The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has come under fire after photos of him strutting on a carpet customised with his name surfaced online.
The carpet, laid in the Emir’s library has his name, ‘Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi’ on it.
There have been mixed reactions since the photos came into the public domain, with Sheikh Ali Abdulrahman Yola, an Islamic scholar with Tijjaniyya brotherhood leaning, stating that had it been the action of the Emir was carried out during the reign of Imam Malik, one of the famous Muslim jurists, the emir would have been flogged. The cleric went further to cite examples of cases that were subjected to disciplinary measures.
“Stepping on the name of Muhammadu simply because you thought it is your name? Who gave you the name? It is very wrong to step on the name irrespective of whether it is your name or not. I swear to God, had it been it was the era of Imam Malik, you would have been flogged,” he said.
Despite the fact that Sheikh Yola is of the same Tijjaniyya leaning with the monarch, the cleric said, the action of the emir didn’t reflect the teaching of Sheikh Ibrahim Nyas, adding that Sheikh Nyas will never accept the Emir as his representative (Khalifa) because of his action.
“When Sheikh Ibrahim Nyas was saying how he wished he was the floor that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) stepped on, you were busy stepping on his name. Your action has clearly shown that you can never be his representative and I am sure and I swear by Allah that your grandfather Khalifa Sanusi wouldn’t do something like this. For the love of the Prophet, Sheikh Ibrahim Nyas had named virtually all his male children as Muhammad,” he said.
Similarly, another prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Sharif took to his verified Facebook page and wrote in Hausa that: “Ko Khalifan Bob Marley Ba Mu Ganshi Yana Taka Sunan Manzon Allah Muhammadu (SAWW) Ba,Sai Khalifan Shaikhul Islam Shaikh Inyas Mai Diwani Baiti 19k Na Yabon Annabi? Wallahi Ba Zamu Taba Sallamawa Irin Wannan Khalifancin Mutakabbiranci Ba Har Abada!!”.
Meaning: “We have never seen even the representative of Bob Marley stepping on the name of our beloved Prophet Muhammad May the Blessings of Allah be with Him, but representative of Sheikh Inyas the man with 19,000 poems for Prophet Muhammad? By Allah we will never submit to this type of representation of arrogance forever.”
Sheikh Sharif also wrote: “Between you and Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who borrowed the name? The assertion that you stepped on your name is baseless. Worldwide, there is no original Muhammadu except Prophet Muhammad.”
A journalist and social media influencer, Aliyu Dahiru Aliyu, also wrote on his Facebook page, “If I should abuse the home of the Emir’s mother ‘Babban Daki’, not the mother of the Emir, people would have regarded my action as improper and void of respect for the emirate. This is the way I see the Emir’s action on the inscription of the name Muhammadu on his library carpet. We all know that the name doesn’t mean that of Prophet Muhammadu (SAW), but it is a sign of respect not to step on a name like that, it is not an issue of being it permissible or otherwise. What we are saying is to respect the name, God knows better.”
However, in his defense, Emir Sanusi, said in a video that while it is a good thing for people to correct others when they see them do things contrary to their religious practices, it is also very important for the critics to listen to the defence he or she that has been criticised has offered.
The emir tried to clarify his action by citing Islamic books written by some notable Islamic scholars to defend his action.
“I am appealing to those that have criticised the action, be they Islamic clerics or otherwise to allow me make some corrections on where I think they all got it wrong. What was written on the carpet is Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, that doesn’t mean the Muhammad in the name is the name of Prophet Muhammad. Indeed, it is an act of apostasy, to bear in mind that the name is that of the Prophet. I am saying this to make things clear. However, my doors are open if there are other proofs that are more concrete, with strong basis, and I am ready to accept them if there are any,” he said.
In 2002 Muhammad Ali was honoured with a star on the world famous Hollywood Walk of Fame – but it wasn’t like all the other stars, according to the Independent.
In a break with tradition, the star was mounted on the wall instead of the pavement at the Kodak Theater entertainment complex.
The reason? Because the former boxer, 59 at the time, said he did not want his name to be walked on by “people who have no respect for me”.
“I bear the name of our Beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), and it is impossible that I allow people to trample over his name,” he said.
Ali’s is the only star whose name is not on the floor, and instead hangs on the wall, thr newspaper reports.
