Delivered by Publishing Technology to: University of Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern University Overcrowding. All rights reserved. SOURCES Spruce up Contribution to the History regard the Wahhabi Daʿwa in Westbound Africa: The Career and decency Murder of Shaykh Jaʿfar Mahmoud Adam (Daura, ca.
/–Kano ) 1 Andrea Brigaglia, UNIVERSITY Show consideration for CAPE TOWN DOI: / Metaphysical Shaykh Jaʿfar Mahmoud was single of the most popular voices of the Salafi/ Wahhabi business (daʿwa) in contemporary West Continent. This article reconstructs his occupation, from his studies in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia through dignity time of his teaching arena preaching in Kano and City, until his dramatic assassination in bad taste April After detailing the various conflicts and debates that attended his career as a lever preacher and surveying the a sprinkling hypotheses that have been modern so far to explain authority murder, the article considers integrity career of Jaʿfar Mahmoud absorb light of the rise be beaten Wahhabism in the densely populated West African nation through excellence last three decades (s–s).2 1 The exact date of descent for Jaʿfar Mahmoud is dubious.
He himself used to mark it at times as most important at times as , considerably mentioned by his friend with biographer Mu◎ammad al-Th nī ʿUmar Mūs , Ayy mī ma‘a d ‘iyat al-jīl wa-mufassir al-tanzīl alShaykh Jaʿfar Maḥmūd dam (Kano: D r al-●ikma lil-Kit clumsy al-Isl mī, ), 7. Hysterical am thankful to Alex Thurston for making a copy manager this book available to company just a few days earlier I submitted the final chronicle of this paper.
As annoyed his name, the correct rendering from Arabic would be Jaʿfar Ma◎mūd dam. In this unearthing, however, I have preferred dealings adopt for his name (as well as for several blot Nigerian names) the spelling go is usually found in grandeur Nigerian press in English, amuse order to facilitate to rectitude reader the search and interruption of the relative sources.
2 My thanks are due loom Susan O’Brien, to Alex Thurston, and to an anonymous judge for their precious comments spin an earlier draft of that paper. Islamic Africa, VOL. 3, NO. 1, ISSN Copyright © by Northwestern University Press. Adept rights reserved. 1 2 ISLAMIC AFRICA Delivered by Publishing Study to: University of Cape Community Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern Lincoln Press.
All rights reserved. Keywords: Nigeria; Islam and Politics; Islamic movements; Wahhabism; Salafism. When Unrestrained first met Shaykh Jaʿfar Mahmoud in September , I was surprised by the unusual cheer measures displayed around the comparatively young northern Nigerian scholar, resort to that time at the instant of his popularity. Before tip with the Shaykh, I difficult to understand to go through several interviews with his security staff, which delayed appointments for three sequent days.
On the last get on to the three days, the preservation staff reiterated the denial admonishment the appointment due to significance fact that I had plead for shown any official letter break into introduction from my university, wonderful requirement that may seem perceptible in other contexts, but possession which I was unprepared. Uncontrolled had never been required, misrepresent fact, to show any attestation before or after any noise my interviews with other Kano religious scholars, which had each taken place in a happily informal atmosphere.
When I was finally able to meet him, the fact of interviewing him alone in the closed leeway of the quiet, first-floor office of the Islamic institute unwind was directing—instead of meeting him sitting on a mat infiltrate front of a private pied-а-terre, surrounded by a few set and by the movement worldly women, children, and goats give birth to and into the compound, brand had been more common fabric my meetings with more “traditional” scholars in Kano—confirmed the primary concern, which was only supposedly apparent softened by the gentleness, authority openness, and the simplicity have power over the manners of the Shaykh himself.
I interpreted these convenient procedures as the sign glimpse a conscious attempt by greatness Shaykh to display an methodically “official” outlook and distinguish person from his fellow ulama, enormously those educated in the shut down, informal circles of Islamic cognition. I could not but keep the additional impression, however, delay there were also some concave tensions and anxieties running subtract the environment that surrounded tube sustained the scholar.
Less mystify five years later, the talk of the cold-blooded assassination corporeal the Nigerian scholar would doom that the security measures den him were not, in reality, unjustified. Jaʿfar Mahmoud was murdered on Friday, 13 April next to a commando equipped with automated guns, in the Friday masjid (known as masallacin al-Muntada) model the densely populated area decompose Dorayi, where he had back number serving as imam since illustriousness late s.
In the instantaneously previous days, the imam give orders to preacher had received several mysterious threatening messages, including a means garment sent to his demonstrate. To add to the rich distinct effect of the event, her highness assassination occurred while he was leading the early morning ( fajr) prayer. Later that generation, BRIGAGLIA 3 Delivered by Business Technology to: University of Ness Town Libraries IP: on: Say, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwesterly University Press.
All rights quiet. his name would resonate, bod as that of a fatality, in the words of high-mindedness imam of the sacred house of god of Mecca, ʿAbd al-Ra◎m tradition al-Sudays, during the latter’s hebdomadal world-broadcast Friday sermon, in acceptance of the international recognition roam the murdered Nigerian imam challenging gathered in the previous days within the circles close rise and fall the Saudi establishment.
The Fashioning of the Imam: From Almajiri, to Boko, to International Islamic Institutions Jaʿfar Mahmoud Adam was born in or in righteousness northern Nigerian town of Daura (Katsina State). In his ancy, he pursued the standard, forthright system of Islamic instruction junior to the mentorship of local work force cane, as a result of ruler parents’ refusal to register him in a boko (government secular) school.
At that time, protest attitude of mistrust towards calming modern education, sustained by racial and economic reasons but said mainly in religious terms, was the norm in the Moslem peasant society of northern Nigeria. After completing his elementary Qurʾanic studies in Koza, near Daura, in his early teens Jaʿfar migrated to the city break into Kano.
There he spent many years leading the customary, hot-headed life of a migrant Qurʾanic student (almajiri), living out rule charity (bara) and petty jobs in the then booming yankee Nigerian metropolis and dwelling coop the neighborhood of Fagge, hosted with other students in class residence of Malam Abdullahi Dan Zarmo, a Qurʾanic teacher originating from the neighboring republic matching Niger.
A talented and assiduous student, he memorized the Qurʾan in during a sojourn persuasively the town of Hadejia, to what place he studied with another Qurʾanic teacher, Malam Sufyan. The grassy Jaʿfar was also endowed, allowing, with a curious, inquisitive attach importance to, and upon his return be in total Kano, at the sight put a stop to some of his peers attendance the then rapidly developing make schools, he resolved that smartness would forsake all his arrangement time to acquire the leader boko skills.
With this fraud, he registered for government-sponsored mortal evening classes. The boko enlightening system (either from the Side word “book” or from excellence Hausa word boko, meaning “a mimetic costume” and indicating rendering inauthenticity of the cultural code associated with modern education), which had remained during colonization coordinate of favor in the Islamist north, was quickly expanding pound the late s, following picture fast social changes triggered timorous independence in the s delighted the launching of the Prevalent Primary Education program by picture Nigerian government in 4 ISLAMIC AFRICA Delivered by Publishing Profession to: University of Cape Metropolitan Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern Sanatorium Press.
All rights reserved. Integrity late s were also probity years in which the inexperienced polemics between the “traditionalist” ulema of the Sufi brotherhoods enthralled Izala (Jam ʿat ʿIz bend al-Bidʿa wa-Iq mat al-Sunna), out religious movement of contestation lyrical by a combination of Muhammadan theological purism and Salafi libertarian ideas, were inflaming and divider the northern Nigerian Islamic community.3 This led the young Jaʿfar, fascinated by the radio speeches of the chief intellectual adviser of Izala Abu Bakr Gumi (d.
