesday in an interview outside his store, declining to give his full name because of fear of retaliation.

Nader Omrani, who oversees religious affairs for the Tripoli local council, said three or four incidents had been reported in Tripoli and one in the town of Janzour, six miles (10 kilometers) to the west of the capital.

"Because of the public condemnation and quick action by this council ... this conduct has been contained," he said Wednesday.

Council members said the attacks were under investigation and it was not yet known who carried them out.

But observers familiar with the issue blamed Islamic fundamentalists known as Salafists and said talks were under way to persuade them to stop.

One man, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said many Libyans opposed Sufi traditions but did not want them handled violently.

Al-Gheriani, who was a key supporter of Libya's revolution, said in an audio recording posted Monday on his official website that he opposes the building of shrines over graves but he does not sanction their removal, particularly as fighting continues on two fronts, stalling efforts to form a new government.

"The country doesn't have a government with authorities imposed everywhere. Security is not prevalent, it is shaky and there are too many factions," he said, calling on groups to stop the attacks. "The time is not right. It may cause sedition ... and more bloodshed."

Stephen Schwartz, the executive director of the California-based Center for Islamic Pluralism and a Sufi himself, said the act showed Islamic extremists were starting to make their move. He said the targeting of rival mosques and cemeteries has been used throughout history as a highly symbolic way to assert control.

"It illustrates that there's a void ... and ... the radicals, the fundamentalists are going to try to fill that void," he said in a telephone interview. "They'll go where the opportunity is, where Muslims are divided and authority is weakened."

Picture: Libyans walk in front of an empty grave hole at the Shrine of Sidi al Masry, in Tripoli, Libya. Photo: Abdel Magid Al Fergany / AP.
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

A World of Difference
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By Sultan Abubakar, *Islam and Peace Building in West Africa (1) Imperatives of knowledge, justice & anti-corruption, by Sultan Abubakar* - Vanguard - Lagos, Nigeria; Monday, October 10, 2011

But for his position as a foremost traditional ruler in Nigeria, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar of Sokoto, mni, CFR, (he is the President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA]) could as well just pass for an intellectual – without prejudice to his military background.

In this paper he presented at the Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, last Monday, October, 3, 2011, his highness discusses the role of Islam in nation building, the values the religion brings and the prospects for peace and prosperity in the event that leaders and the led appreciate the significance of those values.

The Sultan also discusses the progress made so far in enthroning peace in a sub-region of clashing ethno-religious and political interests. Excerpts:

The search for sustainable peace, at all critical levels of our collective existence, remains one of the major challenges we face in the twenty first century. Today, more than ever before, we stand on the threshold of great opportunities.

Developments in various fields of human endeavor have made it easy to accumulate vast knowledge on peoples and cultures and to communicate this knowledge in ways never imagined before, with the real promise of bringing better understanding between us all.

Scientific breakthroughs have also made it possible to achieve human development at an unprecedented scale and to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of each and every one of us.

But these opportunities also come with great dangers – and these dangers have already begun to manifest themselves in ways that leave us with much to worry about. Bigotry and hatred are being elevated to a new pedestal and spread with relish and impunity.

Protracted conflicts, threats of war and the rise of extremism and militancy, from all sides of the socio-religious divide, have become the reality of our daily lives in many parts of the world. Regrettably, a significant portion of the world’s population still wallow in abject poverty and neglect, thereby fuelling the vicious cycles of conflict, violence and instability that we are now all too familiar with.

As a military officer and diplomatic representative, I have seen the devastation of war, not only in West Africa, but in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the world. I have witnessed the desperate cries of widows and orphans and the exasperation of bewildered families desperately struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives.

As the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs; as well as the Co-Chair of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council [NIREC], I have also seen the pain and suffering which ethnic polarization and religious misunderstanding could bring to a nation and its people; how ego and bigotry could conspire to deprive people of their rationality and good judgment and how religious leaders could set aside the teachings of their scriptures to lend a helping hand to these sectarian crises.

