(AhlulBayt News Agency) - RE: Open Letter To Gen. Muhammadu Buhari by Dr. Abdussamad Umar Jibia Associate Professor and Head
Department of Mechatronics Engineering Bayero University Kano, Nigeria, May 12, 2015.
Published in the features section of Leadership Newspaper on 12 th May, 2015. “If your promise to tackle insecurity is to be a reality, you must cut Shiites down to size.” “--- Shia is about the oldest sect in Islam.” These are statements written in a public print media by an elite.
If Shia is the oldest sect in Islam, one is tempted to ask the writer: Is it now that he is asking the President-elect to cut its adherents down to size?
Is Shia an exclusive Nigerian phenomenon? In the academics, where the writer hails from, this article falls short of any worth because it is urging general Buhari to do what is not feasible. Certainly, Shia is a school of thought in Islam as the Ahlussunnah wal Jamaa is also one. Shia is not and can never be a sect. I will revisit this issue later in this write up. What I expected and of course what many people would expect from the Mechatronics scholar is for him to come out with a comprehensive professional blue print in his area for the incoming administration which would move the nation forward. His article, however, was only able to provide an avenue for him to spit out his anti shi’ah venom.
This notwithstanding, I feel obliged to address the issues raised by the writer. I am doing this with all the sincerity of purpose because I believe that there are a lot of misunderstandings, speculative narrations, generalizations without proof, lack of knowledge of basic facts on the ground, reliance on anti shi’ah demonic write ups and probably naivety on the part of our respected author and people with similar mindset. I intend to do this under three principal headings viz: Boko Haram, Shi’ah and Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
Last year , I wrote an article titled: “False Flag Terror: Scramble II for African Resources” which was published on 20th June, 2014 in the pointer express newspaper. In the piece, I tried to establish fact and not conspiracy theory that Boko Haram was a covert CIA cum MOSSAD operation to destabilize Nigeria and ridicule Islam. It was hatched by World Arrogance primarily to provide unabated access to the vast Nigerian resources and halt the rapid Islamic awakening sweeping across Nigeria and indeed the Muslim lands. The following was my conclusion at the end of that article:
The World arrogance under the control of America and Zionists has instituted false flag terror in the name of Islam to scramble once again for African resources. In Nigeria they fabricated Boko Haram. Nigerian Government is complicit in the program. The carnage is being supported by the victim nation. It stands down so as to prepare the nation for violence or mayhem. This would give way to the foreign powers free access to our resources. They would use their stooges and then dump them. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of Sheikh Zakzaky (H) is the stumbling block towards the attainment of this sinister motive. All indicators point to the woeful failure of this false flag program and the subsequent successful establishment of a Khomeini type Islamic State in Nigeria. This would influence Africa as a whole, God willing.
Certainly, we do not need a professor of history to establish to us the fact that the root of all global Takfiri outfits such as al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Ansaruddeen, Alshabaab, Jubhatun Nusra, ISIS, ISIL etc is the Wahhabi doctrine. The enemies of Muslims penetrated through this salafi corridor in Ahlussunah wal Jama’a. They did not use the Sufi wing. The established Marja’iyya system in Shi’ah would never allow the formation of such sects. It follows therefore that if the menace of such inhuman outfits is to be curbed, their source of aid, funding and logistics need to be severed. Is there any need for me to mention Britain, France, USA, illegal Israel, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia as the gang that orchestrated the formation and sustenance of those Takfiri organizations who perpetrate global terror crimes against humanity all under the guise of Islam? With this background, you can not dare associate Shi’ah with boko haram - like violence let alone assert that it is more dreadful. Perhaps Hizbullah and Hamas may come into one’s mind. These are by no means terror organizations, except by Zionist propaganda. They fight conventional warfare with the Zionist entity. Hizbullah, predominantly Shi’ah, under Sayyid Nasrallah succeeded in driving out Israel from its illegal occupation of southern Lebanon. They were victorious again in 2006, exposed the Zionists, made their claim of invincibility to be a myth and were able to accomplish what the puppet Arab regimes, combined, could not do. Hamas, predominantly Sunnah, proved last year, 2014 that their muscle of resistance to Zionist aggression has come of age. Although Israel unleashed terror on women, children and the aged in the besieged Ghazzah enclave, they came out as the vanquished by all war standards.
