Bold, courageous Islamic clerics who speak truth to power
Clerics are influential and respected people. Many look up to them for direction and guidance. By virtue of their closeness to the top echelons of government, it is also expected that they speak truth to power, and fight for the interests of the common man. FAITH AJAYI takes a look at some Islamic clerics who address societal issues such as corruption and other vices
Muhideen Bello
Muhideen Bello is one of the popular Islamic preachers who are never silent when it comes to their religion. Born to an Islamic scholar, Muhideen started studying the Quran from a young age. He had a strong passion for knowledge and at the age of nine, he requested that he should be sent to live with his uncle, who at the time ran an Islamic school in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Delving onto memory lane, Bello once said, “My father was an Islamic cleric. Though he was from Ibadan, he lived in Agberire, an Iwo farm settlement (Osun State). One day, my father’s younger brother who was also an Islamic cleric came from Ibadan to meet us. He spoke at a public lecture that was organised in the town. I remember that I was nine years old at the time, but when it was time for him to go back to Ibadan, I told my father that I would love to live with his younger brother in Ibadan, and he obliged my request.”
After moving to Ibadan with his father’s younger brother, Bello showed interest in Islamic studies, and that earned him his first public speaking experience at the age of 10. With time, he became very adept at delivering sermons from the Quran.
After completing his secondary school education, Bello went on to obtain a National Certificate of Education certificate.
Although his time in Oyo State was short lived, he was one of the pioneer teachers at Ansa-ru-deen College, Shaki, Oyo State. On the circumstances leading to him leaving the state, Bello said, “I was enjoying the teaching job until some people in the town told me that ghosts usually went to the night market in the town. I could not stand that, so I went back to Ibadan to report that I could not cope with living in the town.”
He was later redeployed to Abeokuta Grammar School (Ogun State) where he taught Islamic Studies and Biology.
But, as a result of the constant sightings of corpses dumped under the popular Lafenwa bridge on his way to school, he stated that he saw it as a sign to answer the call to be a cleric fully. Bello later moved to Kano to stay with his elder brother.
He added, “After I quit the teaching job, I went to meet my elder brother in Kano. He worked with the government and also had his workshop. But, whenever we went to the mosque to pray and read the Quran, I would join. The people would look at me with surprise, because they did not know that I understood the Quran that much.
“One day, they approached me and asked why I was wearing shirts and trousers despite my understanding of the Quran. Even at the time, my hair was always long, because I would comb it that way. They told me that I was behaving like an unbeliever by dressing that way. And truly, whenever I see my old photographs, I simply laugh at the way I looked.”
He added that one of the leaders of the mosque he attended in ++Kano approached him to inquire about his style of dressing, and advised that he should return to teaching. He (Bello) later discovered that he could not communicate with the pupils there, because they spoke Hausa language.
Bello, who is well known for organising public lectures, and he has said that speaking to people about the Quran makes him happy. According to him, “I am happiest when I speak to people about the words of God. Believe me, even if I was sick, and I was asked to come and speak at a public lecture, the sickness would immediately fly away, and I would become strong.”
In April 21, 2024, Bello was turbaned by the Yorubaland Council for Islamic Preachers as the Sulthonil Waa’izeen (King of Preachers) in Yorubaland. At the ceremony, he was described as a courageous preacher who feared no one but Allah. He had said at the time, “Now I have been coronated as the leader/king of Islamic preachers, I want to urge you all to unite and work together for the propagation of Islam in Nigeria and overseas.”
He was also one of those who spoke out about the Islam clerics who officiated at controversial cross-dresser, Bobrisky’s housewarming ceremony. In a report in The PUNCH on July 3, 2022, he was quoted as saying, “I don’t know what to call that – shall we say it is lack of the fear of Allah or lack of the knowledge of right and wrong? I don’t understand what will make an Islamic cleric to be hobnobbing with a man who is claiming to be a woman. No matter what he is doing, be it housewarming, birthday, or whatever celebrations, I don’t know what exactly those clerics intend to gain from such a gathering.
“Are they seeking fame? Is it for money? Would Bobrisky offer each of them a million naira? I doubt if he can give each of them a million naira. What would we say took them there? It’s total nonsense. If we ask those clerics to give us references or authorities from the holy Quran to support their action, trust me, they won’t have anything to back up their action. So, Islam does not approve of such.”
Sharafudeen Gbadebo
Sharafudeen Gbadebo is a native of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, but he was born in Jos, the Plateau State capital. He began western education before enrolling into Arabic school in the Republic of Benin. In 1987, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the African Islamic Centre (African International University) in Sudan, where he had his secondary education. Upon completion, he was named the best graduating student in the country, and the university authority pledged to sponsor his university education in any school of his choice.
He later attended Medinah University where he studied Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) in the Law faculty. He graduated with first-class honours, and was the third best graduating student. He was then awarded another scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree from 1994-1999.
After completing his Master’s degree, he wrote his thesis on the topic, “Ruling relating to addition in worship’, and it was published by the university. He went further to obtain a PhD between 2000-2004, and received the Al Medinah award for Finest Student of the Year.
