Almajiri/Almajiranci: The Literal Meaning, Typology and the Western Mindset

Almajiri/Almajiranci: The Literal Meaning, Typology and the Western Mindset

By Abubakar Musa Umar

AREWA AGENDA – The word Almajiri emanated from an Arabic word (Muhajir or Almuhajir ), which means a migrant. A migrant was originally an individual who sees the need to and focus on a better future which he wanted to be good.

The other type of migrant are those forced to leave their respective homes for reasons including conflict, war, obsession and sometimes vulnerability which might a reason to disappear and settle somewhere else.

The history of human kind and Islam in particular will never forget the migration of the prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi wa sallam, from his home soil of Makka to Madina so as to save their religion and propagate the teachings and blessings of Islam. The prophet and few of his companions as well as the destitute believers suffered a number of obsession which forced them to migrate as commanded by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. The prophet accepted although he wanted to stay and live in Makka. Today Islam is everywhere as a result of the Hijra.

The former type of Migrant (Muhajir) is a practice of Islamic clerics whom believe their children will be better educated and oriented with Islamic knowledge and morals when they are away from home. They took them to other Tsangaya (school) of a prominent Islamic cleric in other cities/towns or their cleric friends in the city with an introductory letter containing few words as ,’Assalamu Alaikummussalam warahmatullah, I am sending you my child to benefit from your vast knowledge and memorize the holy Qur’an Insha Allah, Your brother in Islam. The letter is written in Arabic or Ajami as the case may be. It was later when neighbors of such Islamic cleric including farmers, business and crafts men observed the importance of knowledge, they decided to take their children alongside the children of Islamic clerics to acquire Islamic knowledge and memorize the holy Qur’an, they solicited for inclusion of their wards to get the greater benefits of memorizing the Holy Qur’an.

Kano and Northern Nigeria especially the eastern state benefited from such an amazing as well as blessings to work on and study the most honourable script in the history of human kind. Today majority of Islamic scholars in the Northern States were product of Almajiranci (Migration). They were in/on migration to other places outside their homes to seek/search for knowledge. The likes of Sheikh Taliyawa of Izala sect in Gombe State was reported in an exclusive interview with BBCHausa program tittle ‘Kusan Malamanku’ mention some of the state he acquire Islamic including Kano and Maiduguri. Sheikh Professor Abdallah Pakistan migrated from his home soil of Daura to settle in Kano and later moved to Jos, Adamawa and other places to seek for Islamic knowledge. He is currently the Dean of Foculty of Islamic Studies in the University he is working for more than a decade.

The Western Mindset of Almajiranci was credited to the fact that, a number of international donors/organizations amplify and increase the number of cases in both western and Islamic knowledge. The report of United Nations/UNICEF about out of school children is always negative and as well their efforts to balance the equation is yet to be actualized.

Also the north and Islam resist every attempt to destroy their religion and cultural heritage. The various efforts of Jonathan administration to integrate Almajiri system of Education with western education could not yield desired outcome, due political, economic, interest and poor planning and consultation. Politicians and elites with western mindset were made to lead the project which is not fair to the sector. There was never a moment when an Islamic cleric was contacted/assigned to lead reform in western education. They were neglected and considered consumers of whatever product is a available for them and their schools. The Almajiri system of Education needs justice just like other forms of Education. The various available literatures on Almajiri system of Education were full of injustice to the system. Associating Almajiranci with social vices, poverty, effect on country’s workforce and economic growth, was total injustice to the sector.

Almajiri and Almajiranci was meant for seeking Islamic knowledge and propagation of Islam and it’s teachings. There should be standard policy for Almajiri System of Education not intervention for western mindset benefits. The western world has been engaging with Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education, teachers, learners and communities to support learning and development of skills and western education, why not the same provision for Almajiri and Almajiranci than criticizing and downgrading the sector, the people and the region that has been in existence for centuries. The critics of Almajiri and Almajiranci shouldn’t be too hard to comdem the system, but amplify the need for proper placement in the national system of education so we can get rid of the children roaming the streets and credited to the innocent system.

It’s an honor to be agent of change than a critic of global recognition.

Abubakar Musa Umar is a School Teacher and bags M.ED Educational Psychology From Bayero University Kano