Coming to the issue of Shi’ah, Professor Jibia said that “as a Muslim, you don’t need someone to tell you about Shi’ah.” However, he went ahead to tell his readers about his conception, or is it misconception of the Shi’ah which evolved around the personality of Abdullahi bin Sabah. For the information of Dr Jibia and our esteemed readers, the issue of the personality of Abdullh bn Sabah, is seriously under question. Some scholars have established that he was a fabrication and fictitious figure in history. There exists no proof for the validity of those stories attached to him. In fact, there is no mention of Abdullah Ibn Saba in any of the six authentic Sunni collections (Sihah). Of course there are few narrations on Abdullah bn Sabah in other books. The tale of Abdullah Ibn Saba is over twelve centuries old. Historians and writers, one after the other recorded it, adding more and more to it. With a glance at the chain of transmitters of this story, you will find the name of Sayf bn Umar sitting in there. The following historians recorded directly from Sayf: (1) Tabari; (2) Dhahabi. He has also cited from Tabari; (3) Ibn Abi Bakir. He has also recorded from Ibn Athir, who has recorded from Tabari; (4) Ibn Asakir.. The reader may refer to the comments of Al Nisa’i and Hakim on the character of Sayf so as to confirm that such narrations are not acceptable.
In addition to this, a more assertive proof that the Shi’ah did not evolve during the time of the third caliph is the fact that there are narrations where the Prophet used the word ‘Shi’ah” on some occasions contrary to the use of “Ahlussunnah wal jama’a” which only came into vogue after the battle of Siffin. For the avoidance of doubt, one can refer to the Quranic commentary by Tabari on the second to the last verse of surah Al Bayyinah. I have it in my own version of Alim software, The Prophet translated “Khairil bariyya’ as Ali and his Shi’ah. Similar commentary could be found in Durrul manthour by Jalaluddeen Suyuti. There were companions of the Prophet who were identified as Shi’at Ali. These include Bilal, Miqdad, Ammar and Salman (may Allah be pleased with them). So Shi’ah was not from Abdullahi bn Sabah nor was it formed after the assassination of Uthman bn Affan. Therefore it is not right to say that they prostrated Ali’s effort to track down and punish the killers of Uthman. Were they the people who imposed the battles of camel and Siffin on Ali (AS)? May be Abdussamad Jibia was trying to refer to the battle of Nahrawan but had no knowledge of the real historical perspectives and hence ran into confusion and mixed the scenarios.
“Shi’ah was embraced by Persians because they saw it as an opportunity to distort a religion that destroyed their kingdom and culture.” I am afraid that historians may sue the associate Prof who made this laughable assertion. This point can only be raised by orientlists who distort Islamic history. What of Arabs who embraced Shi’ah even before the Persians? Do you forget the Hadith of the Prophet concerning the people of Salman (Persians)? May be it is not an authentic Hadith! Please find time to read the history of the spread of Shiism in Persia from reliable sources. Again the writer wrote: “after the Iranian Revolution, which was led by Shiite scholars----.” He avoided the name of Ayatullah Ruhullah Khomeini (QS). Iranian revolution had only one leader, Khomeini. This revolution was a dawn of a new era. It set the pace. Find time to read the speeches of Imam Khomeini in the early days after the revolution. He had debunked the idea of “exporting” the revolution. On the contrary to what you are saying, It was the Arab puppet regimes led by Saudi Arabia who masterminded the campaign of demonization so as to prepare the mindset of Muslim peoples against Shiism and the revolution. How could Iran have time to spread Shiism when the World arrogant powers in collaboration with their Arab stooges imposed an 8-year war using Iraq as smokescreen under the brutal Saddam Tekriti? So Iran has not assigned such tasks.
This leads me to dwell on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and its leader, his Eminence Allamah Sayyid Ibraheem Ya’qoub El-Zakzaky (H). Read what Dr Jibia wrote:” this task (to spread Shi’ah to other countries) was to be carried out by one Ibrahim Yakub Elzakzaky---.” This statement down looks at the personality of a respected Aalim (scholar). How can you refer to him as “one” as if you are addressing Eskimos? We are in Nigeria and the name El-Zakzaky is so glaring clearly in the horizons for every household to see. In fact, this name echoes in the whole globe. I could recall that the same phrase was used by Moshe Ram, the former Israel foreign ambassador to Nigeria when El-Zakzaky addressed 60th anniversary to mourn the occupation of Palestine by the illegal state. Please Prof as somebody who we assume knows the value of scholarship you should avoid down regarding scholars who have different religious perspectives with you.
Many people tend to forget the fact that after the last Messenger, Allah (SWT) , in his mercy to mankind, raises reformers from time to time to take human beings back to the correct Divine track. Imam Khomeini is one of such. Shehu Othman Fodio (TR) is also of such category. It is not the making of majority or elitist votes. It is purely a divine will. None has control over it. Neither is it a strategy by the reformers. Allamah Zakzaky is of such divinely ordained reformers. The nature and limitations of this write up may not allow us to bring the clear proofs of this stark reality. It suffices for any interested person to study the life and struggle of Sayyid El-Zakzaky.
