“The Northern States Governor’s Forum took a collective decision at the meeting we had about two weeks ago that we will end the Al-Majiri system completely, we will abolish it…”- Gov., Nasir El-Rufai, (Channels TV, PoliticsToday, May 6, 2020).
I have always advocated that for any “effort”at “reforming”or “abolishing”the Al-majiri system to be effective at least “fifteenth”out of the “nineteenth”northern states must take a unanimous decision on same. However, how northern governors survive the politics of Post -Covid 19 “backlash”on the ban of Al-majiri practice from its stakeholders alike will essentially determine the “successes”or “failures “of the unanimous decision to ban it.
Many commentators are afraid to take on “discussions”on Al-majiri practice for “fear”of being termed as anti Qur’anic studies. Al-Majiri system in Hausa land and or northern Nigeria from its outset did not depend on “begging” for its sustainance, but sadly to note, “begging” has since taken more time of the boys than learning.
The ancient Al-majiri system in Hausa-land was based on three beliefs :(1) The Qur’an is a Holy book which no one can learn it on a platter of gold, one must suffer to learn it, (2) No one can learn it under his parental comfort due to parental “pampering”, and (3) There were few Qur’anic scholars found only in few places.
However, the three reasons or beliefs above-mentioned for Al-Majiri system in the ancient Hausa Land, if convincing then in the ancient , the passage of time has since proved that to be wrong. The Almighty Allah has made his glorious book easy for us to learn.The Islamiyya pupils from their parents homes are really doing greatly in terms of learning the Holy Qur’an. There are thousands of pupils who memorized the Holy Qur’an from their parents homes.There are now scholars of the Holy Qur’an in every home.
The ancient practice unlike the present practice was without begging , it worked well then but not now. It was structured academically thus: (1) We have “Kolo” a semblance of Nursery school student, (2) “Titibiri”a primary school level ,(3) “Gardi” a secondary school level, (4) “Malam” a first degree level , (5) “Alaramma” a second degree level , (6) “Gwani” a PhD level , and (7) “Gangaran” a professorial level .
The ancient practice was practiced in the villages close to where farmlands were not in the cities.The logic then was that the Mallams who were essentially farmers stayed close to their farms outside the cities in order to cultivate what they and the Almajirai would eat. The Almajirai no matter their ages were meant to help the Mallams in the farms for their food. In addition, at the early stages of the practice, the parents of the Almajirais who were equally farmers sent grains, gifts and their Zakkat of grains to the Mallams of their children after harvest in order to support their up-keeps.
Some observers believe that going to cities by the Al-Majirais’ malams during “dry seasons” was what led to the relocation of Almajiri practice to “towns” and “cities” as against the initial practice of being in the villages. Since In our society, farming was not all year round, except in few places , during dry-season, the Mallams went to towns and cities to spend time there before the rain returned. In the course of their stay in the towns and cities during the dry-season (Cirani in Hausa ), some women who stayed long in their matrimonial homes without a child began to go to the the Mallams in towns to request for prayers.
More so, among whom were those who did not want co-wives which they too came calling and those who wanted to chase out their co-wives out of their matrimonial homes were not left out too. Businessmen also began to patronize them for prayers in order to have brisk busines and or sometimes to request for prayers on how to outnumber the customers of their neighbors in the markets.
The malams got to realize that there is more money and food in the towns and cities than in the villages where they farm. Accommodations are given to them free of charge. It became more lucrative being in the towns and cities than in the villages. Some of them began to be issuing amulets (laya), sacred water (rubutun sha ), charm in form of a large leather belt (guru) and rings and bracelets as a good-luck charm , that could protect you from evil thereby making a lot of money that led to their relocation to towns and cities.
The present practice is quite different from the ancient times’ practice which depended on its own not begging. The practice nowadays largely depends on begging. It is a way of abdicating parental responsibilities. Many parents thought sending their children to Al-Majiri system is in fulfilment of their responsibilities of educating their children. In an attempt to fulfilling one responsibility many other responsibilities are abdicated. The responsibilities of feeding, clothing, sheltering and medication etc., are all abdicated in the name of Al-Majiri system.
The parents of nowadays send their children to the malams who neither have accommodations nor farmlands to cultivate. The malams of nowadays do not farm like those in the olden days. The parents of nowadays do not send grains, gifts and zakkats to the malams of their children like those in the olden days.
Northern Nigeria is not the only Muslim dominated society in the world. Millions of Muslims children in several other muslims countries learned and or are still learning the Holy Qur’an without going through the traditional Al-majiri system known in Northern Nigeria.
Children are responsibility place upon every parent, as such, we must encourage every parent to take full responsibility of his children not to shift it to someone. Northern governors must sincerely invest on education. There must be expansion on the available structures to accommodate many pupils. It must be truly made free and compulsory.
God Bless Nigeria!
Nurudeen Dauda Writes From Kaduna:
