A palpable tension has gripped the Nasarawa community, a suburb in Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State, as Islamic cleric Abubakar Sani chose to celebrate his son’s birth by slaughtering a dog.
News of this unconventional celebration quickly spread throughout the community, leading irate youths to storm his house, resulting in partial destruction. The situation only de-escalated when a detachment of security personnel arrived to intervene.
Adamu Muhammad, the councillor of the troubled community, confirmed the incident and emphasized the importance of maintaining law and order, discouraging vigilantism even in the face of such actions.
In a subsequent interview, Cleric Abubakar Sani defended his actions, asserting that there is no specific mention in the Qur’an prohibiting the consumption of dog meat. He cited various verses to support his interpretation of the religious text.
One of his students, Ismail Abubakar Rijana, echoed this sentiment, asserting that the Holy Qur’an does not explicitly forbid Muslims from eating dog meat. He clarified that their practice of Islamic religion might differ from others but expressed a willingness to change if convinced by Qur’anic verses that their actions were wrong.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Mansir Hassan, reported that the deployment of security personnel had restored sanity to the community. The police are now conducting an investigation into the incident.
However, many members of the community condemned the cleric’s actions, asserting that it went against Islamic practice. They stressed that consuming dog meat is prohibited in their religion.
Ibrahim Garba, a youth in the community, reminded everyone of the Islamic prohibition against eating dog meat and expressed the community’s determination not to allow such practices to continue.
Another resident, who chose to remain anonymous, confirmed that they witnessed the cleric slaughtering two dogs and distributing the meat to his students.
In response to the controversy, renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi weighed in, condemning the consumption of dog meat. He explained that there are differing opinions on the matter but pointed out that the Prophet Muhammad had prohibited the consumption of animals with canine teeth, including dogs. He emphasized that such practices were not in line with Islamic teachings and could provoke strong reactions within the Muslim community.
