(171): Islam: Conversion during 1445/2024 Ramadan

-

Islam: Conversion during 1445/2024 Ramadan 

Many people are embracing Islam more than usual during this ongoing Ramadan. Their stories are all over social media. One of the most popular stories is that of American writer and activist Shaun King and his wife, Rai King. We also witnessed one such conversation in our mosque last weekend.

 

He is a young man of Congolese origin. He was born and raised here (in Germany). The good conduct of his friend, the son of our chairman, influenced his decision. He fell in love with Islam, did his homework and, bingo, embraced it. May Allah grant him steadfastness, amin.

 

Shaun King (middle) and Rai King (right)


Islam has been getting more members since the start of the Gaza war. That, too, continues. A few days ago, I saw a white Swedish young lady accepting Islam. She said the resilience and fortitude of Gazans in the face of what many people described as "genocide" happening in Gaza led her to their religion.

Honestly, seeing and reading such stories is intriguing and reassuring. In contrast, some people who are born and raised Muslims bash the religion with pleasure, especially on social media today. They used to hide behind fake accounts. Not anymore. Some of these Islamaphobes are even our 'friends'. 

 

I live and work with several non-Muslims, including agnostics and atheists in Germany. So far, so very good. None of my colleagues or neighbours has ever mocked Islam or Muslims in my presence. Regrettably, it's different from some fellow 'Muslims' from among us on Arewa cyberspace. They mistake this for intellectualism. Duh!

 

May Allah guide us to the right path, amin.

 

Muhsin

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

(113): Kwana Casa’in: A Short Review

-
Image
Kwana Casa’in : A Short Review If posh locations, number of cast and crew members, sophisticated camera, etc. are enough indicators for the budget size of a production, then Kwana Casa’in [90 Days], produced by Arewa 24 channel, is doubtlessly an expensive soap opera. Directed by Salisu T. Balarabe, the drama is arguably the best of its kind in the Hausa language. Being funded by foreign, non-profit, non-political bodies, including the MacArthur Foundation, Kwana Casa’in stands out as a socio-political critique of our people and governments. It unmistakably aims to provoke reflection and introspection and to spark conversation and action within and outside the corridors of power. Is it able to achieve that? Set in a fictional town called Alfawa, the drama begins at the peak of governorship electioneering. The current governor, Bawa Maikada (acted by Sani Mu’azu), is highly corrupt and desperate to win re-election in spite of doing very little for the people. The health sec
Read more

(143): On Connection Regrets: My Excruciating Experience

-
Image
On Connection Regrets: My Excruciating Experience   By Muhsin Ibrahim Khadija, nicknamed Kashe-Kala, who I ‘re-nicknamed’ KKK, was one of my dearest classmates during our undergrad at Bayero University, Kano. Honestly, KKK, a sickle cell patient, was pretty, posh, and from a wealthy family. Hence that sobriquet. So, admittedly, I believed she was out of my league. However, we became so close. Despite our closeness, we disagreed pretty often. About a year after graduation, I met the lady I later married. The day I told KKK about my newfound love, she jokingly bragged that I chose this girlfriend because she’s her namesake: Khadija. On hearing this, some friends thought she loved me. It’s not true; our relationship was platonic. I had visited KKK’s house countless times. I barely missed seeing her at the hospital. Her relatives know me. I can’t forget the day I was riding my motorbike to their house when I stopped by the roadside to answer her call. From nowhere, someone snatched m
Read more

(123): Kannywood Movie Review: Mati a Zazzau

-
Image
Director :         Yaseen Auwal Producer :       Rahama Sadau & Sadiq Sani Sadiq Language :      Hausa Year :               2020 Company :      Sadau Pictures and Asmasan Pictures Cast:             Sadiq Sani Sadiq, Tahir I. Tahir, Rabi’u Rikadawa, Adam A. Zango, Rahama Sadau, Hadiza Blell, Umar Gombe, etc. So far, only very few successful titles in Kannywood have become a franchise. Besides Adam A. Zango’s Basaja , I can only mention Yaseen Auwal’s Mati character. While the former deals with financial rickety in an urban, techno-scientific setting, the latter is a social drama in a rural setting in the past. The chronicle of Mati began with Wani Gari , then Mati da Lado and now Mati a Zazzau . Had the filmmaker foreseen where the film could go, I guess the first of the series would have “Mati” in its title. The character has become a commodity as he acts in short films, and others imitate him elsewhere. At the risk of jumping the gun, I can confirm that Mati a
Read more

(168): Top 7 Kannywood series of 2023

-
Image
By  Muhsin Ibrahim & Habibu Ma’aruf muhsin2008@gmail.com As 2023 draws to a close, the closure of Kano Filmhouse Cinema is one of Kannywood’s most regrettable events in the outgoing year. Consequently, there was a significant decline in the number of cinematic releases. Nevertheless, amid this setback, a silver lining emerged as it spurred a notable shift towards series films, with prominent producers and directors venturing into the evolving market. From  Labarina ,  Alaqa , and  Manyan Mata  to  Fatake ,  Amaryar Tiktok  and  Gidan Sarauta , Kannywood’s audience has been captivated by numerous enthralling TV and web series. While the series market faces criticism for potentially fostering second-rate productions, the following list highlights the best seven series films aired in the year. Please note that the numbering is not hierarchical.  1. Labarina Labarina  stands out as a household name among Hausa film enthusiasts. Despite premiering in 2020, this show’s latest seasons con
Read more

(128): Gidan Badamasi: A Short Review of the Hausa Sitcom

-
Image
Gidan Badamasi : A Short Review of the Hausa Sitcom   Premiered in 2019, the defining criterion for the popular sitcom, Gidan Badamasi , is comedy. However, it tells much more such as several socio-moral lessons. That is not a surprise as Kannywood, the film industry whose members wrote, produced, directed and acted in Gidan Badamasi , are known for promoting such causes. An oft-repeated raison dêtre of Kannywood, some of its members argue, is to teach morality, promote Hausa culture and Islam, among other related goals. Whether or not they do that is debatable and, of course, outside the scope of this short review. The title, Gidan Badamasi [ Badamasi’s House ], implies where the drama takes place – the house of Alhaji Badamasi. He is a wealthy, wheelchair-bound businessman who had multiple marriages from which he got several children. As he ages, becomes more frail and sickly, he asks most of them – he doesn’t know all of them – to come for a crucial meeting. After their arriva
Read more