), to resolve visit learn how to master Semite as a spoken language, rule ultimate goal being to crowd-puller “a better understanding of religion.”4 In addition to his subject evening boko class, then, among and the untiring Jaʿfar along with attended private Arabic classes take care of the Kano Egyptian Cultural Interior, where he impressed his African teacher, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ʿAlī al-Mu７Ｈaf , with his perfect Qurʾanic memorization.
The latter, however, catch his young student of honourableness need to complement his Qurʾanic memorization with the study matching tajwīd (rules of pronunciation esoteric recitation), and offered him broaden private tutoring in the long way round. This would be remembered dampen Jaʿfar as the first porch in his effort to go slap into beyond the perceived limits drawing local traditional scholarship (where tajwīd was often neglected or thoughtful as secondary), a process turn would deeply transform him existing eventually expose him to organized global perspective on the arraign of the Muslim world leading its current challenges.
After conclusion his primary boko education, anxiety Jaʿfar enrolled in a carnal secondary school, while at rank same time pursuing higher studies in Islamic law and sunnah in the traditional system, inured to attending the houses of irksome scholars of Kano (Nuhu Dandago, Muhammad Shehu Lokoja, Abubakar Jibril). During the s, he besides started to build a constant relationship with some young activists of Izala in Kano, remarkably a circle that was subsequently starting to grow around authority Triumph Mosque: Sani Umar 3 On Izala and its conflict with the traditional ulama uphold Northern Nigeria, see Ousmane Kane, Muslim Modernity in Post-Colonial Nigeria: A Study of the Kinship for the Removal of Oddity and the Reinstatement of Praxis (Leiden: Brill, ); Roman Loimeier, Islamic Reform and Political Replace in Northern Nigeria (Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, ).
4 Interview (Kano: September ). Shaykh Abu Bakr Gumi’s radio announcement of Qurʾanic exegesis was habitual in particular among the in mint condition elite formed in the boko system. For a reconstruction spot the oral exegesis of Gumi and of his Sufi opponents, see: Andrea Brigaglia, “The Televise Kaduna Tafsîr (–) and nobility Construction of Public Images detail Muslim Scholars in the Nigerien Media,” Journal for Islamic Studies (Cape Town), 27 (): – BRIGAGLIA 5 Delivered by Proclamation Technology to: University of Promontory Town Libraries IP: on: Become husband, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwesterly University Press.
All rights out-and-out. Musa (who would later get by his biography), Ibrahim Khalil, Muhammad bin ʿUthman. It was minute this mosque that, still cranium his twenties, he staged ruler first regular teaching activities, direction on the book al-Fatḥ al-Majīd by ʿAbd al-Ra◎m n dangerous. ●asan l al-Shaykh, a analysis of the foundational text mislay Wahhabi theology, Kit b al-Tawḥīḍ, written by Mu◎ammad b.
ʿAbd al-Wahh b (d. ). Position real asset of Jaʿfar mud his early career, however, was his memorization of the Qurʾan and his effort in flourishing his skills in its punishment. As a part of Izala’s harsh campaign against traditional Qurʾanic education, in fact, the nascent elite of the movement was very keen on emphasizing influence rules of Qurʾanic tajwīd, put over particular if coupled with Nucleus Eastern styles of intonation.
Shop at by his Egyptian teacher obscure by the local branch illustrate Izala, Jaʿfar successfully participated send down successive competitions of Qurʾanic precept. In , he was awarded the first prize in exceptional national competition and subsequently, earth traveled to Saudi Arabia quick participate in an international striving, where he was awarded picture third prize.
The event established an important success not sole for him personally, but sustenance the whole leadership of Izala, until then often accused rough its rivals, the ulama chastisement the Sufi orders, of make available composed of ʿyan boko, immaturity with secular education and petty authentic credentials in “proper” unworldly knowledge.
The trip to Arab Arabia and the success discern the Qurʾanic recitation contest was only the beginning of Jaʿfar’s association with the ulama weekend away the kingdom. Encouraged by goodness Kano leadership of Izala, manifestly keen on strengthening the blunder with its Saudi patrons, Jaʿfar had already sent many applications to the Islamic University slant Medina—always unsuccessfully because, having keen yet obtained his secondary primary diploma, he did not fulfill the formal admission requirements.
Injure , the young student with promising Izala preacher was finally able to realize his spell after an encounter with copperplate Saudi official named Dr. Mu◎ammad b. ʿAbd All h Zarb n al-Gh midī. Dr. Zarb n was visiting Nigeria correspond with scrutinize prospective students to insure and send to Saudi Peninsula, as part of a blueprint by the Saudi kingdom handle spread the influence of excellence Wahhabi reformist mission (daʿwa) stop in full flow local—often Sufi-oriented—Muslim communities around class world, and particularly in Continent.
Impressed by the enthusiastic current hard-working ḥ fiẓ, Dr Zarb n offered him a come up with to enroll at the noted Saudi university, with the circumstances of repeating his secondary studies in Saudi Arabia. In graceful time of intense ideological showdown in northern 6 ISLAMIC Continent Delivered by Publishing Technology to: University of Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern University Plead.
All rights reserved. Nigeria 'tween concepts of knowledge and duration systems, the young Jaʿfar doubtlessly saw in an international pursuit in a Saudi center atlas religious learning the prospect a few bridging the gap between significance two competing educational systems (“informal Islamic” and “formal Western”) take advantage of which he had been defenceless in Nigeria, and of compounding an otherworldly and a profane sphere.
The Islamic University disregard Medina, in fact, combined distinction aura of religious authority prosperous the prestige of the at a standstill system of learning with decency organizational structure, methodology, and certification of learning (a modern, “rational episteme,” to use Louis Brenner’s terms)5 that northern Nigerians surprise victory that time associated with position boko concept of schooling.
Set a date for Medina, Jaʿfar Mahmoud obtained unornamented BA in Qurʾanic and Islamic studies before moving back make available Kano in Here, he registered in a MA program simple Islamic Studies at Bayero Origination Kano. He was never, despite that, able to submit his unconfirmed report, and he eventually had entertain withdraw from the University.6 Minister in Kano and Maiduguri: In the open and Opponents Though still distant his formal education (he finally enrolled for an MA handy the International University of Continent in Khartoum, Sudan), after climax return from Medina Jaʿfar burning most of his time with energies to an extensive growth as a Wahhabi d ʿī (preacher), which were destined hard by spark much controversy in justness town.
The base of queen preaching activities in Kano was the Uthman Bin Affan Islamic Trust, a newly established guild in the affluent neighborhood vacation Gadon Kaya, built thanks show accidentally the support of the bourgeois and patron of Izala Alhaji Yusuf Abdullahi. Seventeen years afterward the establishment of Izala move the beginning of its campaigns against Sufism and the standard religious scholars, Kano had prolonged to remain the stronghold regard the Sufi brotherhoods in Nigeria.
While Izala had been straightaway successful among the new elites of urban centers of new Islamization like Kaduna and Jos, its spread in the initial centers of the north adore Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, and City, was hindered by the disapproval of the influential traditional 5 See Louis Brenner, Controlling Knowledge: Power and Schooling in boss West African Muslim Society (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, ).
6 According to Jaʿfar’s friend service biographer Sani Umar Musa, Jaʿfar’s withdrawal from Bayero University was due to his conflict set about unspecified “extremist Sufis” among illustriousness Department’s staff (Mu◎ammad al-Th nī b. ʿUmar Mūs , Ayy mī, 41). Delivered by Proclaiming Technology to: University of Peninsula Town Libraries IP: on: Become husband, 06 Jun Copyright (c) North University Press.
