Preamble
An article entitled 'Hijab: "Muslims against Muslims" which appeared in this column penultimate Friday drew an unprecedented array of reactions from readers. A follow up to that article last Friday in this same column also attracted torrential reactions. Apparently, both articles struck the touchy parts of readers differently. And their simultaneous reactions, accordingly confirmed that assertion.
As mortal beings, we jointly live in a world of diverse ideas and experiences. It is not always that we see what we look. Some see without looking. Some look without seeing. But in the end, we all return to the natural fallibility that confirms our mortality. As a columnist, I take responsibility for whatever storm or calm that greeted both articles. And at the same time, I thank all who reacted to them positively or negatively. Allah knows best. Here we go:
Reactions
"….NACOMYO has made it categorically clear that hijab can never be separated from believing women, so banning hijab is banning the practice of Islam. The claim by the writer that the "the experience in the countries such as Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon where the spate of mass murder by bomb blasts concealed in Islamic dress in those countries went down tremendously, following the ban on certain types of hijab" cannot be substantiated because the gendarmerie in these countries are well equipped, up to the task and are up-and-doing to contain the insurgency. The role played by the Chadian armed forces in dealing Boko Haram in Nigeria, before President Muhammadu Buhari took over, a deadly blow, cannot be over-emphasized. On January 12, Boko Haram still struck in northern Cameroon where 13 Muslim faithfuls were brutally killed by a man suicide bomber in a Mosque!
NACOMYO has strong belief in the sincerity of the incumbent government to eradicate Boko Haram without banning hijab and we have seen the handwriting on the wall already. All what the government needs is our full support and vigorous prayers for its success in bringing the insurgency to a quick end, fighting corruption to a standstill as well as rejuvenation of Nigerian economy. Mallam Garba Shehu, the President's Spokesman has officially denied the hijab ban, what's more?
Finally, NACOMYO advises the columnist, and his likes, to always use their pens to promote, defend, propagate Islam and educate non-Muslims about Islam rather than compromising the religion at any slight provocation. They should learn from the action of the only woman on the panel who successfully boxed the President to a tight corner on the issue of hijab. Her action seemed propelled by religious interest rather than by professional zeal…"
Binyamin Yusuf, Secretary-General NACOMYO
My dear brother Femi Abbas, after carefully going through your write up titled 'Hijab: Muslims against Muslims' and the barrage of reactions that awashed (sic) the social media from our Muslim brothers, I felt pity for you. Your follow up article titled: 'The Message and 'The Messenger' however came as a relief and a justification for my caution against reacting in a hurry. What some of those reactions intended to do was to give you a public ridicule and disgrace. And that perhaps forced you to throw your background open, a thing you had never done in your 33 years of writing the same column. That shows that the motive was beyond the article they reacted to. But thank God, you have proved your intellectual worth and restored the confidence of your genuine readers by delivering the goods as expected of you. However, without those tendentious reactions most of your readers would not have known anything about your background and professional antecedent. Now, I am more stron gly confident in 'The 'Message' column. Please, ride on. God bless you.
Jelili Adebare, Shaki, Oyo State
Alhaji Femi Abbas, have you ever heard the story of the lion and the lamb? Both animals met at a stream where they went to drink water. On sighting the lamb, the lion greedily accosted her by alleging that the lamb was polluting the stream. The lamb said "it is not possible since I am drinking at the lower part of the stream and you (lion) are at the upper side". The lion then said you want to abuse me again as you did here this time last year? The lamb replied that I had not been born this time last year. Then, the lion said if it wasn't you, it must have been your mother. The wild cat thereafter pounced on the innocent lamb and made a meal of it. That is the parable of our brothers' provocative reactions to your article even after you had effected correction. But I am not surprised as that is characteristic of new school Muslims in Nigeria today. Femi, just stand by Allah and He will stand by you always.
Abdullah Musa Zubair. Kaduna
Mallam Femi, reading through your article captioned 'The Message' and the Messenger' last Friday, one could feel that you were worried. I don't think there is anything to worry about. The duty of people who have little or nothing to offer the society is to disturb those who have societal value. You are not a local columnist and cannot be rubbished by local nuisance. With Allah's tremendous endowment for you, such envious reactions ought to have been expected from time to time. Every success has a cost. Yours cannot be an exception. You should rejoice that the unwarranted attacks on you in the social media over your article on Hijab has turned out to be a booster and not a diminisher (sic) of your enviable image. Alhamdulillah. Please, throw the past behind you and continue your good work as usual. Allah will continue to guide and protect you.
Suleiman Guruje, Abuja
Alhaji Femi Abbas, the interruption brought into your column by the bitter critics of your article on hijab was not against you but against those of us who are regular readers of that column. Most of those who reacted did not read the article in question. Some of them called me to ask for your telephone number and email address both of which are constantly present in the head mast of your column. You will also notice that most of them could not even spell your name (Abbas) correctly. That will confirm to you the type of people you are dealing with. Ironically, most of those people who can be called new school in Islam had not been born by the time you started writing a column. I appeal to you to please concentrate on the wheat of your profession while you leave the chaff for the goats. Your quality will never diminish. Assalam alaikun.
Salihu Fazazi, Auchi, Edo State
Mallam Abbas, I have never met you in person, neither have I seen your photograph anywhere. But I want you to look at the appearance of the modern day propagators of Islam. When I read your article titled 'The Message' and 'The Messenger' my mind just quickly went to the young Muslim brothers who claim to be engaged in da'wah. Should any propagator of Islam be shabby? How can a shabby person win souls for Islam? Please, whenever you meet them take a second look at them. I am disgusted. These are the people who want us to see them as scholars. Does scholarship take away decency from a scholar? Islam is becoming something else in the hands of modern day Muslim scholars. We must do something about it. Please, lead us. God will give you all you need to lead.
Shakirullah M. Haruna, Brinin-Kebbi, Kebbi State
Ustadh Femi Abbas, I have followed very keenly the arguments for and against the ban on the use of Hijab or Burqah between you and some of your readers in your column. As usual, your detailed analysis of the origin and genesis of hijab is highly appreciated and by that analysis we are better educated. Those who are denying your claim and calling you names have not told us their own version of the history of that Islamic dress. We thank Allah that you inform and educate with your column without necessarily claiming to be a scholar. That is a mark of humility. May God increase your knowledge and your wisdom.
Salim A. Abubakar, Dutse, Jigawa State
Mr. Femi Abbas, Reading your last Friday article was quite interesting. I had to quickly look for the one of the Friday before which warranted the writing of the second. My conclusion after reading both was that Nigerians generally acknowledge good work only posthumously. You know what that means? How many of those emergency critics are capable of writing Islamic columns of your standard? Ordinarily, there is nothing bad in calling your attention to an error. But when a handshake goes beyond the elbow, it becomes suspicious. Intention matters a lot. From the reactions I have read in the social media so far, it seems that most of the critics had been looking for an opportunity to attack you on something else which they have not yet disclosed. But don't be bothered. It is all part of experience. We shall intensify our prayers to Allah to continue to provide you with long life and formidable protection and give us more men of your type. Remain blessed!
Mubarak Ahmad Mubarak, Jos, Plateau State
Alhaji Abbas, those who seized the opportunity of your error in the article on hijab to say you are rather a nonentity than a scholar, have their hidden agenda. Through what I read in their reactions, I discovered that they have redefined scholarship. To them, only people who know Hadith and Islamic history are qualified to be called scholars. They have made Hadith the primary source of Islamic Law. Even where the contents of the Qur'an evidently contradict their quoted Hadith, they stick to the latter. So, with Hadith, they can easily pronounce Hell in judgment over their victims. Other learned people, irrespective of the depth of their knowledge, cannot be scholars.