It appears that Dr Jibia considers Shi’ah and Islamic Movement as synonyms. The Islamic Movement is a mass movement based on the Da’awah methodology of the Holy Prophet. Shi’ah is a school of thought. Hence you may find some Shiites not participating in the activities of the Movement. Similarly you may find some non Shi’i elements in the Movement. Of recent, some Christians have requested to be given a platform (forum) in the Movement. Islamic Movement in Nigeria, for the last thirty years, has been focused and consistent. The ultimate objective of the Movement is the attainment of the pleasure of Allah (SWT) in this World and in the hereafter. The establishment of an Islamic State in Nigeria is not an end in itself. It is rather a means to an end. However, by participating and contributing our best to the Movement, we have good grounds for genuine excuse to our Lord who ordains us to be his vicegerents on this Earth. The Movement is bestowed with a muttaqiy leader who is divinely inspired and protected.
Also Dr JIbiya attempted to give the history of the Movement. What he wrote could be best described as a collection of speculations from people who nurse hatred on the progress and high prospects of the Movement. He may refer to Mal Kabiru Haruna of the History Department, Bayero University, who is concluding his PhD thesis on Movements in Nigeria. He has a lot of materials on the issue rather than to rely on and narrate speculations. Even an undergraduate cannot afford to do this. Of similar unscholarly magnitude is the assertion of the writer on the use of women through temporary marriage to attract young people to trek from various towns to Zaria to listen to Elzakzaky. Why do the youth need to undergo onerous trek in order to practice Mutu’ah (temporary marriage)? What prevents them from doing same in towns and cities? Moreover all their movements during the trek are not hidden to anybody day and night.
This calumny portrays the extent to which the likes of Abdussamad Jibiya are jittery about the prosperity of the Islamic Movement to succeed in bringing about revolution in Nigeria. They are too late! For their information, the secret behind endurance of such trek is the love of Ahlul Bayt. It symbolizes in-depth solidarity to feel a little portion of the travails suffered by the family of Imam Husain who were dragged on foot from Karbala in Iraq to the palace of the Yazid bn Muawiya in Damascus. Do you symbolize the love or hatred of somebody only by saying so? It has to manifest into action. You hate Shi’ah so you took action by using your pen. Did you keep on saying I hate Shi’ah? Recently some Nigerians trek to Abuja from different parts of the country including women to express solidarity on the victory of General Buhari. Some also decided to mourn the loss of Ebele. May be they are interested in temporary marriage!
Let me seize this opportunity to clear one misconception. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has never been and will not be a violent outfit. It is based on knowledge, reason and the intellect. It never needs arms to conduct Da’awah. On the contrary it was always the subject of attack masterminded by powers that be who feel threatened. Furthermore, the Movement enjoys widespread, balanced and loyal follower ship that is ever ready to act with a unity of purpose. It was able to keep to its aims and objectives. It targets the peoples’ faculty of reasoning backed by sound Islamic knowledge. It is rapidly becoming a formidable and articulated mass Movement with a very high potential of a full pledged revolutionary force to replace the existing chaotic order in Nigeria. One can clearly see the reason behind the continuous effort of successive Nigerian tyrannical rulers to drive away people from the Movement: Campaigns of calumny, character assassination, raising sectarian bigotry, backing thugs to attack members, direct attacks from security operatives and recently plotting the assassination of its leader, Sayyid Zakzaky (H). The Quds day massacre last year which involved 3 sons of Elzakzaky was not a clash between soldiers and members of the Movement. It was clearly a planned and executed cold blood murder. The case is at the National Human Rigts Commission and the International Islamic Human Rights Commission of the United Nations.
The enemies of Islam are under no delusion that immense power resides within the Muslim Ummah, and as such they are too frightened. They have covertly and overtly tried to diffuse Muslim focus by either turning them against one another using the age old diversity within the Ummah, or by trying to force on the world their own picture of Islam. They do not want the real Islam to be seen. Do we continue to support the arrogant powers or their stooges in our midst? Do we stand on the fence? Do we resolve to become part of the struggle towards establishment of a just system to govern our lives? Falsehood, no matter the length of time, is certainly going to crash. Truthfulness is certain. It shall prevail. I close with this verse of the Qur’an, which summarizes our most important challenge and duty; “say, I exhort you only to do one thing: rise up for Allah’s sake in twos and singly” (34: 46).
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