All rights add up to. BRIGAGLIA 7 Photo courtesy curst Fauziyya Ibrahim Fiji scholars, promoters of Ashʿari theology and Sufism, and organized in two chief orders (tarīqa)—the Tijaniyya and honourableness Qadiriyya. Reformist circles in Kano had only been able simulate flourish, in the form flash the Daʿwa movement led close to Aminuddeen Abubakar, by softening Izala’s anti-Sufi theological critiques and direct on the social dimension translate reformism (the critique of oral political authority), which found uncountable echoes in the town’s comfortable history of popular movements all-round protest.
Moreover, Izala had antiquated suffering since the late unfeeling from a profound internal breach between a section that sinewy leaders of the movement family unit in Jos, and a next one rallied behind some weekend away Abu Bakr Gumi’s students hem in Kaduna.7 The fracture was straight-faced serious that the leaders lecture the Jos faction had in progress to accuse their 7 Impartial the history of Izala’s widespread domestic split, see Ramzi Benamara, “Jamaʾat Izalatul Bidʾa Wa Iqamatis Hadith in Nigeria between Reforming Islamic Education and Emergence of Internecine Bidʾa”, an unpublished paper tingle at the conference on Islamic Reform and Public Life make real Africa, University of Cape Urban, 12–14 October After years be useful to negotiations, the two sections finally reunited during a recent zenith held in Abuja in Dec 8 ISLAMIC AFRICA Delivered bid Publishing Technology to: University refer to Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern University Press.
All application reserved. Kaduna counterparts of bidʿa (heretical innovation). For an structuring that had been founded climb on the aim of uprooting birth heretical innovations that—it was argued—were being promoted by the Sufi orders and the traditional scholars, the emergence of an public accusation of bidʿa involving magnanimity two leading sections of say publicly movement constituted a major topple after a few years sustenance important achievements.
The Kano period of Izala was also hoity-toity by the same internal crack. In the s, when Jaʿfar had started to teach divert the Triumph mosque, the persons was already divided into bend in half groups, to the point ensure one group, affiliated with character Jos faction, refused to move behind imams affiliated with the indentation faction during the ritual entreaty, and had started to throng its own independent congregation, prayer in the outer precincts pointer the mosque.8 After an prime hesitation, Jaʿfar openly declared jurisdiction support for the Kaduna mould.
However, due to some get the picture the positions that Jaʿfar extremity some of his close participation among the younger members designate Izala in Kano (Sani Umar Musa, Ibrahim Khalil, etc.) abstruse taken on certain controversial issues, people were in fact dialogue of three Izala factions be given Kano: a Jos faction (headed by Abba Koki), a Kaduna faction (headed by Abdullahi Pakistan), and an independent faction.
Interpretation formation of a circle magnetize younger Izala leaders in Kano, who were perceived as to some extent independent from the national direction of the movement, was blue blood the gentry fruit of their attempt close to relatively soften the implications behoove the indiscriminate takfīr (excommunication) virtuous all the followers of decency Tijaniyya and the Qadiriyya lapse had been maintained by position traditional leadership of Izala on account of its foundation in The issues of contestation included, in feature, the legitimacy of eating glory meat of an animal slaughtered by a follower of clever Sufi order and of orison behind an Imam affiliated nominate a Sufi order: while leadership traditional position of Izala was that these actions were both prohibited, due to their grasp of the status of grand Sufi as that of precise k fir (unbeliever), the teenaged Kano leaders were open denote consider the followers of prestige Sufi orders as mere mubtadiʿ (innovators), and therefore to verdant eating their meat and obsecration behind them—though only under undeniable circumstances, like the unavailability close other meat or of repeated erior Imams to pray behind.
Match up main reasons pushed the Kano section to develop this, on a small scale more accommodating, position: firstly, prestige new Kano elite had back number exposed, through their studies forecast Saudi Arabia, to later commentaries of the earlier Wahhabi rule that offered less restrictive 8 Mu◎ammad al-Th nī ʿUmar Mūs , Ayy mī, BRIGAGLIA 9 Delivered by Publishing Technology to: University of Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern University Tamp.
All rights reserved. interpretations have a high regard for the statements that the framer of the Wahhabi school, Mu◎ammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahh b difficult to understand formulated in his Kit precarious al-tawḥīd; secondly, the nature not later than the religious environment of Kano, dominated by religious scholars affiliated to the Sufi orders, confidential resulted in a thorough solitude of Izala, that was in step going against the interest nigh on the movement.
In fact, illustriousness name of Izala was fair deeply associated with a boycott perception in Kano that as Jaʿfar Mahmoud and the additional generation of Saudi-trained Wahhabi missionaries who were trying to generate inroads in the northern inner-city center restarted their activities explain the s after their stop off in Medina, they decided extract limit as much as practicable their public references to depiction name of Izala, and in close proximity operate under the new title of Ahlus-Sunna.
Notwithstanding his crack on the issues of description consumption of meat and accord the possibility of following straighten up Sufi imam, Shaykh’s open grasp and teaching of the Mohammedan theological canon and his diatribe of many of the experience and practices of Sufism, as well as the celebration of mawlid (yearly recurrence of the Prophet’s birth), inevitably led him to hire in regular disputes with character city’s traditional ulama.
In frankly, he clashed bitterly with fear young and emerging scholars approximating Malam Abd al-Jabbar, a litter of the celebrated Qadiri governor, scholar, and poet Shaykh Nasiru (Mu◎ammad al-N ７ir) Kabara (d. ), and Ustaz Yusuf ʿAli, an influential Sharia judge contemporary popular television preacher specializing absorb esoteric Qurʾanic medicine, whom character Ahlus-Sunna Jaʿfar scholars accused hark back to encouraging “superstitious practices” and flawless colluding with a corrupt governmental elite (the then governor be required of Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso).
At high-mindedness same time, and always quick-witted line with the agenda promoted by the Wahhabi mission general, Jaʿfar also attempted to counter strongly to the emergence innumerable a Shia Islamic critical address in the country.9 His engagements in public debates with future Shia leaders of Kano passion Malam Awwal Talʾudi also became legendary, and are still put on the market in widely circulated tapes become more intense DVDs.
Jaʿfar Mahmoud’s scholarly vim remained mainly oral. Some attention to detail his audio and video lectures, including Hausa translations and commentaries 9 A good (though arrange very updated) introduction on class genesis of the Shia augment in Nigeria is Muhammad Sulaiman (), “Shiaism and rendering Islamic Movement in Nigeria –,” in Islam et Islamismes organization sud du Sahara, ed.
Ousmane Kane and Jean-Louis Triaud (Paris: Karthala, ), – 10 ISLAMIC AFRICA Delivered by Publishing Study to: University of Cape Zone Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern Code of practice Press. All rights reserved. lecture classical and contemporary books trap the Wahhabi and Salafi schools of thought like Mu◎ammad inexpert.
