Abdul-Jabbar’s Rising Profile, the Upcoming Debate, the State, and the Spectators -By Abdulkadir Salaudeen

No doubt, talks about Abdul Jabbar Nasiru Kabara dominate most discussions in Muslim circles in recent days—not only in the North—all over Nigeria and even beyond. Hitherto, not many people knew Abdul Jabbar across the country, nor were they familiar with his religious activities and ideology. But it is said that ‘differ and be known’. This means when you differ from the general belief and publicly isolate yourself from the mainstream ideology especially in the realm of religion, you become very famous and personage to reckon with (for good or for bad)—this depends on circumstance.

Abdul Jabbar’s profile has risen to that proportion. He is alleged to have desecrated some companions of the Prophet (SAW). The implication of this, according to the Sunnis (and in fact, in the understanding of any reasonable Muslim or non-Muslim with thinking faculty) is a surreptitious attempt to uproot Islam itself. It is a common knowledge that Islam was transmitted to us through some lengthy unbroken chains. Most important figures in these chains were the Prophet’s companions (RA) who conveyed the religion to us through practice and narrations from the Prophet to the muhaddithun (the hadith scholars) who then recorded them in their classical corpus of hadith.

This is a basic which every Muslim should be acquainted with. Muslims in Nigeria, or elsewhere in the globe, who are not familiar with this basic should feel sorry for themselves. And such Muslim would be bad spectators in the upcoming debate (if it holds). My fear is they may constitute the majority of the spectators; in that case, the essence of the debate will be defeated because they would not understand the significance of the root—a requirement to understand the debate. Consequently, they may not appreciate why all branches must be traced to it (the root).

Anyway, Abdul Jabbar, despite what most Islamic scholars considered heretical in many of his sermons and utterances, called for public debate. This is not the first time that a religious debate would be organized in the North. Recall that Usman Dangungu (a Qur’ani) publicly debated with some Sunni clerics on the sufficiency of the Qur’an, without recourse to hadith, to understand and practice the religion.

However, Abdul Jabbar’s case is unique in the sense that the Sunnis, Izalahs, Tijjaniyyas, Qadariyyas and his own siblings in the Qadariyya Order are to team up against him. He is going to be a stand alone debater against these multitudes except if he gets a back up from the Shiites who are the new brides he is presently romancing with. If Abdul Jabbar eventually shows up for the debate, I will salute his effrontery—though, I am not preempting the winner or the loser.

I expect the debaters to inculcate the spirit of debate in which there is possibility of them hugging their opponents or having handshakes after the session. Oh! I forgot! COVID 19 Protocols must be observed. At least it should end amicably. At any rate, I love to be a spectator—if I cannot participate—in the contest of ideas. And of course, I am not a scholar; I do not have the locus standi to participate—though I wish I am a participant.

The two parties are so convinced of their positions. For Abdul Jabbar, his conviction—real or imagined—spurred him to call for a debate. For the Sunni scholars, they have started the debate before the actual debate by debunking most of his claims. Prominent among them is Dr. Sani Umar Rijiyar Lemo. He is ironclad sure that Abdul Jabbbar will be defeated and someone like him does not need to engage him in the debate. In other words, Dr. Sani considers himself too big and too much to engage Abdul Jabbar; this would amount to waste of knowledge and evidence. Rather, he is of the opinion that the youth (young clerics) will engage Abdul Jabbar and if the latter is able to defeat the youth (the young Sunni), he considers himself being defeated. Interesting!

So, who is going to win? This is a thing of the unseen which is known with certitude only to Allah. Every loyalist would claim that the party he is loyal to will win. This is in tandem with the Qur’an which says: “[Or] of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has” (Q 30:32). As this debate is meant to establish the truth, and who is on the truth, does it mean that whoever is declared winner is on the truth? It is difficult to say. Outcome of debates could be funny at times. Thus, the focus of spectators should be on recognizing the truth, knowing it, and accepting, and acting by it.

Going by the sheer number of those who will be engaging Abdul Jabbar, it might not be wrong to say he will be defeated. But we should not forget that the Qur’an says: “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient” (Q2:249). Though the verse talks within the context of war, debate could be analogous to it.

Another concern is if the state would be a fair umpire as it is going to moderate the debate. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it appears to me that this is the first time a state government (or should I say governor?) would be conducting a debate between two diametrically opposed religious sects in Nigeria. It would have been better if the Kano State Government had not banned Abdul Jabbar and sealed his mosque before this debate proposal. For, as it is, we all know, by common sense, where the government belongs. Be that as it may, there should be fairness in adjudging the debaters.

I am actually thrilled by the prospect of the upcoming debate and I pray it holds. I have in mind the picture of the contest between Prophet Musa (AS) and Fir’aun in the Qur’an. It is real, there is no doubt; but we only read it. We did not witness it. Perhaps we are going to witness something similar days ahead. And at least, we shall be having a momentary break from our melancholic mood caused by material impoverishment and hunger. Thank you Abdul Jabbar!

I do hope and wish that governors in Southern Nigeria (especially the South West) will start planning similar debates among the Muslims. Religious fanatism, and their adherent fanatics, is multiplying itself through different sects, groups, associations, and organizations nowadays. The essence of this kind of debate is at least to encourage religious practice that is premised on knowledge as against ignorance. This, I hope, will reduce fanatism and dogmatism in religious practice. In fact, any cleric or Muslim group that preaches strange doctrines should be invited for debate forthwith. And refusal to honor invitation should be made a criminal offence punishable by confinement with no option of bail or fine. I humbly think this will reduce religious violent crimes and activities.

Finally, I think it is right to state whom I am vis-a-vis what I have scripted above. You may think I am a Jabbari or a Shiite. I am not. Also, it is not that I do not have my biases or predispositions; I do. I have only tried to be as objective as possible in my analysis. For your information, I am a Muslim. Let us be Muslims.

As we await the debate, we ask Almighty Allah to show us the truth as truth; and the ability to follow it. We also ask Him to show us the falsehood as falsehood and the ability to distance from it. Allah is the source of success.

Abdulkadir Salaudeen writes from Gashua
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
Twitter handle, @salahuddeenAbd.