Former Commissioner of Education in Kebbi State, Professor Mukhtar Umar Bunza has said that the Almajiri practice, especially in the northern part of Nigeria, is destructive to the concept of Islamic education and the society itself.
Speaking as guest speaker today, July 27, at the 20th anniversary and speech, prize giving Day of Ibn Mas’ud Comprehensive Islamic Centre in Kuje, the Federal Capital Territory, Professor Mukhtar Bunza noted that the abuse of Islamic education through the concept of Almajiri negated the comprehensiveness embedded in the original Islamic education.
“Allowing children to roam about seeking for knowledge without any direction is un-Islamic. Some of these Almajiris don’t even know how to recite Fatihat and perform ablution to observe daily prayers.
He explained that with such integrated education and knowledge, Islam once dominated the world for a long time and that all sciences and technologies originated from Islam.
The former commissioner regretted that instead of the succeeding Muslims to sustain and improve on what was handed down through generations, they continue to disintegrate it, resulting in meaninglessness of the so-called modern education and knowledge to the societal development in all its ramifications.
Professor Mukhtar Bunza also regretted that Muslims are lagging far behind even in the modern disintegrated and disjointed educational system.
He noted that out of over 90 private universities owned either by individual Christians or Christian organizations, only four are owned by Muslim organizations, one of which is NASFAT.
“It is not as if there are no wealthy Muslims and Islamic organizations that can match their Christian counterparts.
“Where is the Dantata University? Where is Dangote University? Where is Bakura University and so on?”
The University Don, who praised the proprietor of the Ibn Mas’ud Comprehensive Islamic Centre, Sheikh Junaidu Bunza for investing in education and impacting on the society through educating young one, said that most Muslims would rather buy exotic cars and jewelries as well as other mundane things while complaining of expensive school fees for their children.
“Instead of training children for the development of themselves and the society, we train them by introducing them to begging. Some of these children don’t even know how to pray and perform ablution.”
“Yes, Muslims have population but it is a useless unproductive population. Muslims pamper their children and later become liabilities to themselves.
“In your old age, they can’t help you and themselves. We must come together to save ourselves from shame.”
Ibn Mas’ud Comprehensive Islamic Centre was established in Kuje, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), by Sheikh Junaidu Bunza in September 1999 and has since grown from nursery and primary sessions to secondary school session with boarding facilities.
The board of the school is made up of Sheikh Junaidu Bunza, Ustazinyya Aisha Bello Bunza, Dr. Attahiru Bafarawa, Alhaji Ahmad son of late Wazirin Gwandu, Alhaji Hassan Bako and Senator Ahmad Yarima Bakura.
