Demystifying Al-Zakzaky At 54
By Othman Taju
For fear of intimidation and persecution, his admirers conceal information about his good virtues; for so much jealousy and enmity, his enemies discredit his personality and make attempt on his life. Yet like a sunray, his name has penetrated into the hearts of millions and his presence and influence is being felt in all matters of concern around the globe. His personality is deliberately mystified that even his name is being misspelt and mispronounced in twelve different ways, as he once complained.
Sheikh Ibraheem Yaqoub El-Zakzaky is the most misunderstood personality in Nigeria. Although he had served jail terms in various prisons across the country for his courageous posture on the path of justice and faith and underwent series of court trials, not until the last trial during the late Abacha military era that people began to comprehend who he really is and what he stands for.
Love him, hate him, Sheikh El-Zakzaky remains a figure to reckon with in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. During the course of his last trial in the Kaduna High Court, my impression (and that of many people, I suppose) towards the Islamic scholar changed from the perceived fiery, blood eyed trouble shooter to a humble, decent intelligent and easy-going man, who was deliberately and mischievously misrepresented and misunderstood.
During his last trial in Kaduna, in and outside the courtroom he was admired by all, even his captors. He cracked jokes with the most junior and senior staff of the court, including the security agents, as if they were going to dine together.
Outside the courtroom during one of the trials, a journalist teased Colonel Yohanna Madaki, a lawyer and one time military administrator: Your man is on trial, wont you come and defend him? He replied: He said he doesnt need a lawyer. If he does, I would have volunteered to do so. Because is the only man in this country who stands firmly by his words! While the trial was taking place that day, Madaki raised an objection as to why there were so many security agents in the courtroom during the trial. The heavy presence of security agents here can obstruct justice, he observed. Why should a battalion be drafted on account of one man? he queried. Another lawyer on the bench quickly interjected: He is one GREAT MAN!
Some years back, Citizen Magazine did a cover story on the man El-Zakzaky. It asked,: Who is El-Zakzaky? After a brief on his background, what he stands for and what the people say about him, the magazine concluded that only time will tell how his agenda can be implemented. In as much as people now tend to deliberately ignore this man and his activities, there is the need for a review, re-appraisal and focus on this man whose name, from all indication, would be written with indelible ink in world history.
Until recently, his name is always associated with chaos and violence. Obviously in such circumstances, one cannot make out any meaningful thing about his personality. In the last few years, El-Zakzakys birthday started becoming public affair among his followers, in which people from all walks of life are invited to grace. His date of birth is 15th of Shaaban, Islamic calendar. In one of such occasions while commenting on his life history, he is reported to have said: I dont know how this name, Zakzaky, came to be a symbol of religion.
His date of birth has so much to portray about his personality. The 15th of Shaaban is of great significance in Islam; especially to the adherents of the Jaafari school of thought (El-Zakzaky always maintains general approach to Islam, irrespective of school of thought). According to narratives, the night of 15th Shaaban is that time of the year Allah (SWT) makes budget proposal for the year which is implemented in Lailatul Qadr (Night of Power), the blessed night in the month of Ramadan. It is said that any child born on the break of that day is bound to grow up with extra-ordinary quality beyond human conception. Above all, there are traditions pointing to the fact that the Awaited Saviour, Al-Mahdi, was born on the break of that day. No wonder, El-Zakzaky is being referred to as Nasirul Mahdi (A Helper to Mahdi). He has always kept mute over attributing such a lofty status on him.
Malam Ibraheem El-Zakzaky was born in Zaria City on 15 Shaaban 1372 A.H. (May 1953). The word Al-Zakzaky is a familiar title meaning 'Man from Zazzau', a city in Northern Nigeria known for religious studies and a haven of religious clerics.
The genealogy of Zakzaky is as follows: He is the son of Aliyu, son of Tajuddeen, son of Imam Hussain. Imam Hussain originated from Mali, and came to Sokoto during the time of Mujaddid Sheikh Usman bin Fodiyo, and became his student, following which the Sheikh attached Imam Hussain with the Amir and standard bearer of Islamic Jihad, whose name was Mallam Musa, in order to establish an Islamic government in Zazzau Province. When Zazzau was defeated, Mallam Musa became the Amir and Imam Hussain became his Religious Adviser. There were intermarriages between their families. This happened in the early part of the 19th century.
