Posted by: Dr. Salihu Lukman
Posted on: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 19:10:07 +0000

Assalamu alaikum,
Dr. Nura Alkali has translated the complete speech delivered by the Emir of Kano in three series. Enjoy:

Listeners, assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah ta’ala wa barakatuhu. 
It is Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada speaking to you on this program, in which we will air the views of His Highness the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, which he expressed during the peace prayers held today 16-12-2015 at the City Friday Mosque.
His Highness the Emir lent his voice to the conflict which occurred between followers of the Shiite sect and men of the Nigerian Army. Listen in peace.
(Voice of Emir Sanusi II in Hausa):
(Reads Fatiha and blesses the Prophet). . . Then:
District Heads and Scholars, today we are gathered to pray to Allah for peace and avoidance of crisis, due to the current happenings in Zaria between the Shiites and the government. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said “the religion is sincerity”. They asked to whom? He said “to Allah, His book, His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk”. [1]
So, we have an obligation to advice our leaders. We also have an obligation to advice our followers. I will start with the followers. This happening, whoever has observed events dating back to 20, 30 years ago knows that things will be like this someday. There is no group, either religious or not, that can be a law unto itself within a country. When they plan an occasion and come out, when their leader uses the road, he is like a Head of State. They block the road, and obstruct those ahead and those behind until his passage.
When he beckons, some trek from Kano to Zaria, some from Kaduna to Zaria. If that will take five hours, then that is how long people will have to wait. Even a Head of State does not use the road this way. When they are protesting and a governor arrives, they will stop him. If an Emir arrives, they will stop him. We here in Kano, I know that twice they did this to the Emir of Kano. One day as he emerged from the Fagge Mosque, they blocked him, and kept on hitting the windows of his car and saying “Allahu Akbar”.
On another day, he went out and returned. Right here in the city, in front of SAS [School of Arabic Studies], their leader was in town, so they blocked him [the Emir]. A security guard had to open SAS for the Emir’s cars, and the Emir waited there for half an hour for the occasion to end. If he wasn’t a leader with patience and dignity, he could have allowed 100 Palace Guards to come to his aid, and blood would have spilled in Kano.
Ref. [1]. Hadith reported by Muslim on the authority of Tamim Al-Dari (RAA).

The impudence shown to Emirs, governors and ministers would one day meet someone who won’t tolerate it. And indeed, that was what happened. Therefore, my advice, not only to Shiites, but to the whole nation, is for people to know what is proper, what is good conduct. People should not instigate [trouble] that they don’t know how it will end. That is the first point. Secondly, political leaders, District Heads, Village Heads and Ward Heads, it is desirable that we all learn lessons.
This land was founded on the ideology of Ahli Sunna Wal Juma’a. Since Islam came to us, it came as Ahli Sunna. Our rulers, not just the Caliphate Emirs but even Muhammadu Rumfa, were always on this path. This land does not know the concept of abusing the Prophet’s Companions. This land knows not about abusing the Prophet’s family. We cherish the Ahlal Bait [the Prophet’s household]. By God, we love them. Ahlal Bait is not just the Prophet’s relatives, but also his wives, a fact mentioned in the Qur’an. Allah says “(recites Qur’an 33:32-33, which address the wives of the Prophet as Ahlal Bait)”.
So, the Qur’an has placed the wives of the Prophet among the Ahlal Bait, and no one claiming to love the Ahlal Bait should abuse Aisha, or Hafsat. On this issue, we must, must, defend the honour of the Prophet’s Companions. The fear of trouble is not an issue, since it is incumbent on us District Heads, Village Heads, Ward Heads and Emirs to defend the honour of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger. Because Allah told us through His Messenger that “Whoever has mutual animosity with a friend (wali) of Mine, I declare war upon him. . . ” [2]
Allah has no friend greater than His Messenger, SAW. All these troubles that they cause, if the Companions get abused, then it won’t augur well. And if we keep silent, by God it will consume [us]. I did not say this, for Allah says “And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged amongst you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty” (Qur’an 8:25, Surah Al-Ahzab).
Therefore, this advice must be offered to people. It is not a matter of religion, but a matter of good conduct. So, protect the honour of the Messenger of Allah, whom you cannot claim to love while abusing his family. And the Companions that are being abused and disparaged, it is not them but the Prophet who is abused. Sayidina Abubakar was his close friend, who gave him his daughter in marriage. Sayidina [Umar] was his close friend, who married a daughter to him. How a man could marry off a daughter to Allah’s Messenger and was not of good character?
So, this advice is obligatory, and if in the past people were quite, now is the time to speak. This land cannot be where the Prophet’s Companions are abused. And no group in this land can be a law unto itself.
Ref. [2]. Hadith recorded by Bukhari on the authority of Abu Huraira.

