Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s Letter to Sheikh El-Zakzaky in 2014, Criticizing the blocking of public roads with their endless processions

My Brother, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky: it’s not too late to repent.

After registering my condolences to the recent loss of your three children who were gunned down by some elements in the military, I find it an obligation to help you see that some of your actions too are the contributing factors in this unfortunate avoidable tragedy.

What I fear most for you and your followers is that the consequence of this tragedy may further alienate your group from the mainstream society and create a cult -if it’s not already one–with disastrous consequences on you, your followers and the nation at large. For you especially, on the Day of Judgment you will account for your actions or deeds.

My brother, you have brought a lot of bad innovations among Nigerian Muslims that rather than unite the Muslims are further entrenching the divide without any added value to the worldly development nor the hereafter, but rather with serious theological implications in the hereafter.

What triggered my attention to your group now is the most recent close encounter I had with a procession of your followers on the highway from Kano to Zaria yesterday 8th Dec. 2014 on my way to Dutse. About four to six thousand youth and children trekking long distance for hours. I gave a two hour lecture in Duste and met them still trekking on my way back.

I cannot understand which civil or religious law gave you the right and liberty to block one side of the double carriage road forcing motorists to cramp each other dangerously on one lane. If your actions is to propagate your creed, I am telling you, you will only attract the poor young ignorant miscreants of the society. Never the sane except of course the disgruntled.
The delinquency of your followers and the disturbance of public peace is what makes you and them an easy target of the authority. This is happening when you can as well do very well without such unscrupulous public misbehavior.

Disruption of traffic flow is in fact a sign of unfaithfulness and lack of civilization. In a Hadith narrated by Muslim, the noble prophet -Alaihis Salatu was Salam- said: “Faith has seventy something or sixty something branches. The best of it is the testimony that there is no diety to worship except Allah and the least of it is removal of harm from the road and shyness is also a branch of faith.” And Al-bukhari narrated “that the prophet himself use to remove injurious things and dirt from the road”. All this to make the road and traffic safe and smooth.

This is the good example you should copy. But unfortunately, instead of that, you are doing exactly the opposite by blocking roads and forcing vehicles to dangerously face each other on one lane displaying arrogance and lawlessness. Young men brandishing knives and unsheathed swords, beating their chest, carrying inciting placards and chanting hate songs.
How can you be the good servants of Allah when you are exactly opposite of what the Quran described them? Allah said:

“And the servants of the Merciful Allah are they who walk on the earth in humbleness, and when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace.

*And they who pass the night prostrating themselves before their Lord and standing.

*And they who say: O our Lord! turn away from us the punishment of hell, surely the punishment thereof is a lasting

*Surely it is an evil abode and (evil) place to stay.

*And they who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor parsimonious, and (keep) between these the just mean.

*And they who do not call upon another god with Allah and do not slay the soul, which Allah has forbidden except in the requirements of law and justice, and (who) do not commit fornication and he who does this shall find a requital of sin;

*The punishment shall be doubled to him on the day of resurrection, and he shall abide therein in abasement;

*Except him who repents and believes and does a good deed; so these are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

*And whoever repents and does good, he surely turns to Allah a (goodly) turning.

*And they who do not bear witness to what is false, and when they pass by what is vain, they pass by nobly.

*And they who, when reminded of the communications of their Lord, do not fall down thereat deaf and blind.

*And they who say: O our Lord! grant us in our wives and our offspring the joy of our eyes, and make us guides to those who guard (against evil).

*These shall be rewarded with high places because they were patient, and shall be met therein with greetings and salutations.

*Abiding therein; goodly the abode and the resting-place.” Q25/ 63-76.

My Brother, you have already lost three children on this path to perdition and shirk, so please repent and don’t capitalize on the ignorance of our gullible youth to mislead them. If you don’t correct them now, when you die, Allah will not forgive you for whatever deviation they may add to yours.

“That they may bear their burdens entirely on the day of resurrection and also of the burdens of those whom they lead astray without knowledge; now surely evil is what they bear.” Q16/25.

My Brother, I write you this open letter for others also not necessarily in your sect to get admonition. It is never intended to trigger a sectarian argument. It’s about public order and mannerism.

May Allah guide us all to his pleasure and give us the courage to revert back to the truth and what is righteous. Amin!”(Edited).

BY Dr. AHMAD GUMI