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The Price of Being Almajir By Saraya I Yewan
They slaughtered him, like a goat at Monday market in Maiduguri. Also as I moved near Bama Motor Park in Maiduguri Metropolis, there lies a young boy of about eight (8) surrounded by people. I later discovered that the boy was down because he was beaten by his teacher which the young chap has refused to disclose at initial stage. Tears fill my eyes with great remark for humanity; I wonder how a child could be mishandled. This boy is no other than the Almajiri, who despite the kind of beaten he had from his teacher, the boy looked tattered, malnourished and shabby one cannot imagine when last he taken bath, that is the scenario of the Almajiri system in northern Nigeria.
Almajiri heritage is like the Medrassahs in central Asia, a Muslim education dates back centuries ago. The imposition of British colonial rules between 1902 – 1960 in Sokoto empire that currently constitute northern Nigeria, the North’s amalgamation with southern Nigeria British protectorates 1914 and the formal abolition of slavery in northern Nigeria in 1936, this heritage underwent major structural and functional transformations. Given the lessons from the 1980 maitatsine potential exists that the heritage may evolve into an apparatus for perpetuating non-state terrorism. Drawing on the trajectory of similar educational systems in central Asia prior to during the following Russia communist rule.
The Almagiri whose age ranges between 5 – 10 is still at a tender age and that is the age a child needs love and care from his parents. They are usually mansportred out of their villages, towns or from a neighboring country to learn the Islamic education.
The welfare of the Almajiri becomes a problem to the mallams who has over 50 children to cater for in terms of food and shelter. Long before now, the British colonial government introduced tax system which undermined the Zakkat (alms) contributions for the upkeep of the quranic schools leading to emergence of half baked and semi illiterate mallams with lots of children to cater for less or no welfare is expected from the mallams who make these children resorted to begging.
Alfagah in the holy quran is the right of one wife and children to get food, clothings and residence including essential services and medicine with has become wajib (a right) according to quranic sunnah and consensus of the opinion of jurist. The Islamic law puts the burden of maintenance of male and female children to their father even if the male child is poor or rich, will still depend on his father even if the male child is poor or rich, will still depend on his father until he attains the age of puberty and could sustain a living for himself. This forms the basis of section 32 of the townships law (Cap 131) vol. III laws of northern Nigeria.
In Hanaji school of law as laid down in rural Mukhtar wife will be treated as a (root) and the child as far as (Branch). The prophet Mohammed (SAW) says “ It is not permitted for a Muslim to stay idle, doing nothing to make a living in the pretext of devoting his wife to worship or putting trust in Allah, he should know the sky never rains gold or silver. Furthermore is not permissible for one to depend on charity he is to earn a sufficient subsistence for himself and his family through his own efforts. The true Muslim should know that Islam frowns on begging and charity seeking so why at all make these children beg for alms and food.
At least it is the responsibility of parent to care for these kids and provide them with education, which the prophet says it should be seek as far as China. Islamic education can be learned with your child around you. Letting them away from you can engage them to mistreat. The prophet (SAW) also makes it haram for Muslims to beg money from others without dive necessity, thus losing honour and dignity. “He who begs without need is like a person holding a pieces of coal.
Some parent, due to large number of children they have in the family feel almajiranci is the appropriate place for the children to go and memorize the holy Quaran as well as scavenge from food, because these children go to the urban or rural areas without any food. They don’t even care how these children feed.
In most cases when these kids grow up they becomes a liability to the society except or few who find a living through either trading or teaching. Parents have made a wrong motion of almajiranci as a place where children and feed, receive training and grow up to become responsible people in the society but are ignorant of what these children pass through as they undergo the almajiranci.
Other parents do not care about the health of their children. When they sick during the almajiranci. A grown up person needed to be cared for not to talk of small boy who do not know his left from right. From the Islamic point of view Almighty God (Allah) has made conditions for going into wedlock and bearing children Quran chapter 46 verses 15 says “And we have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to parents.. His mother bears him with hardship (with his father) and bearing of him and wearing of him is unity months till when he attains full strength…”
Also the prophet (SAW) was reported to have said “Your family (wives and children) have their right on you, your neighbors have their right on you, your body has its right on you, so give every body his or right”.
Apparently, parents must account for their deeds to their wives, husbands, children, neighbors or anyone that is affected by their actions good or bad. Our subject matter here are the children who, base on unfavourable ideology of their parents and being sent to areas as Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, etc. with the intention of Quran studies. (Almajiranci). These children are being sent to a mallam (scholar) who is more or less incapable to feed his own household let alone other peoples children and as results causes a lot of hazard on innocent children just like an almajiri boy that was slaughtered like a goat in search for his daily bread. Recently in Monday market Maiduguri, parent are there thinking he is doing fine.
Parents are expected to send for themselves during the children’s stay with their mallams. This situation not only renders them victims of circumstance but also of starvation and all sort of social activities. They are uncared for ignored by the society, which is insensitive to the plight of the young ones.
Talking from the Islamic religious view, the holy Quran and noble prophet have condemned this kind of act of abusing the young generation (children) in the name of almajiranci. The Quranic verses mentioned earlier explained “the parents are responsible for the upbringing of their children until they grow up. And the noble prophet Mohammed (SAW) has stated that the child has a right on his parent, which is to take appropriate care of him or her until adult state.
Surprisingly, one wonder why this act of tacking children far away from their parents in the name of almajiranci, clearly contradicting the actual teaching of Islam look at Saudi Arabia, it is an Islamic country that almost all the citizens practice Islam they don’t practice almajiranci why should our children be suffering? Is it that parents do not understand the teaching of Islam, or the mallams that are interpreting the verse upside down, or traditions? What will ignorance from the side of the mallams bring to the lives of our beloved children?
I believe this issue of Almajiranci if care fully revisited will bring about sympathy from the side of any careful and considerate observer be it from any religion whatsoever. Society inevitable is to be held responsible for this menace. Our society should stop shying away from the fact of life and face reality. Whether we like it our not being firm to those innocent children whom we to suffer in the wilderness of hunger, thirst, illness, illiteracy, malnutrition, lack of shelter, clothing, etc. their blood is upon us.
Government has been trying its best to see that this almajiranci is stopped therefore all religious groups, governmental and non governmental organization should help to eradicate or standardize this system of Quranic education so as to have good leaders or tomorrow it says “when you educate a child you educate a nation”. Children, is not for one person is for every body. Also two heads are better than one.
Saraya I Yewan University of Maiduguri, Department of Mass communication
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