The Chief Imam of Lekki in Lagos State, Sheikh Ridwan Jamiu says nobody has the authority to burn anyone with fire in Islam, noting it is a right exclusively reserved for Almighty Allah.
The scholar was reacting to the recent mass-beating and murder of Ms Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State over alleged blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
In a viral footage of the event, the victim was pelted with stones by an irate mob and thereafter burnt.
Reactions have continued to trail this event from various quarters as Islamic scholars provide perspectives to it.
Speaking exclusively with Muslim News, Sheikh Jamiu said, “What happened in Sokoto where a Christian lady was killed by some students and burnt to death is condemnable and un-islamic if those who did it did so out of their concern for Islam.
According to him, We need to underline two things here. First, the cause of death of the lady has to be truly investigated and should be discovered if she actually committed the act of blasphemy against the Prophet (SAW). So far, two suspects have been arrested. We don’t know what has been the outcome of the investigation of the police; what is the confession and submission of the two suspects? It has to be investigated to know whether the lady actually committed blasphemy and that those who killed her did so for that reason and not another reason. That’s one,” he said.
“The other one is that blasphemy generally is condemnable in all societies. Different laws were enacted to guard and protect people’s belief and also to promote love and peace in the society, because it will not be reasonable that a person or some people say something unkind about other people’s creed. This is why blasphemy is condemnable in virtually all societies and there are laws for it.”
The scholar said in Islam, the punishment for blasphemy is death but it must be investigated and sanctioned by the government or a competent court of law. Mob, individuals are not allowed to take laws into their hands.
He called on the government to fish out, prosecute and punish those involved in the gruesome murder and the extrajudicial killing.
“In Islam, when a person commits blasphemy by saying something irreverent about Allah (SWT) or the Prophet (SAW), some scholars prescribed death penalty for such. But one thing is the punishment, another thing is who carries out the punishment. When? Where? It is never allowed in Islam for anyone to take laws into their own hands. So, even if we concede to the fact that the punishment for a crime is death, mob, crowd and individuals are not allowed to carry out the execution. It is the government that will investigate the matter. And it is only when a court of law convicts a person that the punishment can be meted out. The mob action is wrong and condemnable.
Those who partook in the killing are criminals and must not go unpunished.
“Another thing is that in Islam, even if someone deserves to be killed, you don’t kill with fire or burning. The Prophet (SAW) said no one punishes with fire except the Lord who created the fire. So, you cannot burn anyone or set anyone ablaze. It’s not permissible. It is abominable.
“There are two things to note. If the death warrants death penalty, it is the duty of the government not individuals. We have to consider the pros and cons and ensure that there are no defenses for the person. No one is allowed to kill through fire.”
The Chief Imam also noted that Nigeria is a volatile country with bigotry and extremism on all sides depending on knowledge and exposure.
He added that there should be continuous education of people on matters of Islamic jurisprudence.
“Well, people need to be educated because most people are ignorant about even the Solah we observe. So, how do they now delve into matters of Islamic jurisprudence like the issue of blasphemy. As Muslims, we have to present what Islam says, the consensus of scholars so that those who do not know would know.
But there are evidences in the Qur’an that shows you must respect the Prophet (SAW) and that anyone who says something unkind about the Prophet will be punished in life the hereafter. In a particular Hadith, a man was reported to have been despising the Prophet(SAW), saying irreverent things about him and the Prophet (SAW) ordered that he be killed. But he was the government then.
The honour of the Prophet (SAW) matters a lot to the preservation of Islam. So, he ordered that several people be killed because of blasphemy. He also has the right to pardon. So, he pardoned so many others that committed blasphemy too because he was the concerned person. It is a duty for the Ummah to protect the integrity of the Prophet. In doing that, you are protecting the Deen. Scholars have come into agreement that anyone who does blasphemy against Allah and His messenger or the companions should be killed in an Islamic State. There’s no argument about this. Everyone should be aware. But since there is no discipline, some people criticise this and say all manner of things.”, Imam said
Muslim News Nigeria
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