That is why a person like you cannot be qualified for a scholar. It is a matter of blackmail. But if you join them today, you will automatically be recognised as a scholar. We are talking of the modern day diabolical scholars who must be seen as such to be able to exploit the Muslim Ummah. Rather than lifting Islam, these people have relegated the divine religion through dogmatism rather than dynamism which Islam stands for. Hijab is not the problem but those who are campaign for it. We must cooperate to rescue the situation. We cannot continue like this. God bless you.
Adam Olajide Ojengbede, Ile-Ife, Osun State
Ustadh Femi Abbas, for many years, we, the permanent readers of your column have benefited tremendously from the fountain of your knowledge and we are not idiots. We can easily distinguish between the wheat and the chaff. No emergency/extremist tutors can confuse us at this stage with strange tutelage like the one that bred Boko Haram insurgents. We know that life is sacred in Islam and anything that can lead to deliberate termination of lives unjustifiably must be avoided. Islam is neither a bloody religion nor a religion of nudism. Hijab is an ordained costume for Muslim women but it does not necessarily have to be Burqah or Khimar. That is the point you were making and we understand it very well. We are quite familiar with your writings and logic. Anybody can make a mistake. Your clarification in the second article should be reasonably comprehensible to any responsible Muslim who has no ulterior motive. We are satisfied. Let those who see religion as an instrument of mass murde r separate their mode of worship from that of conventional Islam. No one can lure us into blind fanaticism.
Bamidele Ibrahim, Ikare, Ondo State
Assalam alaikum, you are always an enjoyable columnist and preacher of Islamic issues. May I advise you to compile your articles of about 33 years into a book form for the benefit of Muslims and to serve as a further means of reference. On issues of hijab, your explanation is well understood and should be acceptable to all. Ma salam.
Hon. ADEYINKA Corsim, Osodi, Lagos
I sincerely appreciate respected Alhaji Femi Abbas to have written this article; 'The Message' and 'The Messenger'. May Allah overlook our shortcomings. I think we should all see it as a reminder that perfection and absoluteness are only for ALLAH especially as it clarifies his mistake by showing the missing link in the article which according to him, he had inadvertently omitted.
"Banning Burqah rather than Hijab is not the same as banning Islam" was said to be the original draft and not "Banning Hijab is not the same as banning Islam"
I implore all Muslims that we write a rejoinder to him appreciating his courage to accept his mistakes and show him genuine and increase love and concern. For me, I take your clarification as true and I apologise for any denial and or castigation you may have received on behalf my Muslim brothers and sisters. Regards.
Akinfenwa Omolaja Akeem
Ustadh Femi, We have problem. The issue here is not about hijab per se. We know hijab as a divinely ordained dress for Muslim women. Wearing it is not negotiable. But Islam, in our society today, is passing through a new trend that may be bigger and more dangerous than Boko Haram. Are you aware that our female children are now being waylaid by some modern day self-acclaimed scholars? These heretical scholars who evidently toe the line of the Taliban, ISIS and Al-Shabbab are out to destroy the lives of our female children. They do not only persuade them to withdraw from their University courses, they also marry them out through match making without the consents of their parents. They convince the innocent girls that once they attain the age of 18, they do not need their parents' consents again to take decisions on issues including marriage. They then ask such girls to send some tins of condensed milk to their mothers as a replacement for the milk they had sucked from those mother s' breasts at infancy.
By the 'Salafi' philosophy of these 'satanic scholars', women are not supposed to work outside the confines of their matrimonial homes and therefore, they do not need any certificate. They also try to convince some young Muslim graduates to do away with their University degrees or forget about Al-Janna (Paradise). Some of such 'scholars have even created special camps at which they indoctrinate their captives after hypnotising them.
Please, Femi, use your powerful column to correct this terrible anomaly and educate Nigerian public about it before it is too late. Some parents who have fallen victim to this evil are still gnawing their teeth. Others must not become their victims again. And if you have female children especially in higher institutions please, monitor them very well. You have intellectually used your popular column for Nigerian Muslim Ummah in the past 33 years. Allah will reward you abundantly. But this is not the time to relent. Allah will help you as you are helping others. We need more information and education through your column.
Sulaiman Olaoye Jubril, Lokoja, Kogi State.
