BANNING AL-MAJIRAI FROM BEGGING IN KANO
BANNING AL-MAJIRAI FROM BEGGING IN KANO
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
February 26, 2020
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To begin with, Al-Majiri system in Hausa land and or Northern Nigeria from its outset did not depend on "begging" for its sustainance, but sadly to note, "begging" has since taken more time of the boys than learning. In my observation, for any afford at "reforming" the system to be effective at least "fifteenth" out of the "nineteenth" northern states must take a unanimous stand on its.
AL-MAJIRI SYSTEM IN HAUSA LAND
The word "Al-Majiri" is from an Arabic word called "Al-Muhajir" which means "migrant". Its plural is Al-Majirai which means migrants. Al-Majiri in Hausa land is someone who migrates in search of Qur'anic and or Islamic knowledge.
The Al-majiri system in the ancient Hausa-land was based on three beliefs :(1) That the Qur'an is a Holy book which no one can learn it on a platter of gold. One must suffer to learn it, (2) It is based on the belief that one cannot learn it under his parental comfort due to parental "pampering"and (3) The belief that in those olden days Qur'anic scholars were very scarced and found only in few places.
The traditional Al-Majiri system is well structured academically thus:
(1) We have "Kolo" a semblance of Nursery school student, (2) "Titibiri"a primary school level ,(3) "Gardi" a secondary school level, (4) "Malam" a first degree level , (5) "Alaramma" a second degree level , (6) "Gwani" a PhD level , and (7) "Gangaran" a professorial level .
The ancient traditional Almajiri system was practiced in the villages close to where farmlands were not in the cities.The logic then was that the Mallams who were essentially farmers stayed close to their farms outside the cities in order to cultivate what they and the Almajirai would eat. The Almajirai no matter their ages were meant to help the Mallams in the farms for their food. In addition, at the early stages of the practice, the parents of the Almajirais who were equally farmers sent grains, gifts and their Zakkat of grains to the Mallams of their children after harvest in order to support their up-keeps.
Some observers believe that going to cities by the Al-Majirais malams during "dry season" was what led to the relocation of Almajiri practice to towns and cities as against the initial practice of being in the villages. Since In our society, farming was not all year round, except in few places , during dry-season, the Mallams went to towns and cities to spend time there before the rain returned. In the course of their stay in the towns and cities during the dry-season (Cirani in Hausa ), some women who stayed long in their matrimonial homes without a child began to go to the the Mallams in towns to request for prayers.
More so, among whom were those who did not want co-wives which they too came calling and those who wanted to chase out their co-wives out of their matrimonial homes were not left out too. Businessmen also began to patronize them for prayers in order to have brisk busines and or sometimes to request for prayers on how to outnumber the customers of their neighbors in the markets.
The malams got to realize that that there is more money and food in the towns and cities than in the villages where they farm. Accommodations were given to them free of charge. It became more lucrative being in the towns and cities than in the villages. Some of them began to be issuing amulets (laya), sacred water (rubutun sha ), charm in form of a large leather belt (guru) and rings and bracelets as a good-luck charm , that could protect you from evil thereby making a lot of money that led to their relocation to towns and cities.
However, the three reasons or beliefs above-mentioned for Al-Majiri system in the ancient Hausa -Land, if convincing in the ancient Hausa land the passage of time has since proved that to be wrong. There are now scholars of the Holy Qur'an in every home .The Islamiyya pupils from their parents homes are really doing greatly in terms of learning the Holy Qur'an. There are thousands of pupils who memorized the Holy Qur'an from their parents homes.
The present Al-Majiri system is quite different from the ancient times practice which depended on its own not begging. The practice now largely depends on begging. The practice is now a way of abdicating parental responsibilities.Many parents thought sending their children to Al-Majiri system is in fulfilment of their responsibilities of educating their children. In an attempt to fulfilling one responsibility many other responsibilities are abdicated. The responsibility of feeding, clothing, sheltering and medication etc., are all abdicated in the name of Al-Majiri system.
The parents of nowadays send their children to the malams who neither have accommodations nor farmlands to cultivate. The malams of nowadays do not farm like those in the olden days. The parents of nowadays do not send grains, gifts and zakkat to the malams of their children like those in the olden days.
In my view, If we fail in persuading parents to stop sending their children to the present bastardized Al-Majiri system as a society, we must not fail in forcing those parents to take full responsibilities of their children just as the parents who educate their children from their homes or send them to boarding schools. Children are responsibility place upon every parent, as such, we must encourage every parent to take full responsibility of his children not to shift it to someone. Certainly the Almajiri system needs reform.
A lot of people who are exploiting the Almajiri system in the towns and cities will raise louder voices against any form of reform more than their Mallams. The system has been providing source of cheap labour to many homes. The Almajiris have since taken over laundry services for food in most homes in towns and cities. They have also taken away many domestic chores for food.
Many people are afraid to take on debates or discussions on Almajiri system for fear of being termed as anti Qur'anic studies. It is hypocracy to say that anybody who calls for "reform" of the system is anti-Qur'anic studies. Qur'an is our Holy book of which no one on earth can stop us from learning it and passing it to our younger generation. It is no news to say that, one does not need to go through the Almajiri or Tsangaya system to learn the Holy Qur'an. In my observation, the practice has outlived its initial concerns.
A time has come that Hausa people who are predominantly into the Al-Majiri practice should have a rethink and reform the system. Many Muslim countries the their children the Holy Qur'an without subjecting them to begging.
May God bless Nigeria!