Dealing with Almajiri, Boko Haram from the basis

QUITE distinct from commonly held belief, Almajiri was derived from the Arabic word, “Al-Muhajirun” meaning emigrants. It typically refers to a person who devotedly leaves home to other place or to an instructor in the quest for Islamic knowledge. Thus, Almajiri is characteristically, a Qur’anic literacy and system of Islamic education dominantly practised among Muslims in northern Nigeria.

Historically, Almajiri system started in a town named Kanem-Borno, which a majority of its rulers widely engaged in Qur’anic literacy. More than 700 years later, the Sokoto Caliphate was founded by a revolution based on the teachings of the Qur’an. However, Sokoto and Borno caliphates started running the Almajiri system together.

Then, Almajiri schools were funded by the community, parents, zakah (alms-giving treated in Islam as tax), sadaqah (voluntary offerings) and sometimes through the farm output of the learners. Incidentally, after the British invasion of the northern region in the year 1904, most of the emirs that survived were overthrown, hence, they lost control of their territories, resulting to the loss of fundamental control of the Almajiris.

Following this development, the British formally introduced western education and also, overruled state funding of Almajiri schools. With no support from the community, emirs and government, the Almajiri system collapsed. Consequently, the instructors and learners having no financial support, resorted to alms begging and menial jobs for survival.

On account that the Almajiri system restricted its scope to Islamic knowledge, most of the Almajiris at the end of the day were left with the option to continue with menial jobs or begging for those that didn’t learn farming due to no qualifications for white-collar jobs in the society. Consequently, it lacked resources and basic amenities.

Eventually, as the drive for Almajiris to accept western education deepened, it was unfortunately misconstrued immoral. In Hausa language, ‘western or non-Islamic education’ is termed ‘Boko,’ hence, the advocated ‘western education’ was declared ‘Haram.’ “Haram” in Arabic term is ‘forbidden’ or ‘proscribed’. In Islamic law, Haram is used to refer to any act that is forbidden by Allah. Acts that are “Haram” are usually prohibited in the Qur’an as incompatible to Muslims’ way of life.

At present, the oversights and negligence of the past are gradually getting remedied by concerted efforts of the stakeholders through UNICEF Educate-A-Child (EAC) Programme. Rather than adopting similar approach as in pre-colonial era, which attempted to utterly abolish Almajiri education, the template is integrating Almajiri into western education.

By means of the Integrated Qur’anic Schools (IQS), unlike then, literacy, numeracy and science alongside Islamic education are taught. The Almajiris, after remedial classes for nine months, move to primary four. Hence, Almajiri scholars are no longer restricted to Islamic knowledge but also a measure of western education.

It suggests the mindsets are receptively, gradually liberated. This has been the pattern in the Christendom for centuries. Christian missionary schools are integrated with western education, hence, skilled to flow with scheme of things in the polity. Absolutely, any meaningful exploits in the North demands a robust alliance with the traditional institution due to premium influence on the communities. By these templates, the future is economically, robustly secured.

Carl Umegboro,

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