By The Concept Of Almajiri; Its Philosophy And What It Is By Mubarak Tijani
As opposed to the popular belief that the almajiri system is a majorly for the exploitation, begging for alms and deliberate will to shun education. The Almajiri system is a system of Islamic education practised in the northern Nigeria. It is believed to have derived its root from the Arabic phrase “Al-Muhajirun. The concept dates back to the era of the Sokoto caliphate. It is believed that the Sokoto and Borno caliphate started the almajiri concept together, which aim is to instil the teachings of Islam particularly the memorization of the glorious Qur’an.
In the early days of the Almajiri system, students normally stay with their parents for proper moral upbringing as all schools were in close proximity to the immediate environment of the students. It believed that inspectors normally go round the schools and after inspection, reports back to the Emir of the province. The Almajiri system was funded by the community, parents, zakah, sadaqah and sometimes through the farm output of the students.
The question is how did we get here? Many believed that the system failed due to the invasion of the colonial masters on the introduction of western education without proper plan and support for the system. However, in more recent times the system has been exploited and has become an avenue for child trafficking and their fate now becomes that of a pervert, angry youth, hungry, ignorant and lacks all basics needs to grow in a normal circumstance. They are left at the mercy of perverts and paedophiles who feast on their innocence as their fate and life is twisted. Hence, who do we blame? Myself, you, society, leaders religious and political alike, parents.
In tackling this menace, we need to trace the modus of operation of the system prior to the coming of the colonial masters. The system which allows children to stay with their parents and only go to the teachers of knowledge for the purpose of the knowledge and same is funded collectively by the community, parents, donations from zakah and sadaqah and also the sale of farm produce.
What Almajiri is today, is that the said students as early the age of 3 are been sent to the teachers with no means to survive as the teachers also live on the students. The students are expected to go out to beg for alms and food looking dirty, smelly, unkempt and unkempt and in rags as clothes. Mention must be made of parents who now take advantage of the system to birth children they can’t even cater, you see people who can barely care for themselves having to birth up to 10 children. In addressing this issue, proper child planning and spacing need to be encouraged and a need to go back to the foundation and effective regulation of the Almajiri system.
Read also DETHRONEMENT OF EMIR SANUSI: ITS LEGALITY IN THE EYE OF THE CONSTITUTION BY MUBARAK TIJANI
A friend Ahmed Sadisu once wrote a poem and states as follows:
Don’t Let me die!
He cries out in excruciating pains, yet no help is coming forth.
He was taken away from the warmth of his mother’s embrace and thrown out in the street.
And from this day onwards, his whole life has taken a new twist of faith.
Nutritionless diet has become his lot.
Uncovered or barely covered body, he soon masters the survival tactics of the bustling razzmatazz of the street.
No love is shown, No parental care and guidance, He’s left to the mercy of the good Samaritan if he’s lucky enough to find any.
While he writs in unimaginable anguish, his supposed Mallam (teachers, Mentors) exploits his innocence.
Perverts and paedophiles feats on his innocence.
Expression such as “ come on my boy, mummy loves you, daddy will buy you a bike, yeah you can do it dude and other soul raising expressions are so distant to his impoverished ears.
All manner of ailments finds abode in his soul.
If he ever survives to adulthood, he becomes angry, hungry and ignorant.
He takes his pound of flesh on people, he imagined they are the cause of his misery and mystery.
And imagine the Almajiri in a London-grade freezing cold or heat like hell weather.
If he can’t find any source of warmth, he succumbs to the cold hand of death.
This is the life cycle of an Almajiri
In replying the above poem, I responded as follows;
Die not as we are not the cause of this pain!
I empathize with you but yet we must not shy away from the real problem.
I am human with my own problems and also willing to help when it’s convenient.
Who’s to blame? me, you, the society, our leaders, followers or your parents.
Who should shoulder your burden? The society or your parents.
Parenthood isn’t just to birth you but it is to cater for you, providing for you with all necessary necessities of life to survive.
Nobody is talking about expensive stuff, but yet people survive on their meagre income and resources.
Birth the child or children you can afford to train.
If your parents birth one even if it’s a dollar he earns daily he can afford to provide that one with food and clothing.
They will work hard and provide for that one.
But nay, they will birth many with the hope of sending them to the street to survive on their own hence the Almajiri sojourn begins.
Who’s to blame? Your parents, us or the society.
Yes, you won’t die but blame not the man who’s got his own problems when he refuses to provide you with food when you knock on his door in his sleep.
Blame not the child who’s parent also suffer to provide him with the only sweater he’s got to use in a London-grade freezing cold.
Control your anger and feat on your parents who decided to birth you without control or shame as they are the beginning and cause of your problem.
Don’t be angry enough to think that’s the end of the road, you can train yourself in any trade and be successful. Channel your anger to being resourceful and correct the menace created by your parents.
We all have it rough at one point in our life yet we are determined to be successful in a legal way.
Some have been exploited, some manipulated, some raped and some molested but choose to bring forth the good in them.
If you don’t die, then you are destined for the greatness and blame not us for your death.
In finding a lasting solution to the almajiri issue all hands need to be on deck and a conscious effort made by all to ensure that the system is put in proper shape and a need to put an eye on the teachers to ensure that all children on almajiri system must be provided with basic amenities by the parents.
Mubarak Tijani Esq writes in from Abuja and can be reached via tijanimubaraklaw@gmail.com.
