03/03/2025
Clarion call to islamic scholars ...by Rashidat Yusuf .
As the master of ceremony was about to round up introducing dignitaries I heard him recognized "my Lord spiritual and temporal "
This was in recognition of the clerics as well as those at the helm of affairs in the secular world
That happened to be my first encounter with that phrase and it was during a university matriculation ceremony .
As a novice and also a jambite ,it sounded strange to me but as time pass by i began to know the meaning .
The word 'temporal' refers to those in the helm of Affairs in the circular world while
" my Lords spiritual" is the salutation to those at the helm of religious affairs,Islam and Christinity .
This write up is directed to my 'Lords spiritual' in the Islamic world .
Having started my article with the much needed salutation , I hereby ask that I go into the the main focus .
My Lords, it is time the Islamic and Arabic curriculum is reviewed to conform with modern reality.
The almajiri schools be modemized in such a way that children are offered circular knowledge which can blend then into the larger society .
They are to be offered either Western education along side the Arabic and islamic studies or offered opportunity for vocational studies .
This is to enable them integrate seamlessly into the larger society after their Quranic studies .
Thankfully the Federal Government of Nigeria has disclosed plans to retake control of all the Almajiri schools established during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which were handed over to governors of the 19 Northern states but had since been abandoned.
The concept shortly after it was established became abandoned due largely to sabotage from those who perhaps are benefiting from the old order of almajiris .
The newly established almajiri commission is now set to rehabilitate the schools and restore their intended purpose.
This simple gesture should be extended to other levels of Arabic institutions spread across the country .
These categories are Tahdiri or ibtidahi , Idahdi ,Sahnawi representing the elementary and secondary Arabic and Islamic studies .
Some other arabic schools (Madrasas) also offer Robiah which is equivalent to ordinary National Diploma ,OND and Jamiha which represents Degree certification .
Pupils and Students of these categories graduate with adequate islamic and Arabic knowledge with no corresponding vocational skills nor western certification that could help them be self reliance .
Nigerian is an English speaking country ,how does one who graduated from King Abdul aziz University jeddah,Saudi Arabia for instance where lectures are taught only in Arabic comform with the Nigeria society after graduation .
Many a time graduates of such schools arrive home and they are unable to blend and often times asked to acquire the English language studies .
It has therefore become Imperatives that such students are exposed to the use of English language prior to their overseas travels as well as adequate exposure to vocational skills which can complement their Arabic Studies in line with the economic realities .
Records have it that the likes of Emir of Kano,H.M Sanusi Lamido Sanusi acquired Arabic and Islamic studies from Sudan only after he graduated from King's college Lagos .
Not Many children have such golden opportunities ,however, Government can as well come to the aid of such Children by ensuring that the western education is enbedded in the Arabic and Islamic syllabus .
These call becomes Imperative as events in recent time has shown that due to lack of proper education ,most Arabic and Islamic study students graduate but are unable to integrate into the larger society .
As a result, they end up in all manner of vices in desperacy to make ends meet.
A case at hand is of a young graduate of Islamic and Islamic studies somewhere in north central Nigeria who resorted to ritual killings in order to make ends meet .
He is reported to have gruesomely murdered his girlfriend as a result of the "get rich quick" syndrome among youths .
This case is just one out of many which are left unreported .
When ritual killings are carried out by Islamic youths who are expected to have great morals to shape the society as a result of their background ,then something urgently needs to be done .
Observers belief that were the Islamic students properly equiped with the requisite skills other than mere Arabic and islamic studies which can enable them earn a living ,the situation would have be different .
It is against this backdrop that an upgrade of Islamic and Arabic studies curriculum at all levels be carried out in a way that would impact positively on the quality of output of such students .
Although a number of Islamic institutions may have embraced Western syllabus as part of their curriculum ,a large number still tutor in the archaic formats which ought to be in extinction by now .
There is therefore the urgent need for reforms so as to equip the students for what awaits them after school .
And at the almajiri level, the rate of misguided Islamic sects will equally reduce drastically .
Only by these are the graduates of islamic and Arabic students become self actualized and self actualized after graduation .
Other than this ,they are rendered useless even with their Quranic and Arabic knowledge .
Only recently I read an article by Imam Mustapha Adebayo Bello (PhD)
Director, Center for Theology and Spiritual Intelligence
The article tittle "religion under seige ,anyway out?
Must have been borne out of his concern at the rate of crime committed by the so called graduates of Arabic and Islamic schools .
My Lords spiritual ,worthy of note is the fact that we have a a number of Islamic scholars who have both Arabic and western education .
The sultan of sokoto ,H.M Mohammed sai'd Abubakar the 3rd is well versed in both Arabic and western education ,he is a retired Brigadier General , Nigeria,s former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Ali Pantami , is an Islamic Scholar ,an IT expert and also a lecturer .
The National Missioner of Ansarudeen society of Nigeria , Abdul Rahman Ahmed is a veteran Journalist as well as an Islamic Scholar .
just to mention a few .
These are a cross session of the Crème dè la crème of the Nigerian Islamic society.
These high level status can be replicated among the young Muslims by way of change in their curriculum and orientation to conform with modern day realities .
Rashidat Yusuf Writes from Abuja. [email protected]
