Wednesday, 28 September 2011

CONCEPT OF AL-MAJIRI


CONCEPT OF AL-MAJIRI
The word ALMAJIRI emanated from the Arabic word “AL- MUHAJIRIN” (emigrants), the concept of Al-MUHAJIRUN came as a result of the Prophet’s (SAW) migration from Makkah to Madinah.
WHO IS AL-MAJIRI (BEGGAR) IN ISLAM
Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
A man of the Ansar came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and begged from him.
He (the Prophet) asked: Have you nothing in your house? He replied: Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread (on the ground), and a wooden bowl from which we drink water.
He said: Bring them to me. He then brought these articles to him and he (the Prophet) took them in his hands and asked: Who will buy these? A man said: I shall buy them for one dirham. He said twice or thrice: Who will offer more than one dirham? A man said: I shall buy them for two dirhams.
He gave these to him and took the two dirhams and, giving them to the Ansari, he said: Buy food with one of them and hand it to your family, and buy an axe and bring it to me. He then brought it to him. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) fixed a handle on it with his own hands and said: Go, gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight. The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten dirhams, he came to him and bought a garment with some of them and food with the others.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) then said: This is better for you than that begging should come as a spot on your face on the Day of Judgment. Begging is right only for three people: one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is responsible for compensation and finds it difficult to pay. – Abu Dawud
Based on the above mentioned Hadith, begging is permissible only for the following three kinds of people:
 1. One who is in grinding poverty.
2. One who is seriously in debt.
3. One who is responsible for compensation and finds it difficult to pay.
But nowadays, those in Qur’anic schools (Makarantar Allo), physically challenged people, Yan Maula etc. engage in begging.

CONCEPT OF AL-MAJIRI IN HAUSA LAND
The form of Islamic education is known as “TSANGAYA” a Hausa word that literally means learning centre. It has been in practice since days before the emergence of colonialism in Nigeria, and has its roots in the Timbuktu scholastic tradition.
According to scholars there are basically two types of Tsangaya, the resident and the mobile.

While the resident one involves child living with his parents, and going to the Tsangaya, like the normal Day School in Western type of education. The mobile one demands the total handing over a child to the Islamic Scholar mostly to live in the Tsangaya outside the parents’ community or residential town. Hence, it serves as boarding school.

The mobile Tsangaya has the basic framework to sustain the system for effective learning of moral and spiritual lessons, and eventual productivity that would made its graduates contribute in the development of the society. No begging at all for the students.

After the fall of Sokoto caliphates, it was after 1902 the Tsangaya system was collapse under the facilitation of colonial masters.

FACTORS THAT FACILITATE BEGGING
1.    Colonial invention: they played an important role in destroying the system (Tsangaya).
2.    Attitude of Scholars in which they linked begging as a requisite for seeking Qur’anic knowledge.
3.    Attitude of some parents especially those in remote areas that begging is part of religion.
4.    Economic hardship especially rural dwellers.
5.    Attitude of wealthy people towards the have not. And lack of giving out Zakat as well.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
It is a joint responsibility which can be summarized as follows:

1.    It is an international issue since it cut across international boundaries. It needs efforts of Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Chad and Cameroon.
2.    General community should have positive attitude against begging. NGOs (like Katsina Progressive Forum), Institutions etc. should engaged in advocacy, then public enlightenment on the effects of begging from social and religious perspectives.
Social perspectives as:
-      It tarnish image of Hausas
-      Back warding our economy
-      Working population are not productive
-      Social instability etc.
Religious perspectives as:
-      Islam against begging
-      It tarnish image of Islam
-      Islam encourages people to be productive
-      Islam encourages nurturing child as taught by the Prophet (SAW).
  1. Government should:
-      Embark on public enlightenment solely in all the medias
-      Team the trustworthy Scholars and educationists to draft out strategies and long term solution should be outlined.
-      Formulized the system
-      Enrolment of Students and Schools
-      Design of curriculum which will cater for social, spiritual and economic upbringing of the children.
-      Enough job opportunity should be provided

  1. Wealthy individual should be ready to help physically challenged and old age people.

We should note that it will take time before the results (aims) could be achieved since it is a long term project. It will also need resources both human and financial, especially government’s commitment.





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