WHO IS ALMAJIRI
Almajiri (Learner) is someone irrespective of gender who searches for Islamic knowledge at home or on transit and display high moral behavior. While Mabaraci (Beggar) is any person who begs for assistance on the street or from house to house as a result of some deformity or disability, children between the ages of seven and fifteen who roam about with the purpose of getting assistance or arms; or even a child who engages in some form of labour to earn a living. Begging and child molestation does not have root in Islam; as it was strongly discouraged.
Owing to this Allah SWA said “Mankind, fear your Lord, who created you of a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women; and fear God by whom you demand one of another, and the wombs; surely God ever watches over you. Give the orphans their property, and do not exchange the corrupt for the good; and devour not their property with your property; surely that is a great crime. If you fear that you will not act justly towards the orphans, marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, four (fainkihoo ma taba lakum mina alnnisa-i mathna WA thulatha WA rubaAAa); but if you fear you will not be equitable, then only one, or what your right hands own; so it is likelier you will not be partial. And give the women their dowries as a gift spontaneous; but if they are pleased to offer you any of it, consume it with wholesome appetite. But do not give to fools their property that God has assigned to you to manage; provide for them and clothe them out of it, and speak to them honourable words. S. 4:1-5 Arberry
Begging is a popular attitude in Nigeria, particularly in Northern part of the country (Mudanssir, 2010). Although there are evidences of existence of poverty in Nigeria, the act of begging is suppose to be the last resort to earning a living. Surprisingly enough, those that are engaged in the act are doing it without feeling of humiliation and dishonoured, so much that they have legalized it to be a standard profession and career for survival.
It has been observed that this “business” thrive because people have erroneously linked begging or Bara with Islam. They believe mistakenly that Islam encourages begging. This is far away from the truth, as the prophet Muhammadu SAW admonished his followers saying “I swear by Allah that is better for one of you to take rope and gather firewood on his back than to come to a man and beg him whether he give or refuse to give”. Also in another Alhadith Prophet Muhammed SAW said “The upper hand is better than the lower hand” meaning the hand that gives is better than the hand that receives. However the practice of some Muslims in Nigeria has made it to appear to be an Islamic culture and phenomenon whereas it is not.
Bara (begging) is not an Islamic injunction, because it exists in other part of the country including Federal Capital Territory; where Corporate Beggars roam from one Bus Stop to another begging for assistance and these people are mostly not Hausa/ Fulani. What will you and I call this class of beggars; Corporate Mabaranta (beggars).
Infact this people are not under age, they dress smartly like working class age but they are smart beggars. Begging (Bara) and Learning (Almajiranci) are two different entities; in every prospect we should try to differentiate between them.
The Hausa/ Fulani man in his quest for Islamic knowledge to his children and the belief that knowledge is mostly acquire by children when they are far from home, makes him to send his children to Gardawa ( Malams) who cannot shoulder the bulk responsibilities and inturn expose them to hard labour which he deems as child training as compare to Spatan ancient system of education.
Some people are antagonistic to Almajiranci system of education. The word Almajiri emanated from Arabic word Al-muhajarun which came as a result of Prophet Mohammed SAW migration from Mecca to Madina. The System has been in existence before the advent of western education in Nigeria and had played significant role to the leadership of this country.
Begging and Almajiranci are two different things. In Hausa Land when you say to a Malam (cleric) “Allah gafarta malam'' (May Allah pardon Malam) he will unequivocally reply “Almajiri dai” (no a Learner) wishing Allah to accept your prayer but objecting that he still learning and have not yet attain the status of Malam. No cleric (Malam) will deny been an Almajiri (a Learner) to someone, therefore Almajiranci is an institute of its own and likewise begging.
Islam encourages acquisition of knowledge in which Allah SWA asked mankind to know him (Allah) before they worship him and Prophet Mohammed SAW said “seeking for knowledge for both sex is compulsory and seek for knowledge even to city of Sin now in China.
Begging (Bara) as a syndrome to Almajiranci had caused grievous hurt to the system as malpractice does to formal education, but it does not render the system demonic. The late Sir Ahmed Bello Sardauna of Sokoto and Tafawa Balewa were all product of almajiranci.
The activity of Boko haram insurgents has been ignorantly attributed to Almajiranci, leaving the linking hole open, which has makes the activities of the three Boko Haram groups as identified by Abdullahi Ango very difficult for security agencies to curtail.
Corruption, aggrandizement and lack total submission to divine commandments are the reasons our beloved country is going through pains and panic today.
As identified by many reputable Nigerians that poverty is an attribute to the emergence of the sect. As the saying goes “A hungry man is an angry man” and “without justice expects no peace” I didn't refer to these to incite violent revolution but to draw the attention of the government in tackling any criminal activities in this country.
Buying gadgets for security agencies will not solve the problems in its entirety. The government should embrace all measures to alleviate poverty; agencies of government saddle with the responsibility of fighting corruption should work harder in tackling it.
The Federal Government has incorporate Almajiranci to formal education, this giant effort should be sustain.
Muktar Yakubu.
Gidan hamma, Illela Local Government,
Sokoto State.