ʿAbd al-Wahh b’s Kit sticky at-Tawḥīd (The Book of Monotheism) and N ７ir al-Dīn al-Alb nī’s if t al- accurate t ʿal alNabī (How brave Address Supplications to the Prophet), are today marketable Islamic godfearing items in the country. Justness first is a short divine handbook written by the father of the Wahhabi school, which is especially known for cause dejection denial of some points pageant doctrine of the classical Sect school of theology (Ashʿarism) inflate the issue of the genius of God and, maybe many importantly, for its branding treat a number of traditional jus naturale \'natural law\' of the Muslims (such gorilla visiting graves of saints lease tabarruk, i.e.
acquiring blessings, likewise well as using qurʾanic engrossed formulas for protection) as skirt (polytheism). The second is topping book on the “appropriate” construction of addressing supplications to loftiness Prophet, on the basis quite a lot of which many of the nonmaterial practices of Sufism centered safety test the Prophet’s status as greatest intercessor are outlawed.
These duo books provided the expanding company of the Wahhabi mission manner the country with the moot background to formulate a explication of the theology (the first) and the practices (the second) of traditional northern Nigerian Muslims. Shaykh Jaʿfar also published vocal Hausa translations of uncontroversial standard collections of hadith used kind references by all Sunni Muslims, like Nawawī’s Riy ḍ al- liḥīn (The Gardens of rectitude Virtuous) on ethics and Ibn ●ajar’s ʿUmdat al-aḥk m (The Foundation of the Legal Rulings) on law.
These oral translations are, however, regularly preceded building block short comments that specify zigzag these classical authors are puzzle out be respected, but should call be followed in their field of Ash‘ari theology. To cotton on the import of these statements one must consider the act that Ashʿari theology has anachronistic unanimously professed and taught impervious to the Nigerian ulama—mainly through position works of north African scholars such as Mu◎ammad al-Sanūsī (d.
) and ʿAbd al-Sal batch al-Laqq nī (d. ), on the other hand also through works of African scholars like Dahiru Feromma (d. after ) and Abdullahi Dan Fodio (d. )—right from decency inception of Islam in rectitude region to the present shrink. Among the works of Jaʿfar Mahmoud that are distributed calculate the market, however, the bossy popular is certainly the recordings of his Hausa oral Qurʾanic commentary.
Shaykh Jaʿfar started involving give weekly public lessons signify tafsīr (Qurʾanic commentary) on Weekday evenings at the Uthman Dismiss Affan institute. Later on, circlet tafsīr was also hosted afford the Beirut Road mosque, on all occasions in Kano. The success extent Jaʿfar’s tafsīr in Kano full of life an influential businessman and fellow traveller of Izala, Alhaji Muhammad Ndimi, 11 BRIGAGLIA Delivered by Publication Technology to: University of Point Town Libraries IP: on: Take a fall, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwesterly University Press.
All rights reticent. to invite the emerging Kano scholar to give tafsīr lectures in the mosque attached reach his private house, located make a way into the capital state of Borno, Maiduguri. This was also, market all probability, a move wishywashy the leadership of Izala/ Ahlus-Sunna to work towards extending magnanimity influence of the movement hassle another region which, like Kano and probably to a in a superior way extent than it, had antediluvian previously almost impermeable to influence influence of the Wahhabi/ Salafi mission.
All the major transcendental green scholars of Borno in significance twentieth century, in fact, 1 Shaykh A◎mad ʿAlī Abu al-Fat◎, Shaykh Abū Bakr al-Miskīn, Sharīf Ibr hīm ６ li◎ al-●usaynī, were affiliated to the Tijani order, and had a endless following in neighboring Chad pointer Cameroon. The beginning of picture tafsīr in Maiduguri and justness opening of a new limits under the protection of simple local sponsor was the circumstance for Shaykh Jaʿfar to re-harshen his attacks against Sufism.
Shaykh Jaʿfar’s commentary was largely of genius by the legendary one all-round his predecessor, Abu Bakr Gumi, who had influenced him pulsate his youth through his crystal set speeches, drawing him into decency sphere of Izala. In point, Jaʿfar’s tafsīr was often homeproduced on the text of grandeur latter’s published exegesis Radd al-adhh n.
If compared to prestige latter, however, the tafsīr acquire Jaʿfar can be considered significance a more mature one: methodically didactic, rich in grammatical make of the verses and tier quotations from a larger oppose of tafsīr sources (al-QurＨubī, al-６ būnī, etc.), full of definite references to the theological principal of the Wahhabi school, flourishing punctuated with frequent comments directive current issues of public have relation, including local and international political science (with common references to authority conflicts in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Cashmere etc.).
Islamism and National Public affairs Divided by doctrinal affiliation unearth the mainstream Sufi scholarly flake down of Kano and from representation more marginal but vocal Shia movement, Jaʿfar Mahmoud was extremely drawn into a vigorous justification about the meaning and factious implications of Islamic identity be equivalent Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a Islamic intellectual who is also spruce member of the Kano sovereign august family and an influential bursar, and who has been cut out for in as the governor eliminate the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The two (who, coincidentally, esoteric both studied at the Ubiquitous University of Africa in Khartoum) had come to a acerbic disagreement over the question line of attack the calls for “Sharia reforms” in the penal system indicate the northern Nigerian states, matter which Sanusi had started fulfil express a critical view, uttered mainly from a human 12 ISLAMIC AFRICA Delivered by Proclaiming Technology to: University of Standpoint Town Libraries IP: on: Get married, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwest University Press.
All rights equal. rights perspective The criticism panic about Sanusi was voiced in a handful publications, most of which were republished online by the northerly Nigerian website , quickly sycophantic the object of heated debates in Nigerian public opinion Jaʿfar Mahmoud had thus decided seal accuse him and other the learned branded as “Westernized” of receipt disowned their “Islamic identity,” added of promoting a secularist schedule under the slogan of “unity and diversity” in Nigeria, untainted agenda allegedly incompatible with illustriousness interests of Islam in grandeur country.
Sanusi responded with dialect trig harsh article published by glory website Gamji, where he pink-slipped in his turn the Sauditrained imam, branding him, with simple reference to his life whilst a migrant student in Kano and his rapid transformation shun an almajiri to a Metropolis graduate, as “an ambulant who grew up without stability healthier parental care; a charm producer who turned into a burning wahhabite; an alien and frontiersman in his place of abode.”12 The exchange between the match up influential and ambitious Kano scholars sparked an interesting, heated dispute, with several contributions by rendering general public being published get the gist the website during the pursuing months.
In the short title, this exchange enhanced the favour of Jaʿfar among the city’s Islamist youth, promoting his appearance, in a time of stimulated debates that followed the district Sharia bills in the arctic and 10 For a welltodo collection of documents related be proof against the Sharia reforms in circumboreal Nigeria after , see Prince Ostien, ed., Sharia Implementation condensation Northern Nigeria – A Sourcebook (Ibadan: Spectrum, ).
See further Philip Ostien, Jamila M. Nasir, and Franz Kogelmann (eds.), Associated Perspectives on Shariʾah in Nigeria (Ibadan: Spectrum, ). The negligible of Sharia was an bracket bone of contention in decency country. For background on unembellished older phase of the wrangling (the late s debate contemplate the place of Sharia unsubtle the constitution), see David Laitin, “The Sharia Debate and excellence Origins of Nigeria’s Second Republic,” Journal of Modern African Studies 20 (): – On humdrum of the internal debates range took place within the Islamic camp following the implementation defer to Sharia reforms, with many insights on Kano state, see Susan M.
O’Brien, “La charia contestée: Démocratie, débat et diversité musulmane dans les ‘États charia’ defence Nigeria,” Politique Africaine (): 46– 11 Among Sanusi’s earlier tolerance on the topic are probity following: Sanusi L. Sanusi, “The Hudood Punishments in Northern Nigeria: A Muslim Criticism,” originally fated in October for ISIM Tabloid (Leiden: Institute for the Burn the midnight oil of Islam in Modernity), promulgated online at ; Sanusi Renown.
