Glory be to God for Nigeria’s first position in number of Huffaz—people who memorise the Qur’an by heart—among nations. We must appreciate the effort of two people for this glorious position.
Borno and Its People
Borno was the caliphate that nurtured Islam in Nigeria for close to 1,000 years, with a lasting emphasis on memorisation of the Qur’an. To date, no other place on earth is deeper and wider in attending to the Qur’an—both as a text and occupation—than the parts of Nigeria which were under the former Borno Caliphate.
To the Borno tradition are added all its satellite Qur’anic (almajiri) schools throughout northern Nigeria from where thousands of memorisers of the holy book graduate annually, continuing that millennium long chain of Bornoan scholarship.
Borno and the Kanuri will forever earn my respect for this exceptional contribution. Here, we the Fulani must humbly bow and doff our hats for the mighty. While we may carry the medal for jurisprudence, to Borno we must surrender the Qur’an. Nobody and nowhere can beat it on earth.
And so deeply embedded is the Borno tradition in the psyche of Muslims in Borno and near-Hausa lands that there is in them still a fierce binary competition between formal (western) and Qur’anic education after 100 years of introducing the former.
Islamiyya Schools of All Sects
Our very recent Islamiyya schools (not more than 70 years old) have also contributed immensely to this glory. They have modernised the methods and made it possible for kids to memorise the Qur’an easily without traveling to “the East”, Gabas, the roots—Borno.
Piety
What we are yet to conquer is how to translate this glory into piety on a mass scale such that we will all become strongly trustworthy, God-fearing and loving.
My Wish
I wish one day we will be able to bring the Qur’anic and basic jurisprudence syllabus as compulsory curriculum for Muslim children in our formal (western) schools, just as we presently spend billions trying to take formal education to Qur’anic schools through BESDA and other government-sponsored projects.
As I said at an occasion last week, for the moral rectitude that is so essential to our peace and progress, there is greater thirst for Qur’anic education in our formal schools than there is for formal education in Qur’anic schools.
Prayer
May God continue to bless our Borno and bring it everlasting peace. May He also bless our Qur’anic, Islamiyya and formal schools. May He increase us in both knowledge and piety such that we will attain peace and prosperity on earth and His pleasure in the hereafter. May He bless Nigeria and all its people.
* Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde is the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Bauchi State
