Engage in business, stop depending on govt for your needs - Islamic cleric tells colleagues

An Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yusuf Abdulahi Talata Mafara has advised his colleagues to embark on commercial activities instead of depending on the government for all their needs.

Shiekh Mafara stated this in a public lecture titled, "Shariah implementation in Zamfara State; Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow), pointing out that going into commerce would make the government listen to their advice.

He spoke on the integrity of Islamic scholars at the lecture organized by the Zamfara State Security Initiatives Project held at Taula Academy Hall in Gusau.

Shiekh Mafara, a retired permanent secretary and also a member of the Zamfara Ulama Consultative Council noted that the advice became very imperative as it would prevent the scholars from depending on the government for all their needs.

"Learning business and commercial activities have become a basic necessity for every one of us because it will help us take care of the responsibilities as Islamic Scholars in Islamic schools without depending on the government", he added.

"We are supposed to be advisers to the government due to our position in society but when we continue depending on the government for all our needs we will not be taken seriously"

During the program, three renowned Islamic scholars, Atiku Balarabe Zawiyya, Malan Bello Kanwa, and Sheikh Ibn Umar Kanoma respectively, delivered lectures on Islam and the Shari'a legal system.

Sheikh Ahmad Umar Kanoma delivered a lecture on how to revive the fading Shari'a legal system in the state and appealed to the state government to convene an emergency meeting of former Governors and other important stakeholders to look at the possibility of reviving the Islamic legal system and how to restore peace and tranquillity in Zamfara State.

Sheikh Kanoma stressed that the initiative will tremendously assist Zamfara State and its people, adding that political differences must be avoided to rescue the state from the critical Insecurity and socio-economic problems hampering its development.

In his own lecture, Atiku Balarabe Zawiyya enumerated the benefits and achievements of the Shari'a legal system since its implementation in the State and highlighted its challenges and ways of improving the shari'a legal system.

Shiekh Zawiyya added that the implementation of the Shari'a legal system had significantly reduced illegal activities in Zamfara State.

Dr. Atiku revealed that over 8,000 beer parlours were closed in addition to the closure of over 1,000 brothels across the state, saying that remuneration and salaries of Islamic judges in the state were increased from N7,000 to N30,000 to improve their performance and concentration to duty.

Sheikh Atiku Balarabe noted that the introduction of the Shari'a legal system in the state had strengthened cooperation among different Islamic organisations, in addition to the establishment of the state Consultative Council of Ulamas.

The Islamic cleric also advised the state government to evolve ways and means of improving the Shariah implementation system in Zamfara State.

In his remarks, Malan Aminu Aliyu said Shari'a is a complete way of life and that reviving Shari'a in Zamfara State is a collective responsibility of individuals in the state government.

He advised people in the state to stop blaming Islamic scholars for the setbacks suffered by the system since everyone has a role to play to make it successful.

"We individuals must improve our faith and contribute our quarter towards the development of Shari'a legal implementation system at all levels"