Sanusi, “Shariacracy in Nigeria: Greatness Intellectual Roots of Islamist Discourses,” originally published in Beyond Abacha: Companion Essays, ed. Akin Osuntokun (Lagos: Intelconsult, ), also obtainable online at See also Sanusi L. Sanusi, “Politics and Shariah in Northern Nigeria,” in Religion and Muslim Politics in Continent, ed. Benjamin Soares and René Otayek (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, ), – 12 Sanusi Fame.
Sanusi, “Identity, Political Ethics increase in intensity Parochialism: Engagement with Ja’far Adam,” BRIGAGLIA 13 Delivered by Announcing Technology to: University of Mantle Town Libraries IP: on: Marry, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwesterly University Press. All rights shrinking. the global U.S.-led “war become visible terror,” as that of influence defender of Islamic authenticity vis-à-vis a perceived global attack refuse to comply Islam.
Though actively engaged object several fronts of polemical rigid hypothetical exchanges, Jaʿfar Mahmoud possessed wonderful remarkable capacity to maintain uncluttered modest and unpretentious manner. Picture combination of bitter oratory snatch an outlook that, despite use a man of humble early childhood beginni, remained selfconfidently composed, contributed undue to his charisma, endearing him to a sector of rendering city’s youth.
His personal affinity, his capacity to remain effective in multiple fronts of religious polemics with coherence, his compromise to disseminate at all flood the knowledge he had borrowed in Medina, and the gamp aegis and support he received munch through both his Saudi sponsors alight the national leadership of Izala and Ahlus-Sunna, were the modus operandi of his surprisingly quick acclivity to fame.
To many sympathizers of Izala it seemed drift the reformist/Wahhabi camp in Nigeria, orphan of the leadership discern Abu Bakr Gumi and wounded cut to the quic after the death of birth latter by internal splits, confidential finally found the new alluring leader it was desperately close for. An activist in nobleness ranks of Ahlus-Sunna and high-mindedness director of the Usman Basket Affan Islamic Trust, Jaʿfar Mahmoud also held the position capture imam of a mosque financed by the British/Saudi Islamic Organization Al-Muntada al-Isl mī, an affluent organization whose branches all sustain Africa would soon become prepare of the targets of high-mindedness American-led “war on terror” stand for their alleged role in responsibility networks of support to universal, al-Qaeda-linked terrorism.
It must wool said that from the package of Al-Muntada’s activities in loftiness late s, the ulama nautical fake of Kano had been become aware of vocal in expressing their antipathy towards the foreign-sponsored NGO. Collect June , a delegation hint at representatives of the two greater Sufi orders of the metropolitan had presented an official murder of complaint to the renovate governor against the “foreign connection” running “a camp called Al-Muntada,” and warned him that nobility activities of the group family unit the city might “lead purify such a serious crisis saunter the Maitatsine violence would subsist a child’s play.”13 In , the Sudanese director of honourableness Kano branch of Al-Muntada, Muhyi d-Din ʿAbd Allah, 13 , visited June 7, The write about of Maitatsine refers to distinction tragically famous crisis of , when the Nigerian Army confounded an Islamic sect that abstruse grown around a Cameroonian missionary, Muhammad Marwa, nicknamed Maitatsine rough Kano residents due to authority frequent exclamation, in a casual Hausa that betrayed his tramontane origins, Allah ta tsine!
(Allah may she curse!) . Honor Alan Christelow, “The ‘Yan Tatsine Disturbances in Kano: A Analyze for Perspective,” The Muslim Field 75, no. 2 (); boss Mervyn Hiskett, “The Maitatsine Riots in Kano: An Assessment,” Entry of Religion in Africa 17, no. 3 (). 14 ISLAMIC AFRICA Delivered by Publishing Profession to: University of Cape Inner-city Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern Origination Press.
All rights reserved. was arrested by the Nigerian policewomen, accused of having channeled confirm to an emerging militant label (later to be known impervious to its nickname “Boko Haram”) family unit in Yobe state (east chastisement Kano), and accused of stare involved in episodes of interreligious violence. After this event, excellence Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ordered the dismantling of decency local branch of AlMuntada.
Excellence organization, however, would continue with operate in northeastern Nigeria (states of Yobe, Bauchi, Borno) folk tale neighboring Chad. Despite existing opponent to Al-Muntada, by the prematurely s, at the peak holiday the popular enthusiasm for character Sharia bills in the union states, Jaʿfar Mahmoud had succeeded in becoming one of class most popular religious leaders principal the north of the federation, and his preaching had archaic able to win significant priest for Izala in the generally hostile territories of Kano submit Maiduguri.
If for his opponents Jaʿfar was a tool barge in the hands of a robust foreign connection, used to dividing line the Kano Muslim community, thoroughly his supporters he had draw near to embody the independent bookworm who has the courage come near speak the truth in class face of power and vindicated authority. Mounting Tension: Local see Global Interests From the reduce s, and increasingly after 911 and the U.S.
campaigns row Afghanistan and Iraq, the Muhammadan Nigerian public displayed a young anti-Western sentiment. This sentiment, despite the fact that generally shared by many Muhammedan northern Nigerians, was most vocally embraced and ideologically articulated bid the new generation of Ahlus-Sunna, for whom Shaykh Jaʿfar was becoming an important point break into reference.
The well-known campaign antagonistic the polio vaccination program contain northern Nigeria in /, token by the southern Nigerian by reason of well as by the Epic media as yet another verbalization of bigotry sustained by picture “traditionalism” of the Muslim scholars and their alleged aversion appraise science, was in fact promoted, for political and not scrupulous reasons, by a modern not conversant physician, aspirant Islamic scholar, enjoin former presidential candidate, Dr.
Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, together with position Kano state governor, Ibrahim Shekarau. Dr. Ahmad was also skilful supporter of Ahlus-Sunna. The dazzling of the campaign alleged lapse the vaccine was part look up to a Western plot to weaken the fertility of Muslim cohort On the opposite side, blue blood the gentry aged Tijaniyya Sufi leader Shaykh Dahiru (Ｇ hir) 14 Go on a go-slow the polio vaccination issue intricate Nigeria, see Elisha P.
Renne, The Politics of Polio birth Northern Nigeria (Indiana University Tangible, ). BRIGAGLIA 15 Delivered fail to notice Publishing Technology to: University resolve Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern University Press. All up front reserved. Usman Bauchi, a distinguished bastion of religious traditionalism whose sermons, since the late merciless, had routinely dismissed Izala reformism by describing it as precise deceptive form of Western grace in Muslim garb,15 was solid the delegations of Muslim scholars, traditional leaders, and UNICEF alexipharmic staff that tried to push the vaccination program in Nigeria and Niger In what psychiatry only apparently a paradox, feature how this debate had bargain little to do with put in order clash between a “modern Western” and a “local Islamic” good breeding, and much to do appreciate the political climate of magnanimity time, a university-educated medical student was at the forefront produce the opposition to the info, while a representative of illustriousness religious scholars entirely educated birth local traditional networks was chief the campaign to promote dignity vaccine.
In the end, nevertheless, the anti-vaccine campaign would finish up undermining the credibility entrap those who had sponsored introduce. The interest of Ibrahim Datti Ahmad and the Ahlus-Sunna crossing in disseminating the panic director the Western plot was affiliated to the internal competition 'tween the many divisions of position Islamic camp (Izala and Ahlus-Sunna vs.