He is said to be involved in any translation from Arabic to Yoruba by the Saudi government. According to media reports, he had been approached severally by the Saudi government to write on several topics.
Gbadebo acted briefly as a visiting lecturer at the Department of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
Before returning to Ogbomoso, he lectured in Jos on different occasions. Gbadebo is currently the director of Al Madinah Islamic Centre in Saanu Aje, Ogbomoso. He speaks Arabic, English, Yoruba and Hausa.
In March, 2024, it was reported that his son, Ahmad Sharafudeen, graduated as the overall best student from Bayero University, Kano, from the department of computer science.
Nuru Khalid
Born in Plateau State on October 1, 1960, Islamic cleric, Nuru Khalid, was the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Juma’at Mosque in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, before he was suspended and later expelled from the office in April, 2022, by the mosque’s committee. Shortly before that, he had criticised the government over the state of insecurity in the country.
In his sermon on April 1, 2022, he had criticised the government at that time over the spate of insecurity and killings in the country. He was advised to apologise, but he refused to do so, saying that he was willing to face whatever consequence might come.
Barely 24 hours after he was expelled, Khalid revealed that he would be resuming at a new mosque, after noting that he would pay the price for lending his voice to the voiceless.
He said “My sack is a reflection of how Nigeria is today. Many people are hiding under the cover of religion to perpetrate all manners of unwholesome acts. Such people would stop at nothing to take away people like me, who are pro-masses and bold enough to speak the truth to power always on behalf of voiceless Nigerians.
“This is the price we pay for aligning with the people and identifying with their sufferings. By the Grace of Almighty Allah, I will be leading my new congregation this Friday, because as clerics, we need a platform to operate from. There’s a Jum’mat mosque we built behind the CBN Quarters, in Abuja; I will now be leading the congregation there.”
His father, who was also an Islamic scholar, taught him how to read and write in Arabic; and at the age of six, he had memorised the Quran with some Arabic poems. He attended LA Primary School (now LGE Primary School) in Jos, Plateau State. After the death of his father, his mother supported him to join the School of Higher Islamic Studies of the Jamatul Izalatul Bidia Wa Ikhamatul Sunnah popularly called Izala. He went on to study Islamic Studies at the University of Jos.
After the 2014 Nyanya bomb blast in Abuja, he led a delegation to hospitals to visit some of the victims and donated relief materials on behalf of the Muslim community in Abuja.
Known by his alias, Digital Imam, Khalid became popular for speaking truth to power over issues bordering on insecurity, and crises facing the country. He is also the founder of Islamic Research Da’awah Foundation.
He addresses over 5,000 people during his Friday congregational prayer, Khutbah;P and his annual Ramadan Digital Tafseer, which is aired on television, radio stations and live streamed on the Internet.
Sabit Olagoke
He is the founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen in Islam Worldwide. He is also the Mogaji and Arole of OgunElu Aare Alasa Dynasty at Olagoke Villa, Oja-Oba, Ibadan. Unlike others who believed in the existence of a God, Olagoke noted in an interview that he wasn’t always a Muslim or believed in the Islamic faith. He stated that he was actually an atheist for 25 years until 1982 when he accepted Islam.
He was said to have said this while speaking to the leaders of the Oodua People’s Congress, New Era, after being appointed the patron of the OPC, New Era, Oyo State chapter.
He had said, “I was an atheist for 25 years. I did not believe in the existence of God. I made a mockery of those who called themselves Muslims or Christians. I had this belief for 25 years before I finally accepted Islam in 1982. I believe God can use anybody.”
One notable thing about Olagoke are the yearly predictions he makes. In January 2024, his prediction titled, Shafaudeen 2024 Prediction for Nigeria System Regulation for Proactive Measures to Avoid Unpleasantries’ was released.
Quoting from the Bible and Quran, it read in part, “Divine revelation is predictive for proactive measures in management and administration, rebranding for proper socialisation, correcting cultural and ethical value orientation for promotion of integrity, and discipline for all must be put in place to allow divine intervention in revamping our economy. To promote healthy and stable policies, equity is very much needed.
“Good governance is a function of Godly leadership, and bad governance is a dividend of bad leadership. The religious sector must therefore imbibe the culture of religious harmony to promote peace and be more dedicated to the cause of discipline, love and culture of patriotism to move the nation forward…so that we may avoid stalemate, and save our democracy and country.”
It is worthy of note that Olagoke is not only grounded in the Islamic faith, he is versed also in the Christian faith. He believes that dialogue between both religions must continue so as to promote mutual understanding and common good of all humanity, especially in the area of establishing peace, justice, equity and solidarity. He also a strong believer of religious pluralism.
He showed this in action when he, alongside other leaders of Shafaudeen in Islam, attended the 10th year Diocesan anniversary and award conferment of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Elekuro, Ibadan, in January 13, 2018. At the service, Olagoke was also conferred the ‘Patriarch of Faith’ by the church.
He attended Christ Church School, Mapo, Ibadan; and Prospect High School, Abanla, Ibadan. He later went on to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, before getting a degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife; and a Master’s from the University of Ibadan.
