Muhammad Muhsin
Ibrahim
@muhsin234
Let me be
categorically clear from the onset that I am not here to legitimise the president-elect,
Muhammadu Buhari’s handshake with any non-maharam
woman. The often cited instances of other Muslim leaders, among others, of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia doing the same is, at best, extraneous and at worst, clumsy. No amount of words, logic, wisdom, etc, can make what’s already haram (forbidden), such as an unconditional body contact with a non-maharam woman by another man, halal (legit). That is my understanding,
firm belief and sturdy stand.
Buhari’s action
is, however, purely personal between him and his Creator, Allah. I am very sure
that Buhari, being a Hausa-Fulani and Muslim, knows that. He would frown at anyone shaking hands with his wife, his daughter, or his female wards. He did not grow up seeing the same being done in his house or in his immediate environment. And yes, we didn’t elect him because
he’s versed in Islamic knowledge and to establish Shari’ah – and if you did so,
you are very wrong. Christian, Muslim, etc, Nigerians voted for Buhari to
salvage the country from the shackles of the PDP-led government under Jonathan.
His sins have nothing whatsoever to do with the development and growth,
security, corruption-free public servants, and employment for the youths that Nigerians zealously anticipate witnessing under his leadership.
Enough of that,
I believe. The annual birthday celebration (i.e. Maulud) of ‘Sheikh’ Ibrahim
Nyass took place in Kano
a few days ago (in the same week Buhari shook the hand of Mrs Oshiomole). A so-called Malam (scholar) among the invitees openly blasphemed
against the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) in the crudest and unheard of language.
That was a sacrilege worth a downright condemnation by the Nigerian Muslims and
the entire Ummah. It’s, to me and to many others, far worse than the caricatures of the Prophet done by the infamous French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, and anybody else that I know of in all my living days.
As a netizen, I expected to see far more fuss and fume from among the Muslim brethren who just a few days ago expressed their angst towards the President-Elect for going against the Prophet’s teaching. There’s, however, a loud silence. I wondered why? I then recalled that Buhari is a politician who has cult-like followers, especially in the north. Thus, disparaging him, especially by a fellow northerner and in these days, while the adoration and admiration are still afresh, stands you a good chance to become popular. It’s almost sure that that would
attract attention, for the critic displays ‘brevity’, ‘dispassion’ and ‘candour’.
The criticism might be more political than a bid for cheap popularity, I further discovered. Many of those detractors have once or twice doggedly defended their favourite politicians (for example, former and current governors of Kano State, Malam Shekarau and Engr. Kwankwaso, respectively) for committing exactly the same sin (a handshake with a woman). But because of a double standard, they now nitpick Buhari. I think we
shouldn’t be selective in telling the truth. Say the truth even on your own self,
Islam teaches us.
It’s apparently clear that, but for dirty politics and the holier-than-thou attitude of many of us, where the Prophet’s virtue and personality were dented, is the best place to deploy our big grammar, to exhaust our Internet megabytes and spend our time in his defence. We should take it upon ourselves to inform and enlighten as many people as we can about what happened. And we should not be afraid to unreservedly slam those mystic bastards calling themselves ‘Yan Haqiqah (‘Realists’), under the umbrella of the Tijjaniyya sect.
To say I am
disappointed is an understatement. I feel an excruciating pain circulating in
my nerves at present. What would be our reaction when the same or similar
desecration of the Prophet is carried out by a non-Muslim? I think you would remain
nonplused as you are now, for it’s not Buhari who errs, and any (peaceful)
protest will not make you popular. Politics shouldn’t intrude on everything, including religious issues.
May Allah guide
us to the right path and protect the virtue of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), amin.
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