Pre 1999, various Muslim groups have clamoured for establishment and practice of Shari’a in different ways. Some expressed mere wish, others even went ahead to stage public demonstration and to some extent went ahead to execute “jungle justice” on persons that were alleged to have committed blasphemy or exhibited actions in the like manner.
The ‘Shiite’ appeared militant of all the groups. Sorry – they don’t want to be called ‘Shiite’ – they are called “Brothers”. The “Brothers” under their leader El-Zak-Zaky were in the vanguard for Islamic revolution in Nigeria and clamouring for Shari’ a.
Their method or approach – a wicked one or what will you say when prospective Muslim Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Economists, Intelligence officers, etc were made to abandon school even in their final years in the name of actualising the cause of brotherhood ness. Some workers were made to abandon their jobs and subjects were made to disobey their leaders (especially traditional institutions) “because they were Dagut”. In fact, followers were incited severally to rise against their leaders.
Suddenly, they sought for ‘trademark’ and trousers length were reduced to hang above the ankles. The red flag would always fly where there was gathering of such people.
I remember, the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmood Gummi (of blessed memory) used to warn of the impeding danger the group was posing. He warned categorically that the group was going to destroy the youths and by extension, the working class. He warned that the group was both dangerous and poisonous which was receiving foreign aid to propagate and spread the dangerous ideology of Shiite – even though they claimed they are not Shiite. Ask what the group was all about in Nigeria and they would shout aloud – “Shari’a and Islamic Government in Nigeria”!
As El-Zak-Zaky was leading his group and spreading dangerous and poisonous ideology (although the cause of shari’a and Islamic government seemed very clean and the most welcome idea), the main agenda was yet to manifest.
Suddenly there was the break up of the group and alas we heard that this break-away group accused El-Zak-Zaky of spreading “Shiite” even though the exposure by the break away group was ignored and El-Zak-Zaky continued to spread his masters’ dangerous ideas.
On the other side of call for Shari’a is another group – the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Ikamatis Sunnah which a scholar of late Abubakar Mahmood Gummi – himself now late – Ash-Sheikh Isma’ila Idris Bin Zakariyyah founded.
The group slowly, but intellectually began to educate the Muslims on the need for Shari’ a. their modus operandi was based on intellectualism rather than militancy. From Lagos to Maiduguri, one could see the presence of the group through their mammoth crowd pulling preaching sessions.
The group encourages everything “Sunnah” (the path of the Prophet S.A.W) and abhors every innovation. This singular motto of theirs automatically portrayed them as ‘enemy’ by the other Islamic sects most especially the Shiite.
The Izala group shuns violence and admonishes its members to obey and respect their leaders. I remember in 1987 at Gummi during a public preaching session, Sheikh Sa’id Hassan Jingir doused the tension raised (by some Shiite that joined the group in order to destroy it) by reminding members of the injunction of Qur’an which enjoined Muslims to obey and respect their leaders.
Of late, the leader of the group, Ash-Sheikh Muhammad Sani Yahaya Jingir (who succeeded the founder Ash-Sheikh Isma’ila Idris after his death) has been on the vanguard calling on Muslims to shun violence and live peacefully (even after the senseless Jos crisis) where he lives. This has continued to endear him to the heart of the traditional institutions, which hitherto was a no-go area for the Izala. I remember the Madakin Kano (who represented the exalted Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero) at Rogo town during one of the preaching sessions recently called on all Muslims to take to the exemplary teachings of the sheikh asserting that he was not just the leader of Izala, but of all Muslims in Nigeria!
As this group through its exalted Sheikhs and Mallams in the likes of Sani Yahya Jingir, Sa’id Hassan Jingir, Nasir Abdul-Muhyi, Salihu Suleiman Ningi, Sirajo Sabo Keffi, Yahuza Muhammad Bauchi and others continue to admonish followers to be law abiding and practice the religion in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W.); as the group continue to remind the Muslims that Shari’ a which is the way of life is necessary as Muslims, the likes of Yariman Bakura were listening raptly with the solemn intention to practice what was being admonished.
Then the 4th republic came into being. The likes of Yarima were elected! They never forgot that as Muslims their lives are governed by Islam, then Shari’a came into being first in Zamfara. Others follow: Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi all became Shari’a states.
One would think that with the actualisation of Shari’ a the “brothers” would capitalise on it and sigh a relief. But the truth about them would only manifest when their leaders refused to acknowledge the Shari’ a in the present dispensation. Simply because, they did not achieve it through militancy and incitement to rise against government by Muslims, but Izala did through educating the muslims.
At least the champion of Shair’a in this present dispensation, the Yariman Bakura, Sardaunan Zamfara and the first Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Sani was modest enough to acknowledge that he is a scholar of late Sheikh Isma’ila Idris Bin Zakariyyah (of blessed memory), the founder of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Ikamatis Sunnah.
Isn’t this approach worth admiring?