Deputy National Chairman of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi is also the leader of Darikatul Tijjaniyya Sect in Nigeria and Africa. In this interview with some journalists in his Bauchi residence, including LEADERSHIP SUNDAY’s NAJIB SANI, the renowned international Islamic scholar speaks on national challenges, especially religious crises in parts of the country, the challenges posed by Boko Haram and the crisis of leadership. Excerpts:
What is the position of Islam on western education?
Western education is a flesh of fish or a date tree, each one of them has thorn. If you know how to do it you will eat the flesh or fruits of the dates without being harmed by their thorns and Islam allows and encourages Muslims to seek for knowledge.
The issue of insecurity is devastating in many parts of the country. Recently, on Christmas day, there were bombings of churches and killings of innocent lives. How do you see this matter, according to Islam?
From Allah we came and to Him we shall all return. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful, and we seek refuge from Allah on all evil deeds. Our country left the right path; it left the path of honour. We are in a lawless society. A Christian is committing crime without fear of the government that he will be punished.
Also, a Muslim commits crime in Nigeria today without fear that there is a law and order and that the country will punish him.
But the issue of bombing places of worship and killing of innocent souls is a sad moment and devastating. This is because no one would hear what had happened and be happy with it, especially when it had happened in places of worship like the mosques and churches.
According to the tenets of Islam, a Muslim has no enemy, there is no hatred between a Muslim and all human beings; for that, there is no hatred between Muslims and Christians.
Even during war period when Muslims and non-Muslims met in a place, Muslims will invite them to come and worship one God who created us. And after they invited them, if they accept their invitation fine, if they did not accepted their invitation then Muslim leaders will then ask the other side of the religion, “come let’s make agreement on how to live in peace with one another; let us put it down into writing that both two sides agree to leave in peace.
We should accommodate their strangers, they should accommodate our strangers. Each side should agree not to aid enemies of the other. But in a situation where the other side refuses to abide by the agreements entered or says what kind of peace agreement, you too you should stop practicing your religion, then there will be no trust between them, and it leads to Islamic war under strict Islamic conditions.
What are the conditions for the Jihad?
When war becomes a must between Muslims and non-Muslims, it should be with conditions. There must be a Muslim leader accepted and respected by all to command the war and the leader will direct his people to go to war but with conditions that they should not kill children, they should not kill women and those that take refuge in the places of worship such as churches.
But today, things don’t follow the right part, both Muslims and Christians don’t do the right things. For instance, people were sent from America to go and kill Muslims in Baghdad Iraq, why? What have they done to them? They have no common business bond between them; they are not their neighbours, their religion is different, but yet they bombed and killed hundreds of Muslims in Iraq, bombed and killed Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan,
The religion of Prophet Isa, peace be upon, him said you have no right to kill somebody even if they killed your own relative, you have no right to take revenge by killing anybody who killed your relative; rather you leave revenge to God. I don’t know where the Christians of today get permission to kill people in the places of worship in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
Up till now, we did not forget that during the last Muslims Sallah Eid-el- Fitr prayers we were Mecca we heard that non-Muslims surrounded eid praying ground in one of the states and killed over five hundred 500 Muslims while they were praying. Government was silent on the issue.
No Nigerian or American government or somebody said anything on the killing of those Muslims that were praying, no one was punished. Nobody said anything; that is why I keep saying the country is not going in the right direction.
That is why you see us witnessing all those unfortunate situations in the country. Why will somebody go to churches and kill people. We are not happy with the way and manner Muslims were killed during that Sallah period. Equally too, we are not happy with the way Christians were killed in their churches during Christmas celebration.
Is there anything religious leaders are doing to correct such things?
We are the religious leaders in the country, we always preach to our people that God does not allow or permit anyone to kill anybody. We always preach and advise people not to kill any innocent souls. Islamic religion does not allow that. No Muslims are allowed to kill and go free, even if your relative is killed, Islamic religion gives three options to those whose relatives are killed, One, do you want to take revenge?
Then government will take revenge for you in front of you; two, do you want to be paid compensation for his soul? If you say yes, then the compensation will be paid to you. Or three, do you forgive the person who killed your relative? If yes be patient and forgive God will reward you for that. Muslims have these three options based on the tenets of Islam.
How did you see the effort of the leaders in solving the problem?
Who are the leaders? Where are they? Are they not the so-called leaders that sent for the killing of people in this country? The leaders can’t do anything. There is failure of leadership at all levels.
What advise do you have for the citizens of the country?
I am calling on all Nigerians to go back to their faith. We already have the wrath and anger of God; we should be prayerful. We should all go back to God in order to solve this problem, by seeking for His forgiveness. Glorifying His name frequently and reciting the Holy Qur’an in order to save this country, this is the only option left for us.
God is not happy with us, people violating God’s commands. They don’t follow the teachings of their religions because you will see a fellow Muslim coming openly say ing he doesn’t want Islamic legal system.
What is the way forward?
The government is doing nothing to salvage the situation. People commit atrocities in the country and go free; no action will be taken against them. We are not really happy with what is happening, especially the killing of innocent souls in places of worship or any other place. Islam is a religion of peace it does not allow for killing somebody.
We have a lawless country. The leaders always allow perpetrators of these ugly acts to go free without taking action on them.
They kill, maim and destroy and yet go free. What type of leaders are we talking about; let’s just resort to prayers as the only way forward because the leaders can’t do anything. If they have anything to do they should have done it?
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