Sarkin Kano HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II

By Ibraheem A. Waziri

Few weeks ago in the much civil and highly regarded Facebook group, Synopsis, we attempted understanding the true meaning of apostasy in Islam. A sister requested for a clarification, specifically from me, about the recent conviction and condemnation to death, by hanging, of a Sudanese Muslim apostate. Before I responded, another brother, had plucked out an old 2004 article written about the subject matter by HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II, aka Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, including his reply to me. I was in my 20s then, when I wrote, disagreeing with the manner of his conclusions.

With the “discoveries”, the discourse continued to build around my difference with him. How, over time, I evolved in learning and experience to have now agreed with his then, conclusions, on the subject matter, to the extent that, I am able to give them – at the risk of sounding immodest – better contexts and effects. It was after that, but on the same discussion thread, I made a personal observation. Since Shehu Usman Danfodio, I wrote, there has not been a scholar who attempted doing to the Muslim community of Northern Nigeria what Sanusi did to it in the last two decades. In the many of what he used to term, his interventions. He addressed societal problems, through religious spectacles, in the light of changing times and compelling contemporary sociocultural demands.

It is my conviction, though, that Sanusi in truth is not an authority in Islamic jurisprudence. He is or was a banker and a social commentator who only made informed observations based on personal wisdom and practical understanding of how things should work in Northern Nigerian contemporary Muslim community and within the context of a multi-religious, multicultural setting. He severally made reference to the 19th century Danfodio Jihad as a product of scholarship that departed from the then widely accepted tradition of the Muslim world, that the doors of Ijtihad were closed, and that nobody could come up with anything new. The Jihad, in that regard disregarded that notion and founded a new Islamic state on sound political and administrative trappings that took into consideration time, environment and other relevant social indices.

One other achievement that can be attributed to him is that since colonialism, he has been the only public intellectual who successfully married, at highly and deeply philosophical levels, his Nigerian identity with his Muslim identity. Prior to his interventions, northern Muslim intellectual establishment was of two segments, the liberals, symbolized most prominently by the person of late Prof. Yusuf Bala Usman. They epitomized the ideal patriotic Nigerians often downplaying their northern Muslim identity. The second segment is formed of conservatives. They are characterized by the persons of late Dr. Ibrahim Tahir or even Dr. Mahmud Tukur. They placed their northern Muslim identity as most prominent, thereby giving the idea of Nigerian patriotism a different outlook. Sanusi, it was, who cerebrally argued and displayed that one can be a proud Muslim northerner and at the same time a passionate Nigerian patriot and with equal strength at each level. The themes recurring through his essays were about Muslims in multi religious environment, and their issues in identity, ethics and values in social and political settings. Probably, he was the first, in this part of the world who made constant these themes – with extraordinary flow of logic and substance – anchoring and running through all his public interventions.

On professional front, Sanusi has been a very practical person who knew how to masterfully and creatively harness talent to maximize benefits. This is evident through his career as a banker and later a public servant. Each step has been laced with complete innovations that guaranteed outstanding rewards which left spectators awed.

Of course we have had our fair share of disagreements and often in our email exchanges he would declare that he would not ever respond to my takes again. But not sooner than later an issue would come up and he would feel compelled to address me or the points I raised. I still have many issues that I feel were not properly addressed or where done incorrectly in many of his essays. All that I am saying here is I believe he has not been in the habit of making selfish arguments just to win a debate or accomplish a purely personal goal. Sanusi can be wrong but not selfish in argumentation.

The question now is how do all these help now that he is the emir of Kano? It is my belief that Sanusi’s consciousness about his identity and source of values; his deep and rare appreciation of his own heritage; pragmatic understanding of the idea of the evolution of the state; mastery of the nuances of contemporary world Muslim discourses coupled with excellent track record of being able to always accommodate goals to condition and subordinate ideals to reality, will go a long way in helping the caliphate maximize the gains of modernity and herald the coming of a new era, a new range of hopes and breakthrough for the Nigerian nation.

It is my prayer that the prince will see in this an opportunity to extend the frontiers of Islamic scholarship and help raise/impose a reasonable standard in public preaching and representation of Islam throughout Nigeria. Certainly in these climes no Islamic cleric, scholar or preacher will refuse the summons of Sarkin Kano. None will want to violate his self-evident and well-intentioned orders. The efforts of the Sultan Sa’ad Muhammad III at interfaith dialogue are also expected to record a boost, benefiting from the insights, learning and experience of the new Sarkin Kano.

I hereby implore His Royal Highness to step up pointers and initiate discussion with His Eminence in this regard. I say this while being absolutely convinced that Sanusi is a respecter of authority and hierarchy. He once admitted to me how he aired his view about an issue only after seeking clearance from Kano Emirate then. Also to this date all the records of his correspondence with Mr. President, Goodluck Jonathan were laced with high degree of decorum and respect for the person and the office of Mr. President. I am almost sure we are having a perfect King in Kano and within the emotional and cultural spectrum of our past, present and future as Muslims Northerners, children of Kanem Bornu and the Caliphate; who are also Nigerians!

Waziri wrote from Zaria. E-mail: [email protected]