But during all these, I have also seen how people of goodwill could make a world of difference; how the right word at the appropriate time could heal an old wound; how a little help to those in distress could rekindle hope in our common humanity and how people of virtue, courage and determination could set aside their fears and misgivings to work together to re-establish and strengthen the bases of mutual co-existence within their diverse communities.

It is only appropriate for me to address you on Islam and Peace-Building in West Africa, and particularly in my home country, Nigeria, with the real hope that in our individual and collective efforts, we can contribute our little quota towards the realization of the Jodidi vision of promoting “tolerance, understanding and goodwill among nations and the peace of the world.”

HISTORICAL LEGACIES

From the available records, Islam is more than a millennium old in West Africa. However, it was not until the mid-eleventh century that it began to emerge as a State Religion. According to Al-Bakri, A historian of the rigion, it was the Kingdom of Takrur, which acquired this status, followed half a century later by the Kingdom of Kanem under the Sayfawa.

By the 12th century Ghana had become Islamized, Mali emerged in the 14th century, to be taken over by Songhai in the 16th century, which hosted the Sankore University in Timbuktu, the first University in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Islamization of the Hausa States of Northern Nigeria began in earnest from the second half of the fourteenth century. Islam had become well-established by the turn of the seventeenth century.

The establishment of Islam in West Africa had always been predicated on a multi-ethnic and multi-racial basis.

HOW THE CALIPHATE TRANSFORMED ISLAM

The emergence of the Sokoto Caliphate in the early years of the nineteenth century, led by the erudite scholar, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, brought a drastic transformation of the Islamic scene in West Africa. The Sokoto Caliphate was a political as well as an intellectual revolution.

Politically, it initiated an extensive process of state formation which spanned across several states in Western and Central Africa. The political legacies of the Caliphate could be found in present-day Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and the Republic of Cameroon.

Intellectually, the Caliphate also succeeded in putting scholars at the helm of public affairs. As true intellectuals, they had to argue their way through almost every major decision they took and had the time and foresight to record their thoughts, ideas and the justification of their actions for posterity.

The Sokoto Triumvirate, namely Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio and Shaykh Muhammad Bello, authored over 300 books and pamphlets. Other Caliphate leaders were also prolific writers. Nana Asma’u alone wrote over 70 poems and tracts.

ENTHRONEMENT OF VALUES

But despite these impressive achievements, probably one of the Caliphate’s most enduring legacies had been in the area of values. I have drawn attention to this issue in both my lectures at Columbia University, New York, on 7th November, 2007 and at Oxford University, Oxford, England on 25 March, 2008.

It is my firm belief that these values, when properly understood and applied, would greatly aid our West African polities in evolving a dynamic and responsive governance framework and in providing a veritable yardstick by which political behavior and action could be assessed.

KNOWLEDGE AS BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance.

In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, “A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect….. If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over.

For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government. All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

PRIMACY OF JUSTICE IN THE POLITY

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near…. Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues.

There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice. Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

ANTI-CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities. When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

DIGNITY OF LABOUR

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor. Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright:

Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

INFRASTRUCTURE

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

UPLIFTING WOMEN THROUGH EDUCATION FOR GROWTH

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them….. This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation.

They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger.

They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust……. And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an. Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups.

In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although, a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools. The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group.

The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance. In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio,

“A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect….. If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over.

For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government. All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near…. Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues.

There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice. Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities. When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor.

Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright: Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them….. This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation.

They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger. They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust…….

And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an.

Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups. In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools.

The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group. The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

QUOTES

Bigotry and hatred are being elevated to a new pedestal and spread with relish and impunity

I have witnessed the desperate cries of widows and orphans and the exasperation of bewildered families desperately struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance

There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities

Being excerpts from Lecture By His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar mni, CFR, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA], At The Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, Monday, October, 3, 2011

New York, on 7th November, 2007 and at Oxford University, Oxford, England on 25 March, 2008. It is my firm belief that these values, when properly understood and applied, would greatly aid our West African polities in evolving a dynamic and responsive governance framework and in providing a veritable yardstick by which political behavior and action could be assessed.

