A reknown Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yakubu Musa-Hassan, has expressed total support to the plan by the Federal Government to modernise the Almajiri system of education in the country.
Musa-Hassan is the National Director of the Da’wah Committee and Chairman of Katsina State chapter of Izalatul Bid’a wa Ikamatus Sunnah, an Islamic sect.
The cleric, who made the declaration in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Daura on Sunday, said the Izala sect was fully in support of the move.
“We are ready and willing to offer useful advice, suggestions and recommendations on how the system would be revived, modernized and internalized, contrary to its present state of deprivation and degradation,” the cleric said.
He described the current Almajiri system of acquiring Islamic education as exploitative, harsh and cruel as the students were being subjected by their tutors to life of servitude.
Musa-Hassan noted that there was no provision whatsoever for street begging or living under such life of servitude in Islam, stressing that no verse in the Holy Qur’an contemplated or permitted street bagging as canvassed by some scholars.
He said those attacking the federal government plan to modernize the system were doing so for selfish reasons.
“Another saddenning issue is the ugly trend of adult men and women begging for crumbs in motor parks and other public places.”
He called on government at all levels to increase the number of modern Almajiri schools through adequate budgetary provision and design standard curriculum that would focus on teaching and learning of both Islamic and western education.
“Regrettably, those children subjected to the traditional Almajiri system would have been professional Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers and other professionals who would be beneficial to humanity, but their brains and ingenuity are wasted in servitude and unhygienic life.
“Presently about 16 out of 29 of my biological children are university graduates and masters degree holders and all of them had completed the 60 portions of the Holy Quran under my tutlage.
“It is the responsibility of parents to educate their children not throw them out begging for survival in the name of pursuing Qur’anic education.
“It is mandatory for parents to educate their children as government provide complimentary support,” he stressed.(NAN)