However, the defence forces too need to be cautioned. Allah says “So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you. . . (a portion of Quran 2:194)”. [3]. There is no excuse for someone to abuse you verbally and you shoot him with a gun. There is a time for abuse; a time for sincerity; a time for imprisonment; a time for whipping; a time for tear-gas; a time for use of water-cannon; a time for rubber-bullets; a time for live-bullets; and a time for bombs. Use of live bullets is not for every occasion.

For that reason, we call on the government – despite the extreme provocation – to caution defence and security forces to be a little more patient [in such situations], so as to avoid loss of human lives. Spilling the blood of Muslims and non-Muslims alike is not good for any nation. However, there is no doubt that people have it fashionable to act in ways designed to cause a crisis for us all. And even the Messenger of Allah’s (SAW) Companions and his family members that they disrespect and abuse openly . . . that cannot be allowed. It can’t be allowed. And this is an order issued to District Heads.

If a District Head is not learned [in Islam], he should surround himself with scholars and seek their counsel. I wished that the governor was here, because we need cooperation from the government. If a hideous creed emerges, we expect that our opinions will inform timely measures. If that had been the case, all these problems would have been averted right from the start. We have seen Maitatsine, we have seen Boko Haram. Had scholars warned of the dangers of these ideologies in good time – before they gathered followers – things won’t have reached this stage. But [such groups] are allowed to gather strength . . . upon strength . . . upon strength, until efforts made to stop them cause a crisis.

Imam (Mawrati?), in “Alkhamus Sufaniyya”, said leadership should be based on scholarship, so that leaders should know the [Islamic] creed. That is the utmost. Once an ugly ideology is introduced to society, it forms the backbone for future crisis.

Therefore, preaching and sermons, whether by the Shiites, the Sunnis, or other religious orders and creeds . . . if they involve what we have discussed here . . . the preacher should be invited and advised to desist. He should be persuaded to stop. And should he disobey, he should be reported. But a man gathers followers and goes to a village, where he finds ignorant youths, indoctrinates them in his creed, and perhaps teaches them to make bombs, use firearms and handle knives. And the nation suffers a crisis.

So, this is an occasion for us to advise each other and cooperate, and to advise the government to have patience, and to realize that not all issues are settled with force or warrant killings. Some issues warrant arrests and prosecutions, and we hope for peaceful coexistence. Attention is now focused on this issue. Scholars, District Heads and Village Heads, we should know that these calamities afflicting us are the consequences of our actions, most especially our silence on the rights of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). Therefore, in our repentance to Allah, and in seeking for His mercy, we should defend His rights and the rights of His Messenger. We Ahli Sunna, by God, we love the Ahlal Bait; we love Sayidina Ali; we love Sayidina Hassan, and Hussein; and we love Sayidina Fatima. But we also love Aisha; we love Khadija, and we love Hafsat. We love them all. They are all the same to us, and we will defend the rights of each one of them.

May Almighty Allah give us approval, protect our country and grant us peace. (Ameen, ameen from the audience). May Allah help His religion; and political leaders, may Allah give them the wisdom with which to sort out this [problem]. And these troubles from dangerous creeds, may Allah remedy them for us . . . bring them to an end. (Ameen, amen . . . from the audience). May Allah help our resolve to stand by the paths of the Ahli Sunnah that we inherited; and to defend them till the end of the world. (Ameen, from the audience). (Reads prayers . . .)

(Closing announcement by Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada)
[End of audio].

Ref. [3]. Qur’an 2:194 (Surah Al-Baqarah) reads: “[Fighting in] the sacred month is for [aggression committed in] the sacred month, and for [all] violations, is legal retribution. So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear Him”.