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance. In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio,

“A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect…..

If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over. For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government.

All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near….

Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues. There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice.

Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities.

When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor. Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….

There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright: Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them….. This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation.

They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger. They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust…….

And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an.

Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups. In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools. The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group.

The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

QUOTES

Bigotry and hatred are being elevated to a new pedestal and spread with relish and impunity

I have witnessed the desperate cries of widows and orphans and the exasperation of bewildered families desperately struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance

There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities

Being excerpts from Lecture By His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar mni, CFR, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA], At The Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, Monday, October, 3, 2011

Oxford, England on 25 March, 2008. It is my firm belief that these values, when properly understood and applied, would greatly aid our West African polities in evolving a dynamic and responsive governance framework and in providing a veritable yardstick by which political behavior and action could be assessed.

The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was that associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people shall have no business in governance. In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio,

“A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect…..

If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over. For a leader has set himself up to deal with people’s natures, to settle their disputes and undertake their government.

All that requires outstanding learning, keen insight and extensive study. How would he get on if he had not made the necessary preparations and made himself ready for these matters…..” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

Sultan Muhammad Bello, on his part, considered knowledge as an essential quality even for those who work with the Amir. For this is essential to suppress mediocrity and ensure effective management of public affairs.

“If God wishes people good he gives leadership to the best of them. He also grants them those who would help them. Such leaders would lead the community in the right path and put matters in correct places. They would seek the advice of people who have the requisite ideas in solving problems.

They would also find powerful, knowledgeable and experienced people to help in their different spheres. Such leaders would advance people who deserve promotion and hold back those who do not merit advancement.” [Ifadat al-Ikhwan]

The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.”

According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state.

“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favor to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near…. Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues.

There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice. Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

“A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor.

For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people.

Another thing agreed upon as illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees…. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people. For such action is the door leading to all types of calamities. When a gift finds its way to a man in authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him…..”[Diya’al-Hukkam]

It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello,

“……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor. Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….

There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright: Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

On the role of government in providing a conducive environment, Sultan Muhammad Bello also had this to say:

“The sixth principle [of Governance] is that the Governor should provide public amenities for the people of his state for their temporal and religious benefit. For this purpose, he shall foster the artisans and be concerned with tradesmen who are indispensable to the people…… and all sorts of trades which contribute to stabilize the proper order of the world.

The ruler must allocate these tradesmen to every locality. He should urge his people to seek foodstuff and keep it for future use. He must keep every locality in prosperity, construct fortresses and bridges, maintain markets and roads and realize for them all what are of public interest so that the proper order of their world may be maintained…”[Usul al-Siyasa]

The fifth and final category of values, which I wish to bring to your attention, is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer.

Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

“One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them…..

This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation. They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation.

“O Muslim women, do not heed the calls of those misguided folk who deceive you into obeying your husbands without ordaining you to obey Allah and His Messenger. They kept on saying that the salvation of the woman lies in obeying her husband, merely to attain their aims with you and to satisfy their lust…….

And they over-burden you with what Allah and His Messenger never ordained you to do at all, such as cooking, washing clothes and similar chores, principally for their personal comfort, without asking you what Allah and His Messenger ordained you to do….”[Nurul Albab]

NIGERIA’S ISLAMIC SCENE

Nigeria’s Islamic scene is both a product of its pre-colonial and colonial past as well and of current realities of Nigeria’s contemporary life. Muslims number over 80 million, contributing extensively to the intellectual, political and socio-economic life of the nation.