Tijani and Qadiri vocal ulama) trying to promote yourselves as the champions of Islamic authenticity under an external inroad and to eventually control loftiness implementation of Islamic law reforms in Kano. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, in fact, was also birth president of the SCSN (Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria), a group constituted in class wake of the democratic elections, when the governor of Zamfara state, Ahmed Sani Yerima, enforced for the first time Sharia-inspired reforms in the northern state’s penal code.
The SCSN was a lobbying group formed lump political circles close to excellence leadership of Izala and Ahlus-Sunna in order to pressure honourableness governments of other Nigerian states to adopt reforms similar belong those implemented in Zamfara. Stretch the leadership of Ahlus-Sunna duct Izala had been the cap vocal in lobbying the governments of the northern states rise and fall implement the reforms, the “traditional” ulama of the Tijani near Qadiri networks, together with position emirs, were also active condemn promoting themselves as the positive 15 For an account trap Dahiru Bauchi’s activity as unornamented public preacher in the circumstances of mounting Izala vs.
Sufi polemics, see Brigaglia, “The Broadcast Kaduna Tafsîr.” In one produce his most famous speeches intrude upon Izala in the s, reproduced in tapes with the name Barkonon tsofuwa (Tear Gas), Dahiru Bauchi describes the origin ad infinitum Izala and Wahhabism as justness “wooden handle” which is married to an “iron blade” (Western culture), in order to identical the axe that will befall used to hit “the tree” (Islam): the outward appearance walk up to the handle is wood, efficacious like the tree, but well-fitting function is only to second the blade in undermining integrity latter.
16 , visited Venerable 30, 16 ISLAMIC AFRICA Open by Publishing Technology to: Installation of Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Permit (c) Northwestern University Press. Shoot your mouth off rights reserved. representatives of rendering legal and intellectual legacy good deal Islam in the region humbling, therefore, as the natural dazzling of any Islamic legal tone.
Again, ulama like Shaykh Dahiru Bauchi were coming out candid, taking a harsh stance opposed the SCSN in the nickname of the religious scholars. Bed the introduction to his voiced articulate Ramadan tafsīr of , Dahiru Bauchi claimed that the SCSN did not represent the interests of the Muslim scholars, body only a “self-appointed group use your indicators ‘yan boko [modern-educated elite] alight politicians” knowing little, if anything, of Islamic law Already ineradicable in the historical rivalry amidst the reformist camp and glory Sufi one, the issue pay the Sharia penal code reforms had also assumed heated administrative connotations in Kano during righteousness gubernatorial elections of , considering that the Ahlus-Sunna and the SCSN had taken an open allocate against the then Kano guru Rabiu Kwankwaso () of nobility PDP (People’s Democratic Party).
Further being accused of corruption, Kwankwaso was judged as being in addition timid, if not reluctant ray hypocritical, in his implementation devotee Sharia reforms in the latchkey state of Kano. On probity other hand, the SCSN difficult openly supported the candidate give a rough idea the ANPP (All Nigerian Peoples’ Party), Ibrahim Shekarau, promoting him as the authentic champion allude to Sharia.
In this context ferryboat competition between religious and federal groups, the polio vaccine ambition was thus an attempt dare spread panic, enhance the profusion of the Ahlus-Sunna leadership add-on of Ibrahim Shekarau as champions of Islam, and ultimately go forward the role of the SCSN in the administration of Shariah in a strategically important present such as Kano.
Jaʿfar Mahmoud’s initial fortunes with the resident political leadership, however, were eventual to fluctuate over the days. When Shekarau was elected primate governor of Kano state imprint and proceeded with the betrothed intensification of the Sharia reforms started by his predecessor, Jaʿfar was first given a character of responsibility as a party of the Hisba Board, adroit state-run body entrusted with asylum matters, public morality, and additional ensuring the implementation of say publicly new code of law rerouteing public life.
Gradually, however, Jaʿfar started to become critical near the management of Sharia newborn the new government, which stylishness accused of corruption, especially organize the administration of the Hisba Board More generally, Al-Shaykh Ｇ hir ʿUthm n Bauchi, Tafsīr , Introduction (tape recording). Meeting the role of the Hisba in the administration of Jurisprudence in northern Nigeria, see River Last, “The Search for Succour in Muslim Northern Nigeria,” Africa: The Journal of the Universal African Institute 78, no.
1 (): 41– See also Rasheed Olaniyi, “Hisba 17 18 17 BRIGAGLIA Delivered by Publishing Profession to: University of Cape Municipality Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern Institution Press. All rights reserved. Jaʿfar was starting to become sick of with the political environment consider it had been close to description leadership of Ahlus-Sunna in primacy previous years.
This led peak tensions with Governor Shekarau who, at the same time, was gradually diversifying his links tackle other Islamic networks of influence town. The tension with Shekarau’s government rose until Jaʿfar in step resigned from the Hisba Foil. In the last part glimpse his life, Shaykh Jaʿfar in all probability started to feel that let go was losing some of cap old friends and some be a devotee of the national and international protectors who had contributed to coronate earlier, rapid rise to protuberance, and he became more come undone within the leadership of ethics AhlusSunna movement itself.
The Daura-born scholar certainly knew how nick be outspoken and—at times—confrontational distort his speeches, but he unquestionably never liked intrigues. His sermons, without losing their characteristic candor, reflected this inner change, comely somewhat more meditative and dull self-confident and optimistic. It was in this atmosphere that, away the campaign for the unusual Kano state government, while publically advising his followers to referendum freely for their favorite aspirant, the Kano preacher had uttered very openly his criticism worldly Shekarau’s government, letting everyone make out that he was not indulgent to a second mandate nigh on the former political champion regard Sharia in Kano state.
Her highness was probably more a despondent statement on the general build in of affairs of Nigerian political science than an enthusiastic shift take away political affiliation. Murder The manslaughter of Shaykh Jaʿfar Mahmoud occurred on the eve of goodness April elections that would authority Shekarau ensure a second title among widespread accusations of irregularities.
This has led some voices in Nigeria to speculate deliberate a possible involvement of influence Kano government in the carnage. More than two years next, however, the murder remains skilful mystery, and notwithstanding important go by in the investigation, it brawn be destined to remain deadpan, buried under a thick tier of national (and international?) interests and collusions.
and the Shariah Law Enforcement in Metropolitan Kano,” Actes du colloque sur conflit et violence au Nigeria, 16–19 Novembre , (Zaria: IFRA [Institut français de recherche en Afrique], ), online conference proceedings exploit Rasheed_Olaniyi_-_Hisba_and_the_Sharia_Law_Enforcement_in_Metropolitan_Kano .pdf. 18 ISLAMIC Continent Delivered by Publishing Technology to: University of Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern University Appeal to.
All rights reserved. Several intrigue hypotheses have been advanced prep between the Nigerian media and initiate opinion. On the basis flash the existence of a distinguished, open rivalry between the murdered imam and the town’s Sufi circles, the Nigerian police firstly arrested and kept in attack for a few days timeconsuming young Sufi ṭarīqa leaders who had previously challenged the hypothesis of the Wahhabi scholar dispute the practice of mawlid.
Calculate particular, a few days beforehand the killing, an angered distribution of followers of the Qadiriyya order had stormed an unrestricted radio station (Freedom Radio) putative close to the murdered churchman, protesting against the speeches focus Jaʿfar had launched from excellence radio against a religious travel to (mawkibi) of the Qadiri plan.
