Africa-Press – Nigeria. By Abba Hamisu Sani
Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara is a Kano based Islamic scholar with large follows particularly among youths and his method of preaching is different with other clerics .
At different time the Sheikh said his aim is to make Muslim and non Muslims understand that some hadith attributed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad are fake by the virtue of their context.
The narrations which are mostly contained in Bukhari and Muslim books. The scriptures are among the six books of prophetic traditions considered as most authentic books by Sunni Sect.
This move generated a lot of critism by other Islamic scholars from different sects that include Salafiyya, Jama’atul Izatul bidi’a Wa’i’khamatul Sunnah ,Tijjaniyya and some part of Qadiriyya which the shiekh Abduljabbar belong to.
Abduljabbar who was born in Kabara quarters of Kano City Nigeria, is one of the sons of prominent Qadiriyya leader of West Africa Sheikh Nasiru Kabara
Like all others of the Kabara family, Abduljabbar attended Ma’ahad School. He received further education at Aliya and Arabic Teachers College Gwale Kano , then moved to Iraq to advance his studies, but himself claimed he obtained most of his education from his father . His late Father Nasir Kabara gave him the title of Amirul Wa’izin (the leader of preachers).
According to Abduljabbar, some hadith narrated by Anas Ibn Malik, Bukhari and Muslim are in accusations towards Prophet Muhammad, which he Abduljabbar is now scaling the Hadith as hoax and accusations towards the prophet of Islam, he is now objecting the Hadiths, and the context of the accusations.
Objecting those hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim not supporting them, whenever Abduljabbar is preaching, giving fatwa or giving Islamic sermon during Jumu’at congregation, He use to make it open by challenging everyone, saying that he seek a legal Islamic verdict debate against any Nigerian Islamic scholar who is willing to provide Islamic scriptural evidence, which will serve as an Islamic evidence that what he is saying about the Hadiths are untrue, although many Kano and Nigerian Islamic scholars objected the existence and challenged his interpretations of the Hadiths.
Government organises Debate between scholars of various Sects with Shiekh Abduljabbar.
Kano State Government organised debate between Abduljabbar and other scholars from Izala Society, Salafiyya, Tijaniyyah and Qadiriyya after they reported Abduljabbar to the state government, saying they have come along with nine blasphemy allegations against him which was stated in his preaching in video and audio format, which will serve as a reference.
They stated that if care is not taken, the blasphemy will lead to Islamic bloodshed and chaos in the State, so the state government decided to take part in the matter .
The government decided that Abduljabbar will be taken to Court but before then, the Kano State government wants to justify the matter to give Abduljabbar a chance which he always seek to have a debate, to present his scriptural evidence.
On Saturday, 10th of July 2021, the government of Kano State officially organized debate between him and four scholars as representatives from Izala Society, Salafiyya, Tijjaniyya and Qadiriyya, late Mas’ud Hotoro from Qadiriyya sect. Dr Rabi’u Muhammad Umar Rijiyar Lemu represent Salafiyyah, Abubakar Mai Madatai from Tijjaniyya sect and Kabir Bashir Kofar Wambai represents Izala The debate was chaired by Professor Salisu Shehu from Bayero University Kano.
With former Kano State Commissioner for Religious Affairs Muhammad Tahar Adam as Government representative.
Sheikh Abduljabbar said that he was not provided with adequate time to explain his points. While chairman of the debate Professor Salisu Shehu declared that Abduljabbar did not answer a single question asked by the other scholars.
A Kano State Upper Sharia Court on Thursday 15th December 2022 sentenced the Islamic cleric, Abduljabbar Kabara to death by hanging after said he was found guilty of a four count charge of blasphemy filed against him by the Kano State government.
Kabara was initially arrested and arraigned on 16 July 2021, before an Upper Sharia Court at ‘Kofar Kudu’ situated at the Emir’s palace road Kano.
When the case started on July 28, 2021, however, the government lawyers led by Saida Suraj asked the court to adjourn the case. The court on August 18, 2021, adjourned the case again and the scholar’s lawyers led by Saleh Bakaro accused the government of slowing the process of the case.
On the 3rd of September, when charges presented by the plaintiffs were read to Abduljabbar, he mumbled, causing the court to order his brain and ears to be tested at the hospital to determine his health status.
When the court sat on the 17th of September, it was presented with the results of the brain and ear tests done on him, which showed that the scholar was healthy.
From then his lawyers withdrew from the case and Abduljabbar accused them of forcing him not to speak in the previous session because the court said he was sick.
However, in their response, his lawyers, through Barristter Rabi’u Muhammad, denied the accusations he made against them and threatened to sue him if he did not withdraw his statement.
On October 2, Abduljabbar’s new lawyers led by Muhammad Umar asked the court to grant him bail, but the court rejected their request.
