PEACE BUILDING: Sultan of Sokoto institutes 5 new prizes, as Mufty Menk delivers 15th coronation anniversary lecture

*It’s sign of ignorance to fight over human differences – Zimbabwean Islamic scholar

By KEMI KASUMU

The sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Tuesday in Sokoto, announced what he described as well consulted and thoughtful institution of five new prizes, which he said will be an annual event.

The Sultan said the prizes had been established for people, who have excelled in the areas chosen for the awards, to promote peace building among Nigerians and across the Niger.

He announced the awards during the public lecture that was a concluding part of the Eighth Shaikh Usman bn Fodiyo Week, organised in commemoration of his 15th Year Coronation Anniversary and held at the International Conference Centre, Kasarawa area of the state.

“The five prizes I have personally instituted, I consulted over them, and it is going to be annual, to promote peace building in the country,” he said.

He listed categories of the prizes saying “the first category is Sheikh Usman Dan Fodiyo Prize for Leadership, second: Abdullah Dan Fodio Prize for Scholarship, third: Sultan Muhammadu Bello Prize Governance, fourth: Nana Asmau Prize for Social Development and Fifth: Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar prize for peace building.

At the maiden awards, Prof. Shehu Galadanci, first Vice Chancellor, Usman Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, won the first prize.  Galadanci was Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia for 10 years. He is the leader of National Mosque Abuja.

The second prize went to late Sheikh Ahmad Lemu and was received by his children led by Nurudeen Lemu while third prize went to Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi the fourth won by Prof. Sadiya Bello, and fifth went to late Dr. Lateef Adegbite, the former Secretary General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

Commentung about award that went to the Shehu of Borno, the Sultan explained that, “He is 20th Shehu of Borno just like I am 20th Sultan of Sokoto. His father was the first to visit Sokoto just like my father was the first to visit Borno and, like he said earlier, Shehu of Borno and I have worked seriously together and I know that the prize for governance has been rightly won by him.”

“Each winner gets N1 million for the prize,” Sultan Abubakar added.

Popular Islamic scholar and Head of Zimbabwe Fatwa Department, Mufty Ismael Musa Menk, who as guest speaker at the royalty event, described as cheer ignorance for people to pick quarrel and fight over human differences especially in after of religion.

Popularly called Mufty Menk, the 46-year-old Harare-born Zimbabwean scholar since Allah did not create humanity to fight against one another, all effort made by any believer thinking he will make reward by fighting over human differences will be to none.

In giving his lecture, Menk, who called the Sultan “my elder brother and leader to the Ummah”, urged Muslims of Nigeria and across Africa not to belittle other people for reason of being bigger or higher than them in age, size, wealth or anything.

He preached peaceful co-existence among people saying smiling should be more practicable to all than frowning among brothers and sisters within the faith and between members of the Ummah and members of other faiths.

“I was once asked why I smile a lot, and I replied that because first name is ‘smile’ and so I have to smile and secondly because it is the Sunnah of the Proper of Islam that that we should smile to one another,” he said.

Menk urged believers to do good towards one another and to anyone, commending Nigerians as a good community people that not allow hate or hate speech at time to cause fight among one another.

He assured everyone that economic or social differences should not be reason for hostilities towards or among people.

This he said was so because Allah did not create human beings to fight one another but to worship him and do good towards self and fellow human beings.

He said the duty of brother towards another brother, who does not do as he expects in Islamic is not to fight but make peaceful conveyance of the message as explained by Allah in the Qur’an, “For you is to convey the message. It is unto me they shall return”.

“When someone disagrees with me, although I am not going to compromise my way or religion or my way of dressing, my way of living by halal and moving away from aram, I can only find a way of patiently and peacefully presenting the message to him; I won’t fight him,” he said.

Mufty Menk said: “Don’t compromise your religion, but find a way to tell people what is right because, if I decide to fight people because of differences of opinion or religious practice, it means that I will fight from this day till I die. It is not done.,” he said

The Prophet used to go to places where people were doing wrong and told them what they are doing and how to change them for good.

The lecture was attended by Governor of Sokoto State, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, his deputy, Alhaji Manir Dan’Iya, Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammadu Mera, among other dignitaries.