Kano citizens also remembered delay years before Abd al-Jabbar Nasiru Kabara, a representative of nobleness Qadiriyya, publicly announced that noteworthy would be ready to squashing Jaʿfar Mahmoud, after the latter-day had allegedly declared in facial appearance of his public speeches avoid the father of the plague, the famous scholar Shaykh Nasiru Kabara, had died as require unbeliever The hypothesis of great Sufi-sponsored plot, however, would achieve soon dismissed by most, plane among the murdered imam’s collection The automatic guns used unused the commando—people commented—were too cosmopolitan for the circles of resident Tijanis and Qadiris.
Moreover, parade seemed implausible that, even look after all the existing animosity mid the two groups, leaders have a high regard for the Sufi orders, symbols be beneficial to Islamic piety in the oppidan, could have planned the regicide of a rival imam observe a mosque, during ritual prayers. The coincidence of the accent of the scholar’s murder affair the Kano gubernatorial elections, vanguard with the growing strain dainty the relations between Jaʿfar Mahmoud and his former associate Instructor Ibrahim Shekarau, fueled the report that the murder could excellence the result of local electoral games.
Insistently rumored initially, that theory resurfaced in the African media in , when, shut in spite of the official course of the circles close give somebody the job of the murdered imam of cry indicting anybody in public, say publicly website of Sahara Reporters available an online report written antisocial an unidentified 19 I put on not been able to provenance the original speech with Jaʿfar’s quotation, but the incident has been related to me lump many sources in Kano.
20 Interviews with Shaykh Jaʿfar’s masses (Kano, July ). I possess also discussed the incident coupled with one of the young Tijani scholars who had been take into custody in the wake of magnanimity killing, Malam Tijjani Dan Fari, who also interpreted his bring to a standstill as being only an approximate by the police to lead off the subject the public from its insufficiency to identify (or to arrest) the real culprit.
Tijjani Dan Fari used to preach become calm lead mawlid celebrations in spiffy tidy up mosque in Dorayi, only dexterous few hundred meters from leadership Al-Muntada mosque. BRIGAGLIA 19 Not busy by Publishing Technology to: Academia of Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Physical (c) Northwestern University Press. Battle rights reserved.
supporter of righteousness imam. This report alleged defer the killing had been orchestrated by the Kano state educator and the emir of Kano in collaboration with the cleric’s friend and vice-chairman of Independence Radio, Ado Mohammed. The account sparked much debate and snappy to the temporary arrest nominate Ado Mohammed, but was closest dismissed as a fabrication Rearguard all, the coincidence with dignity elections may have also antiquated deliberately planned by a position actor, in order to test the impression of an rouse between the two events, dimension covering at the same put on the back burner other motives.
Other voices hill Nigeria pointed to the take place of the CIA, and suppositional about the possibility of uncomplicated “targeted killing” in connection take up again the global “war on terror.” Jaʿfar Mahmoud had no methodical link to al-Qaeda, of track, and was considered close plan the official Saudi establishment, somewhat than to the many protester groups which emanate from greatness Saudi kingdom and fuel revolutionist movements.
The relation between magnanimity networks of the Wahhabi put forward (daʿwa) sponsored by the society and its dissident splinter associations has often been considered whilst an ambiguous one. The point that identifies in the Arab Wahhabi mission the source admire the entire phenomenon of requisite critical Islamist violence has often surfaced in the U.S.
media, continual by works such as those of the journalist Stephen Schwartz Though the problem does go to seed, the analysis of Schwartz seems to be too one-sided tolerate superficial. More recent and better-researched works on the topic be blessed with provided a much more nuanced picture of the political portrayal of Islamist violence in depiction Saudi kingdom and of significance ambiguous relations between the official Salafi-Wahhabi daʿwa and its protestor offshoots At any rate, afterwards the events of 9/11 not too transnational networks or charities common to a Saudi connection be endowed with indeed, and understandably, come prep below scrutiny by security agencies cosmopolitan.
The activities of the British-based NGO Al-Muntada that sustained class activities of Jaʿfar Mahmoud resolve Kano during the s suppress been targeted in recent length of existence all over Africa. After excellence closure of the offices snare Al-Muntada in Kano in , the government of Chad, ring Al-Muntada was an active, lucky and well-funded Islamic organization, has also taken a similar first move.
21 , visited July 31, Stephen Schwartz, The Two Jug of Islam: The House rule Sa’ud from Tradition to Awe (New York: Doubleday, ). 23 Thomas Hegghmammer, Jihad in Arabian Arabia: Violence and Pan-Islamism Thanks to (Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Thrust, ); David D. Commins, Glory Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Peninsula (London: I.
B. Tauris, ). 22 20 ISLAMIC AFRICA Complimentary by Publishing Technology to: Creation of Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Palpable (c) Northwestern University Press. Hubbub rights reserved. Al-Muntada’s bureaus birdcage Chad closed down without official justification, following a governmental ruling enacted by the official Islamic institution of the state (the Conseil Supérieur des Affaires Islamiques) While the local staff shambles the NGO interprets the coach as a plot by position Chadian Muslim establishment which dash the official institutions of nobility state and is close constitute the traditional ulama and magnanimity Tijaniyya, other voices have advisable that the move was grind fact dictated to the African government by the U.S.
envoys in the country In additional parts of the continent in that well, Al-Muntada’s activities have back number curtailed by national governments. Slash Kenya, the Sudanese director work the local branch of Al-Muntada has been deported in jurisdiction alleged terror links, and shrub border Mozambique, where Al-Muntada used peel be one of the heavy-handed flourishing and richly funded Islamic NGOs, its activities have a split second disappeared during the last rare years At the same put on ice, however, no evidence suggesting honesty existence of a link in the middle of the NGO and international subversive networks has been made defeat in any of these countries, at least to my road.
Al-Muntada, Ahlus-Sunna, and Boko Haram The involvement of local die-hard groups in the murder cherished Jaʿfar first emerged when loftiness Nigerian media tried to violate the killing in relation be introduced to yet another coincidence, namely probity attacks that occurred in Kano a few days before, present-day again after the killing befit Shaykh Jaʿfar, on the police officers stations of Sharada and Panshekara (both suburbs of Kano), pivot an armed group killed various police officers and seized weapons and ammunitions.
The attacks difficult to understand been organized by a anomalous network of local and distant (Arab and Chadian) Islamic militants, probably members of a suite active in Borno and Yobe states and previously labeled harsh the Nigerian press as magnanimity “Nigerian Talibans” but known anticipate the Hausa public by fraudulence nickname, “Boko Haram.” Indeed, nobleness emergence of this militant embassy in northeastern Nigeria might put on some links with the onetime activities 24 Field research provoke author in Ndjamena (Chad), July When I was doing exploration in Ndjamena in July , this topic was still exceptionally controversial, and the people Uncontrolled interviewed on the subject (state officials and staff members ensnare AlMuntada and other Islamic NGOs) asked for their comments stick at be kept anonymous.
26 Heftiness Kenya, see an article publicized by The Standard in Pace (online at: http:// , clutch checked January ). On Mocambique, Prof. Liazzat Bonate (Seoul Genealogical University), personal communication. 25 BRIGAGLIA 21 Delivered by Publishing Bailiwick to: University of Cape Inner-city Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern Academia Press.
All rights reserved. be frightened of Al-Muntada in northern Nigeria predominant Chad. At that time placid a relatively unknown group, character so-called Boko Haram were well-ordered militant Salafi group that emerged in Nigeria as a demonstrator branch of Ahlus-Sunna, and whose real name is Jam ʿat Ahlus-Sunna lil-Daʿwa wal-Jihad ʿala Minh j al-Salaf (“Association of high-mindedness People of the Sunna sustenance the Missionary Call and loftiness Armed Struggle, according to rank method of the Salaf ”), which I will abbreviate do AS-DJ.
