The Learner

By Muhsin Ibrahim   I have observed a disturbing development among some young Muslims on social media. As soon as they read some philosophy books, they begin to question their faith and condemn their ‘conservative’ culture.    The youth view anyone who disagrees with them as ignorant, uneducated, and uninformed. That enrages some of their followers, who, in turn, insult them (back), and things fall apart. Both sides are wrong.   First, I call on the youth not to rush to conclusions about matters they barely understand. I, for instance, passed through a similar stage. While growing up and reading voraciously, I imagined myself as more learned than I actually was. In public (especially online fora), I challenged some people, including a professor many of you here know. I was wrong. Second, those who respond to those young guys in kind (by abusing them back) should change their approach and tactics. We need to listen to them. We must find ways to answer them with wisdom...

Too many people desperately seek cheap popularity on social media (SM). They include socialites, self-identified religious scholars, and ordinary people. The first category, such as Murja Ibrahim, doesn’t surprise me; their followers astonish me. But the second and third categories astound me. The “religious scholars” mindlessly chase fame (and fortune) on SM today. It’s common to see a benighted person countering an established scholar on a subject he barely understands. I came across one a while ago, trying to debunk a theological discourse using baseless claims. He struggled to recite the Qur’an before him. The third category hides behind “catching cruise,” whatever that means. Yesterday, someone shared that viral tweet by parody accounts of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. People called his attention to the fact that they were parody accounts. He admitted knowing that but added that he was only “catching cruise.” What is that, for God’s sake? Fame can be a heavy load to carry, but it...

By Muhsin Ibrahim Following the publication of Skills Rather Than Just Degrees by Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), a debate raged on whether to obtain a degree certificate or acquire skills in northern Nigerian cyberspace. To my knowledge, Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka Abdelmalik of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, offered the best response, which put the final nail in the coffin of the debate. For the past few days, we have been busy (again) arguing over whether English proficiency can be a measure of one’s intelligence. But, unfortunately, these controversies in sections of northern Nigerian cyberspace aren’t only unneeded but also detrimental to the region. A few other concerned friends and I have said enough about the two topics. However, some things are worth repeating. Here are two points. First, school is not a scam. Even Islam, the religion most of us practice, is totally pro-education. So, obtain that degree certificate and learn that skill. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Forget ab...

By Muhsin Ibrahim A few weeks ago, a lady I know told me she had found a husband. As a divorcee, she needed only essential things to move in with her man. I was very happy for her. But two days ago, after reading her Ramadan Mubarak message, I asked about her new home. She revealed that the marriage had crumbled. Why, I wondered. She was sick, and the man refused to pay her medical bills. Not only that, he repeatedly taunted her. Finally, she has had enough and left him. She now uses traditional medication, which only worsens her condition. I learned that the medicines cost less than 10K, which she couldn’t afford! There is a viral story  about that Kaduna lady whose husband left her with four young kids, and now she makes blocks to build her house by herself, which is indeed shocking. However, it’s not an isolated case. I have just told you about a similar case above. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, more harrowing incidents will happen unless we work to solve the problem: emp...

I initially posted this on Facebook. It should be here for other people outside Facebook. Enjoy! We must address the weak argument that no country develops using a foreign language. Frankly, it does more harm than good to us. So many people cite it as a reason not to learn English or to dismiss this essential language. As a result, many miss opportunities, both within and especially outside Nigeria, due to limited English-language skills.   Nigeria was colonised. Like many other former colonies, it is a multilingual country. However, unlike Europe (where Germans speak German, French people speak French, Italians speak Italian, etc.), most former colonies comprise speakers of multiple languages, making it challenging to elevate one above the others without others objecting to discrimination and marginalisation. I know that Tanzania, among a few others, succeeds with Swahili.   The last time I checked, India had more English speakers than the United States. E...