The father of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky died in 1972. His mother is still alive. He is the fifth born of his father. At the age of fifteen, he joined Fada Provincial Arabic School, Zaria, established by the then Native Authority (N.A.) for primary training of Arabic teachers. Due to his exceptional talent, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky finished in two years instead of the usual four. He then proceeded to the School of Arabic Studies (SAS) in Kano, from 1971 to 1976 and obtained the Grade Two Certificate.
Following the completion of his school studies, he sat for the GCE A-Level Private untutored and passed, from where he proceeded to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He studied Bsc. Economics and graduated with a first class degree in 1979. The degree was denied to him by the university authorities due to his Islamic activities. He wrote his final papers in the university brought from detention.
On the side of his Islamic education, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky has furthered his studies from various local Ulama (scholars) who included Mallam Sani Abdulkadir, Mallam Isa Madaka, Mallam Sani (Deputy Imam of Zaria Central Mosque) and Mallam Ibrahim Kakaki. While he was in Kano, he studied at the Hawzah (religious seminary) of Sheikh Nasir Kabara. He is also a Hafiz (memorizer) of the Holy Quran, and until the time of his recent arrest, he has been in full time research studies in various aspects of Islam and schools of thought.
El-Zakzaky has spent his childhood in Islamic studies and assisting his father on the farm. His subsequent years to date were spent in Islamic propagation, calling for a total establishment of Islam worldwide. For this reason he has encountered atrocities by every regime in Nigeria, both civilian and military. He has been to various prisons across the country which includes Sokoto, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, Abuja, Portharcourt and Kaduna.
He is married to Malama Zeenah, whom he met in the university in the course of religious activities. They are blessed with nine children.
A disciple of Sheikh Bin Fodio, Bayero Sambo, has written a book on the prophecies of the renowned revivalist and scholar who prophesized the presence of Awliyaullahi (pious and learned servants of Allah) of his time and those to come after him. The title of the book is Kanzil Awlad or Bushral Ahbab.
Regarding those scholars to come after him, Sheikh Bn Fodio, in poetic narratives, prophesized that a man bearing the name IBRAHIMU will emerge to assist Al-Mahdi together with his followers. According to the prophecy, his hidden name is SHARFUDDEEN, meaning who will raise Islam to a lofty status and cleansed it of all innovations and misrepresentations. He gave physical description of the man IBRAHIMU and said, he will face severe hatred and rejection by unbelievers, hypocrites among the believers, tyrants and evil doers. One interesting thing about this prophecy is that the period of birth of the prophesized IBRAHIMU falls coincided with the date of birth of El-Zakzaky. According to the prophecy, he would be born in the 1370s A.D., and El-Zakzaky was born in 1372! One needs to go through the book to see that the prophecy fits El-Zakzaky like a glove. It is however sad that nobody, even among the Islamic scholars of our time gave this important prophecy of Sheikh Bn Fodio a thought, not to talk of trying to study it in order to find out who fits this description. El-Zakzaky never said anything about this. Once asked if he is the IBRAHIMU prophesized. His answer was: We wait and see.
His knowledge of contemporary history, events of the time as well as practical demonstration and definition of Islamic precepts has placed him above contemporary scholars. El-Zakzaky believes in practical adherence to Islamic tenets and strict mortification of the flesh to achieve that. He is in the category of those pious scholars who spend their nights praying and fight Kufr and injustice in the day time. Towards this end, he has turned clients of bars to mosque attendants. The society can testify to this.
On the podium discussing burning issues of the moment and how they affect Islam, El-Zakzaky has excelled beyond comprehension far and above contemporary scholars of his time. His words carefully chosen, accurately chiseled and well placed, El-Zakzaky with his diplomatic and pleasing personality and charisma always have his way of convincing his listeners on issues during his lectures and speeches.