AS-DJ would get high-mindedness full attention of the formal and international press two length of existence later, when they would just crushed by the Nigerian drove in another crisis in July , and then again check and , when they would suddenly reemerge in a disastrous series of bomb attacks targeting the Nigerian security forces, bid to a lesser extent, Christianly churches The attackers of Sharada and Panshekara were mostly fasten or dispersed during the bang, and their precise identity vestige unknown.
According to some have a phobia about the earliest reports, however, they were linked to the AS-DJ, as the latter had stated responsibility for the second cosy up the two attacks as deft revenge for the killing fail Shaykh Jaʿfar Gradually, however, birth Nigerian police seemed to sum evidence pointing towards an contradictory solution to the enigma, snowball indicting the extremist group style the actual responsible for authority cleric’s murder, rather than reorganization his self-declared avenger.
27 Legend related to the so-called Boko Haram group are still dramatically unfolding. In August , AS-DJ has claimed responsibility for nifty chain of political murders score Borno and Gombe states, crowning in a suicide bombing be persistent in Abuja that has fasten twenty-three people. More recently, bear hug December , while the aftermost version of this paper was being reviewed, a series oppress bomb blasts that have occurred on Christmas day in assorted Nigerian churches and markets possess been claimed by the transit as a revenge to representation killings of Muslim civilians efficient Zonkwa (Kaduna State) and stem Jos (Plateau State), in skilful video message posted on YouTube.
Less than a month afterward, in January , the development claimed responsibility for a escort of blasts in several Kano police stations that have join more than between civilians focus on police staff. On the Boko Haram, see Abdulkareem Mohammed, Picture Paradox of Boko Haram (Moving Image, ). See also River Last, “The Pattern of Dissent: Boko Haram in Nigeria, ,” ARIA (Annual Review of Monotheism in Africa) 10 (–): 7–11, as well as, by magnanimity same author, “Who and What Are Boko Haram?” Royal Individual Society, July 14, ( component/content/article/html).
See also Alex Thurston, “Nigeria’s Terrorism Problem,” Foreign Policy, Reverenced 26, ( nigerias_terrorism_problem, last curbed 23 Nov, ). 28 ?q=content/who-killed -sheikh-jaafar. (visited 6 January ). 22 ISLAMIC AFRICA Delivered brush aside Publishing Technology to: University a few Cape Town Libraries IP: on: Wed, 06 Jun Copyright (c) Northwestern University Press.
All upon reserved. The ambiguity of grandeur two versions, one claiming hoaxer involvement of AS-DJ as interpretation avenger of Jaʿfar Mahmoud’s slaughter, the other claiming the liability of the former for queen murder, reflect the ambiguous character of the relationship between primacy two movements, AS-DJ and AhlusSunna.
AS-DJ founder Muhammad Yusuf, ton fact, initially was a disciple of Jaʿfar’s from Maiduguri. Loftiness two had apparently been extremely close, to the point delay, according to some sources, Muhammad Yusuf had even hosted Jaʿfar Mahmoud during the latter’s sojourns in Maiduguri. For reasons delay are not yet entirely fair, Muhammad Yusuf later decided make sure of found a splinter group practice his own.
Though Muhammad Yusuf’s movement was, as Ahlus-Sunna, locked away in the ideology of grandeur Salafi/Wahhabi da‘wa, the strategies grip the two movements were marked, and this divergence might fake been, in fact, the base of the split. Jaʿfar Ahlus-Sunna was in fact engaged discredit pushing towards an increased Islamization of the political institutions castigate the country, while Muhammad Yusuf’s AS-DJ advocated the necessity drawing a radical withdrawal from anything related to the Nigerian return, including working for the boys in blue, participating in the government, valid in the administration of Law within the framework of leadership state, and studying in blasй educational institutions (hence the reputation Boko Haram, i.e., “modern rearing is forbidden,” that the boost involuntarily gained after it in progress to preach against attending governance schools and universities).
Troubled, build up maybe embarrassed, by the effluence of the extremist preaching decompose his former student and colligate, Jaʿfar Mahmoud had already held it necessary to distance yourselves publicly from the new challenger movement by publishing a taped speech on the permissibility cataclysm studying in public institutions post working for the government, reporting to the title Boko da aikin gwamnati ba haramun ba neutrally.
One cannot, however, see raise as an eccentric twist be advisable for fate that the reformist daʿwa that had started in ethics country, with the foundation take up Izala, as a critique pronounced mainly by modern-educated Muslims be drawn against the traditional religious scholars, was now confronted by a committee that, under the inspiration interrupt the very same Salafi daʿwa, was now declaring a vital ban on all kinds indifference modern education.
If the composition of the responsibility of Muhammad Yusuf and his AS-DJ reserve for the murder of Jaʿfar Mahmoud is based, as smash into now appears, on solid trace, the real motive of goodness murder remains obscure. Though undeniably not to be counted in the middle of the friends of the categorize, Jaʿfar Mahmoud was not rob of its worst enemies either.
Unfortunately, the cold-blooded killing be keen on Mohammed Yusuf by the Nigerien police, after his capture jacket BRIGAGLIA 23 Delivered by Promulgation Technology to: University of Stance Town Libraries IP: on: Imperfect, 06 Jun Copyright (c) North University Press. All rights come to. the wake of the savage incidents of July , adjusts it today all the extend difficult to shed some flare on the rivalry between magnanimity two defunct religious activists.
Pretend it is ever to suit disproved, the claim of magnanimity accusation would leave one pick up again the impression that a disgraced and rather unpopular (albeit tragically active) extremist group such style so-called “Boko Haram” might fake played the role of depiction classic scapegoat, used either run to ground cover the inability of representation police to discover the come about identity of the planners settle down executors of Shaykh Jaʿfar’s fratricide, or to bury the unfathomable layers of collusion that strength have been at work run faster than both the quick rise nearby the tragic end of rank Daura-born imam.
If proven, let down the contrary, the murder defer to Jaʿfar Mahmoud would be swindler emblematic example of the irm dynamics of the global Salafi-Wahhabi mission, suspended between realpolitik obscure utopianism, and destabilized by probity extremist splinter groups that take the edge off own puritanical preaching (albeit ofttimes unintentionally) generates.
Considering the application of the involvement of Al-Muntada’s network in al-Qaeda activities utilize several African countries, and rank arrest of the Sudanese director of Al-Muntada in Kano in the direction of his alleged role in grant the activities of the nascent AS-DJ (Boko Haram), one wonders whether the murder of Jaʿfar—who, in all likelihood, was knowing of the growth of rendering AS-DJ training camps in honesty country, as well as birth role of a sector atlas Al-Muntada in sponsoring its activities—might have been the result show his attempt to disentangle themselves from the extremist drift drift he realized the group was increasingly taking.
Whatever the onerous role of AS-DJ in leadership murder, the hypothesis that primacy murder of the Imam power in fact be the foremost of some intrigues involving authority local as well as interpretation international sponsors of Ahlus-Sunna, challenging that the people responsible commissioner the death of Ja‘far puissance in fact belong to honesty scholar’s former friends, rather outweigh to his enemies, appear nowadays as much more than wonderful mere speculation.
Jaʿfar Mahmoud has left two wives, seven domestic, and an indelible mark check the memory of his profuse followers as well as her majesty many opponents. His short nevertheless intense, passionate, and dramatic overwhelm scholarly activity in Kano spread to embodies all the ambiguities inherent in the rise become more intense the demise of the Muhammadan reformist “call” (da‘wa) in interpretation populous West African state.