Islamic practice in Nigeria is based essentially on the Maliki School of Law, with the influences of Shafi’I and Hanbali schools coming essentially from younger scholars who studied in the Middle East. Besides the intellectual influences of the Sokoto Caliphate, mention must be made of the Bornuan Intellectual traditions, centered around the study of the Holy Qur’an.

Sufis, essentially from the Qadiriyya and Tijjaniyya orders; and Salafis, constitute the major Islamic groups. In the past few decades we have also seen the emergence of the Shi’a as well as modernist Islamic groups, which tend to focus on Islamic institutional development.

Islam has contributed immensely in building a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society in Nigeria. The Nigeria’s Muslim Ummah is the classic melting pot, bringing ethnicities and races from different parts of the West African sub-region and beyond, pursuing their legitimate business and contributing to the development of their communities and the larger society.

Apparently, regional integration had come to West Africa long before the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS].

As a traditional and religious leader, I am also delighted to say that traditional authorities also played a tremendous role in this integration. Traditional leaders ensured the safety and security of new members of the community.

They provided them land to build their houses and to engage in Agriculture. They brought their community leaders into the Emirate structures and in many cases, granted them titles, which conferred on them recognition and emirate-wide responsibilities.

Emirs and Chiefs also promptly settled any disputes when they arise, using their vast grass-root network to sustain peace and ensure safety and harmony within their communities. There was hardly any serious dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims until the 1970s and 80s when traditional leaders lost the statutory powers to regulate the social affairs of their communities.

But just as conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim groups was very rare, conflict between Islamic groups and Government was equally uncommon. If and when conflict occurred, it was more likely to be between Islamic groups, with Government and traditional authorities serving in a mediatory role.

Conflict between Sufi groups and between Sufis and Salafis was not uncommon. It was the anti-modern group called the Maitatsine sect, perhaps the first distinct anti-Boko opposition group, which organized a major revolt in Kano, leading to great loss of life and property.

The Maitatsine riots kept on recurring in different Northern cities for over a decade. The Shi’a group also had running battles with the security forces for over two decades. It was only in the last few years that the conflict subsided.

Another significant aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene has been the palpable chasm between the modern, western sector and traditional Islamic sector, especially in the northern states. Historically, many northern Muslim communities had viewed the European colonial adventure and its institutions, including the educational system, as inimical to Islam and Muslims and had refused to partake in them.

Although a lot of progress has been registered in the last few decades in appreciating the strategic importance of modern education, including Science and Technology, many Muslim parents still mistrust the modern education sector and consign their wards to the traditional madrasahs, locally known as the Almajiri schools.

It has been estimated that over seven million pupils are attending these schools in the Northern States. In several of these states, there are more pupils in these traditional institutions than there are in the conventional schools. The membership of the Maitatsine sect is based almost entirely on this group.

The Boko Haram also may have drawn substantially from the group although it has many members from the conventional school system.

The other major aspect of Nigeria’s Islamic scene, which I wish to raise, is the issue of poverty and economic impoverishment. When the former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank mentioned over half a decade ago that hard-core poverty in Nigeria was essentially a “Northern Phenomenon”, he was bringing up an issue, which few wanted to talk about.

In other words, poverty is also essentially a Muslim Phenomenon. Since Professor Soludo made this statement, the situation has not registered any substantial improvement. In many of the Northern States, the incidence of general poverty still remains well over 70%.

With poor enrolment rates into basic educational institutions and dilapidated infrastructure, many Northerners and Muslims will remain isolated and impoverished, unable to seize any of the opportunities that may be presented by Nigeria’s modern economy and society.

IN PART TWO NEXT WEEK, SULTAN ABUBAKAR DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES TO PEACE BUILDING IN NIGERIA, EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE AND WHY HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE HOLDS GREAT HOPE AND PROMISE

Being excerpts from Lecture By His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar mni, CFR, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA], At The Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Annual Lecture At Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Havard University, Cambridge, MA USA, Monday, October, 3, 2011.
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