Yoruba Muslim scholars caution Mudir Markaz over remarks on Prophet’s companions

The Yoruba Muslim Scholars Association (YMSA) has urged the Director of Markaz At-Ta’lim Al-‘Arabi wal-Islami, Agege, Lagos, Sheikh Habeeb Adam Al-Ilory, to avoid what the group described as “disparaging remarks” about the revered companions of Prophet Muhammad.

In a statement issued in Ibadan, Oyo State, the president of the association, Dr Khidr Mustafa, expressed concern over what he alleged were “baleful and unfounded statements” attributed to the cleric.

According to YMSA, such comments, if made, would not only undermine the sanctity of the early Islamic community but, in their view, could border dangerously on apostasy.

The association emphasised that, in mainstream Islamic teaching, denigrating the exalted companions of the Prophet Muhammad is regarded as a serious deviation from orthodoxy.

“The companions were those who stood firm with the Messenger of Allah during the most trying periods of Islamic propagation,” Dr Mustafa stated.

He named several of the Prophet’s closest companions—Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, and Amr ibn al-‘As—as individuals of unparalleled faith and sacrifice, who endured persecution, exile and loss of property to ensure the survival and spread of Islam.

Dr Mustafa affirmed what he described as the divine promise of Paradise for Abu Bakr and Umar, noting that this matter, according to him, is clearly established in both the Qur’an and Hadith.

“No Muslim of sound creed harbours doubt about the divine commendation of these noble men,” he added.

Quoting verse 40 of Surah At-Tawbah, Dr Mustafa recalled that Abu Bakr was the companion in the cave with the Prophet during the Hijrah, emphasising that denial of such core tenets, in his view, amounts to distancing oneself from the Islamic fold.

The YMSA president further described Abu Bakr al-Siddiq as a paragon of steadfastness, justice, compassion and deep love for the Prophet.

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“The Qur’an and authentic prophetic traditions attest to his sincerity of purpose and leadership in upholding the Islamic message,” he said.

YMSA also criticised what it described as “spurious narratives,” which it associated with certain sects and modern writers influenced by Western academic methodologies in their study of Islamic history and the Prophet’s biography.

The association called on all Muslims to hold fast to the consensus of mainstream scholars and to extend due love, reverence and prayers to the companions of the Prophet, warning against what it sees as the infiltration of misguided views into Islamic discourse.

The group further advised Sheikh Habeeb Adam Al-Ilory to realign his da‘wah and scholarly activities with the legacy of his late father, Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, who was widely remembered for his commitment to unity, scholarship and service to the Ummah and humanity at large.