Several years ago, the Izalatul Bidi'a Wa ikamatus-Sunnan (IBWS) seemingly had a problem within its ranks. That year, the amiable AbdulRazak Haipang, previously seen as firebrand da'i, was not included in the main list of scholars going out on tafsir assignment that ramadan. From all available reports, Abdulrazak took the decision of the council of IBWS in good faith. In Yola, the Adamawa State capital that year, it was a mixed bag.
The action of not sending Abdulrzak out to Yola, as was presumed customary due to his previous impressive outings in Yola, was viewed as an affront and indeed a clear confirmation that some people had influenced the organisation to omit the scholar because the then Adamawa State government was not comfortable with his style of tafsir. In fact, it was even quietly insinuated that the Emirate Council was uncomfortable with Abdulrazak because he mentioned the poor taste which a private school created by using the Lamido's name and yet, it would appear, deliberately OMITTING to provide a place of worship for Muslim students of the school. Proprietors of the Aliyu Mustapha International School, Luggere, Jimeta-Yola were reportedly not amused. So, it was natural that the Emirate Council would also feel uncomfortable.
Anyway, AbdulRazak came to Yola, not under the auspices of the IBWS, but by the grace of God and the tenacity of the Islamic Development Centre, Yola. During his tafsir that year, he said (in hausa) words to the effect that it was haram to 'love' an unbeliever - ('haramun ne musulmi ya kaunaci arne!). Wow! The ordinary response would be yes, of course! But, that is true. That is what and how it should be. But, without intending to challenge the credentials of brother Abdulrazak, there is this amiable lady on 'Sahur Live' broadcast by NTA2, Abuja who seems to think it is not haram, but obligatory, as a sunna of the Prophet Mohammad (SAW). She cites hadith that support her, espcially the one in which the Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said Angel Jibril transmitted Allah's instructions to honour and give dues to the neighbour insistently that he (the Prophet) thought the neighbour would be included among his heirs. She explained that neighbourhood is not limited to any particular place, persons or relationships. I love her explanation better.
My cousins are not Muslims. Even though Allah asked that we do not pray for people we know are lost as unbelievers (after they are dead - cite the relationship of Abu Talib and the Prophet (SAW), I have not read or heared convincing evidence to support the position AbdulRazak expounded that year in Yola. I am sure I can wish that my non-Muslim cousins become Muslims before they died. If I have that wish, how would I fit into AbdulRazak's exterpolation? Later, I was to discover that the venom in his tafisir that year was due to the nature of his father' murder! AbdulRazak now lives in Gwagwalada, FCT, Abuja.
Often, it is not the message that is a problem, it is most times the medium by which the message is transmitted that creates problems. In Yola, there are very few hausa people, speakers, yes, but indigenous hausa people who understand the langauge well and are able to diffentiate between 'so' and 'kauna' are few indeed. Certainly, my kilba kindred would use the words interchangeably. During the life of the Prophet (SAW), he lived with non-Muslims harmoniously. The Madina Constitution show how each person maintained his or her rights in that Islamic State. Do we have any reason to refuse to abide by this tradition?
That year, I did not buy any tapes of AbdulRazak's tafsir for fear my cousins may think I accept this position should they hear this tafsir.
The action of not sending Abdulrzak out to Yola, as was presumed customary due to his previous impressive outings in Yola, was viewed as an affront and indeed a clear confirmation that some people had influenced the organisation to omit the scholar because the then Adamawa State government was not comfortable with his style of tafsir. In fact, it was even quietly insinuated that the Emirate Council was uncomfortable with Abdulrazak because he mentioned the poor taste which a private school created by using the Lamido's name and yet, it would appear, deliberately OMITTING to provide a place of worship for Muslim students of the school. Proprietors of the Aliyu Mustapha International School, Luggere, Jimeta-Yola were reportedly not amused. So, it was natural that the Emirate Council would also feel uncomfortable.
Anyway, AbdulRazak came to Yola, not under the auspices of the IBWS, but by the grace of God and the tenacity of the Islamic Development Centre, Yola. During his tafsir that year, he said (in hausa) words to the effect that it was haram to 'love' an unbeliever - ('haramun ne musulmi ya kaunaci arne!). Wow! The ordinary response would be yes, of course! But, that is true. That is what and how it should be. But, without intending to challenge the credentials of brother Abdulrazak, there is this amiable lady on 'Sahur Live' broadcast by NTA2, Abuja who seems to think it is not haram, but obligatory, as a sunna of the Prophet Mohammad (SAW). She cites hadith that support her, espcially the one in which the Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said Angel Jibril transmitted Allah's instructions to honour and give dues to the neighbour insistently that he (the Prophet) thought the neighbour would be included among his heirs. She explained that neighbourhood is not limited to any particular place, persons or relationships. I love her explanation better.
My cousins are not Muslims. Even though Allah asked that we do not pray for people we know are lost as unbelievers (after they are dead - cite the relationship of Abu Talib and the Prophet (SAW), I have not read or heared convincing evidence to support the position AbdulRazak expounded that year in Yola. I am sure I can wish that my non-Muslim cousins become Muslims before they died. If I have that wish, how would I fit into AbdulRazak's exterpolation? Later, I was to discover that the venom in his tafisir that year was due to the nature of his father' murder! AbdulRazak now lives in Gwagwalada, FCT, Abuja.
Often, it is not the message that is a problem, it is most times the medium by which the message is transmitted that creates problems. In Yola, there are very few hausa people, speakers, yes, but indigenous hausa people who understand the langauge well and are able to diffentiate between 'so' and 'kauna' are few indeed. Certainly, my kilba kindred would use the words interchangeably. During the life of the Prophet (SAW), he lived with non-Muslims harmoniously. The Madina Constitution show how each person maintained his or her rights in that Islamic State. Do we have any reason to refuse to abide by this tradition?
That year, I did not buy any tapes of AbdulRazak's tafsir for fear my cousins may think I accept this position should they hear this tafsir.
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