Tag Archives: Polygamy

Your Royal Highness, Where Do You Stand? – By Muhammad Karamba

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The recent statement by His Royal Highness the Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanisu on his plan to ban the poorest of his citizens from practicing polygamy spiked arguments on social media, about the legitimacy of his call.

Pro-Polygamist claim he can’t strip them of their spiritual rights while some said it made perfect sense.

While I was pondering about the issue, a question struck my cord. Do the Royal Highnesses have the constitutional right to legislate?

Until the coming of colonial masters, Emirs were solely in charge of all the affairs of their people. They enjoyed a lot of praise and respect. They legislated, executed and judged.

However, the coming of the colonial masters changed something; it meant the Emirs were not totally in control anymore.

As the new nation (Nigeria) was coming up, the Emirs were gradually loosing there powers bit by bit until they were left with only the respect their people have for them.

Nothing beats being sincerely respected. However, we are in a different world now. Unfortunately (to the Royal fathers) people understand and know their rights. Going by our constitution, there are three arms of government.

The Executive, which is in charge of administration, the Legislator which gives laws and the Judiciary which enforces the laws. Where do our Royal fathers fit in the equation? Going by the little I understand, a Local government ward counselor has more constitutional power than a Royal father.

Emir Sanusi’s point is logical. But sometimes, especially when dealing with things that have to do with religion or belief, logic is the last thing you want to introduce. People want to practice as they have known it.

I am no Islamic scholar to know whether it’s the right call or not. But, in my opinion, there are lines our Royal fathers should not try to cross. Frankly, respect is all they have now and when they put themselves in situations where some citizens decide not to respect them, they might lose it all.

With all due respect to our Royal fathers, they should stay on course. They have been doing a good job but, legislation is not theirs; at least for the time being. They should continue to advise governments on what’s best for us. May God guide them and increase them in wisdom.

 

Muhammad Karamba

@Mukib_

Islamic Rights Group backs Emir Sanusi’s call for regulation of polygamy.

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The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has supported call by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II for a law to regulate marriage to second wives.

The emir was reported to have said on Monday that the Kano State Government was preparing a law to make it mandatory for men seeking to marry second wives to satisfy certain conditions.

A statement issued on Wednesday by MURIC’s Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, and made available to newsmen in Ibadan, said the move was in conformity with the provisions on marriage as contained in the Holy Qur’an.

MURIC said, although Islam allows a man to marry up to four wives, the permission was meant to provide security for widows and other unmarried women.“It is an open secret that women outnumber men in all parts of the world.

“Islam therefore permits men to marry more than one wife in order to provide shelter and welfare for those women who would have been left single.

“In the first instance, the Qur’an enjoins those who do not have the capacity to maintain even a single wife to abstain from marriage until they can become economically strong enough.

“ The Qur’an also allows a man who already has one wife to take a second woman, a third or even a fourth but with the condition that such a man must have sufficient means to care for them all,’’ MURIC said.

MURIC said that what the Kano state government was trying to do was to give interpretation to the verses of the Quran.

“This becomes necessary in view of the fact that many Muslims misinterpret the Quran by marrying more than one wife when in reality they cannot even maintain one wife comfortably.

“The result is the production of children who end up as social miscreants,’’ MURIC said.

MURIC commended the vision and courage of the Emir of Kano as well as the forthrightness of Kano state government for evolving “this great idea.”

The group called on other states which have Muslim majority population to emulate the policy, as it is capable of reducing poverty, raising standard of living and increasing the number of literate citizens.