His views on many critical issues are often constructive and critically at variance with the views of most scholars of his time. His courageous independent posture, his rejection of geographical and ethnic inclination and above all, denial of servitude but to God has earned him the reputation of a rebel. On so many occasions the society was in a hurry to crucify him on his position, but no sooner did the society found out that he was always right. For instance, when he expressed reservation on sharia implementation in some Northern states, the Muslim Ummah called for his head, the media misinterpreted his comments. Though he often complained over the media misinterpretation and misrepresentation, he never kept quite. He argued that, his reservation over sharia implementation does not mean dislike to it. According to him, the implementers, the politicians, should have called it a legal reform, and not full sharia for obvious reasons he advanced on so many occasions, such as cutting corners and misplacement of priorities.
Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the United States, there has been review and redefinition of the word terrorism in global politics. In 2002 and 2004, the Civil Rights Congress in Kaduna organized a seminar a year after the incident with many academicians and clergies of different faiths in attendance. The views expressed by El-Zakzaky on the issue and his definition of terrorism were unprecedented. Through logical argument and giving empirical evidences, he was able to convince his listeners that, America is number one terrorist nation in the world.
An American journalist who traveled all the way from the United States to interview the Sheikh asked: If you had the chance to sit with the President of the United States, what would you say to him? El-Zakzaky replied: I will ask him to mind his business, to consider the general welfare and morality of the people of the United States and not to mettle in the affairs of other countries. El-Zakzaky is a man who never hides his feelings on anything, just as how his views about each government in Nigerian and other supposed strong governments in the Western world remain constant. The following exchange between El-Zakzaky and the American journalist says much about his personality:
American: How does it make you feel that the Americans are getting closer to Nigeria, by deploying troops on the countrys coastal shore? Zakzaky: Well, I think they are coming here to rob oil they have been robbing in other places. They have occupied Iraq in order to rob. In essence, they are armed robbers! American: The United States are armed robbers? Zakzaky: What else are they? They have robbed oil and they are robbing oil in Iraq, they are coming here to rob!
I have never seen a man so courageous, composed and calm in the face of danger like the man under discussion. El-Zakzaky is a man who can sleep peacefully in the rain of bullets and arrows. I am yet to see a man who, in the cause of truth and justice, chooses prison cells to wealth and freedom like him.
Except for the issue of sharia and cases of ethnic and religious crises in Nigeria which El-Zakzaky occasionally comments on, the hitherto media attention and sensational headlines on El-Zakzaky and his group has reduced with time, compared with what obtained during the military era of late Sani Abacha. Because he is perceived as a man of great notoriety, his relative silence in this democratic era has raised question as to whether he is losing prominence in the society.
An honest critical close up of activities of El-Zakzaky and his group would show that the scholar had never been noisy and neither did the group changed its method of operation and communication. Though El-Zakzaky and his group live and operate among the people, the society deliberately turned blind eye to the groups actual mission, operations expansion, acceptability and impact. Branding Zakzaky as a man of great notoriety, fundamentalist, radical or even shiite is all an attempt to subdue his activities by way of propaganda and reduce him to non-entity. However, this prompted some people to go closer and see for themselves, and many turned adherents of his call.
The severe persecution and attempted clampdown, El-Zakzaky and his group faced has made them wax stronger and become wiser, yet they remained well focused. In his discussion with the American journalist, El-Zakzaky said, I have never been noisy. I remain what I am, yesterday and today. The world has heard about us when the last regime decided to crush us. They thought that we are crushable, but at the end of the day it became clear that we can hit our chest and say we are uncrushable! And if this government will try it, let it try! Even if any government, including the government of your country the United States, if it will try, let it try. But we remain uncrushable!
This fact cannot be contested: No single religious leader in Nigeria today enjoys large and dedicated followership like El-Zakzaky: There is no religious leader in this country and neighboring countries whose students can lay their lives for truth and justice based on their faith. It is also a fact that, the springing up of religious advocacy by some religious groups in Nigeria is an attempt to copy or even outshine what El-Zakzaky and his group had been doing twenty-five years ago. El-Zakzaky is happy with this development, because his wish is for the whole society to be religiously conscious just as how he wished that all youths in Iraq would be like Muqtada Al-Sadr.
Taju writes from Mora Road,
Tudunwada Zaria,
Kaduna State,
Nigeria.

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