Withdrawal of Abduljabbar lawyers
On the 11th of November, the new lawyers of Abduljabbar Kabara withdrew from the case causing a delay in the hearing of the plaintiffs’ evidence.
On November 10, he got a new lawyer, Mohammed. O. Ambali (SAN), but he asked to be given time to review the case.
On May 13, the court asked the Legal Aid Council to provide Abduljabbar with a lawyer because he did not have one to defend him.
On June 2, the Legal Aid Council announced to the court that it would not defend Abduljabbar because he had the ability to hire a lawyer on his own and his case was not on the list of cases that the agency was dealing with. On the same day, the court ordered Barrister Dalhatu Shehu Usman to defend Abduljabbar.
On June 9, Abduljabbar Kabara’s new lawyer, Barrister Dalhatu Usman, appeared before the court. It was on that day that the tapes of Abduljabbar’s lectures were first listened to and the court ordered that the tapes be given to the prosecutors for review.
The Shiekh resort to defend himself
On June 23, Abduljabbar began to defend himself and his lawyers asked the court to release him because according to them, he did not commit the crime he was accused of and the charges against him were not legal.
Corruption allegations
On the 29th of September, his lawyer, Barrister Dalhatu, abstained from the court session. Abduljabbar accused the lawyer of taking N2 million from him to give to the judge so he could acquit him.
At that time, the judge denied accepting the money and challenged Barrister Dalhatu to come forward and give his evidence that he gave him the money.
However, in his response, Barrister Dalhatu denied the allegations.
It was on that day that the judge declared that the hearing of the case had been completed and announced the date of judgement.
Death Sentence
On Thursday 15th December 2022, the Islamic cleric was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy.
Reactions on the Judgement
Askia Nasiru Kabara is the younger brother of Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara . He said that the cleric’s trial and sentencing was politically motivated.
He stated this in an interview with the Punch News Paper on 25th December 2022.
“This issue is surely politically motivated. There were several hands involved. It came from different angles, where Sheikh Abduljabbar had enemies. It started from my immediate family, specifically my elder brother, Karibullah Nasir Kabara. He was the one who assembled other scholars to blackmail Sheikh Abduljabbar and formed a group called Maja. Subsequently, they went to the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje led state government, which also has interest in this issue, and they started manipulating and planning how they would deal with Sheikh Abduljabbar.
From the beginning, I knew their plan and what they wanted to achieve, which they have now achieved through the Sharia court. However, by the grace of God, as the judgment has been appealed, Sheikh Abduljabbar will be freed” Askia Said.
He reiterated that from the time Abduljabbar was arrested , the authorities denied him his fundamental human rights. He said there is nothing like blasphemy in the matter. It is a matter of interpretation, which he has a right to teach, to preach, to think, as provided for by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The entire issue borders on interpretation of Prophet Mohammad’s traditions. The issue is not related to blasphemy. Rather, Sheikh Abduljabbar is protecting the good image and teachings of Prophet Mohammed but his teaching was turned upside down because they wanted to achieve their hidden agenda. The issue of blasphemy is absolutely false.
Askia Kabara added that their brother Shiekh Kariballah Nasiru Kabara who is the leader of Qadiriyya Sect in Nigeria also has a personal grudge against Sheikh Abduljabbar.
Abdullahi Hassan is a human right activist and head of human right unit of all Jafariyya Development Association and it’s National Public Relation officer .
He also shared the opinion of Askia Nasiru Kabara as he stressed that the case is Politically motivated.
Abdullahi Hassan said the politics attached to the Shiekh Abduljabbar’s issue is multi dimensional ranging from family , popularity among Islamic scholars, and with Kano state Government as the Shiekh refused to support Kano State Governor re – election during the 2019 election.
Another issue according to the human right activist is that of corruption allegation against the same Kano State Governor that Abduljabbar refused to joint other scholars that tried to preached in favour of the Governor Ganduje.
In another context, some analysts believe that Sheikh Abdul Jabbar is paying for his opinions in rejecting Wahhabi beliefs, and Saudi Arabia encouraged Nigerian Wahhabi sheikhs to put pressure on the judiciary and issue a death sentence.
According to them, if this sentence is implemented, it will have consequences in the religious community of Nigeria because Sheikh Abdul Jabbar has many followers and is from a large religious family, so they will not remain silent against any decision that targets their Sheikh.
In another context, some analysts believe that Sheikh Abdul Jabbar is paying for his positions in rejecting Wahhabi beliefs, and Saudi Arabia encouraged Nigerian Wahhabi sheikhs to put pressure on the judiciary and issue a death sentence.
According to them, if this sentence is implemented, it will have consequences in the religious community of Nigeria because Sheikh Abdul Jabbar has many followers and is from a large religious family, so they will not remain silent against any decision that targets their Sheikh.
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press
