DVD sermons

1The following texts are transcripts of sermons that were filmed and then stored on DVDs. They are part of a corpus of about one hundred DVDs, collected between 2013 and 2016 during the fieldwork conducted in the cities of Zaria, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, and Yola – all in Nigeria; and Maradi, Zinder, Niamey, Agadez, and Arlit – all in Niger.¹ The most popular preachers were identified thanks to a questionnaire filled out by sellers and customers in video stores. Featured in this appendix are excerpts of sermons from ‘celebrity’ preachers of the Hausa-speaking region.²

Photo 14. DVD covers of transcribed sermons

2The introductions to these sermons are not included in the texts below. They usually begin with the following greeting: ‘As Salam Walaykoum wa Ramatoullahi wa Barakatou’ (May God’s peace, mercy, and blessing be upon you), which is followed by the date and place of the sermon, then an acknowledgement of the organizers or the audience. Greetings are sometimes followed by a quotation from the Quran. The following transcripts begin when the preacher starts the sermon by addressing the central theme that has been chosen for the occasion.

Sheikh Usman Dahiru Bauchi: ‘Bamu Hada Kai da Izala Ba’ (We do not cooperate with Izala)

Sermon delivered for the Islamic New Year, in Bauchi Mosque

3Children born into non-Muslim families must respect their parents and cannot come to Islam on their own.

4[…]

5Christians are better than Izalas,¹ because in recognizing them [the Tijani] as Muslims, they show respect. A Christian has never insulted a Tijani or his parents. A Christian has never used a car with loudspeakers to insult a Tijani and his parents.

6Differences among Muslims should not exist. Yet, the Izalas will reject their mother or their father if they do not share the same ideals. No matter what the divisions, everyone will find their place on Judgement Day. Members of the same family cannot be separated; we must not give in to Izala propaganda. The Izalas claim that the Prophet’s parents were not Muslims; associating with people who say such things is impossible [he quotes a hadith]. For the Tijani, the Prophet’s parents were exemplary parents. In the Tijaniyya, great respect is shown to the Prophet’s mother, Amina, who carried the Prophet for nine months.

7The Izalas engage in propaganda and politics. The Tijani do not engage in politics. This is the fundamental difference between them. The Izalas play politics and put everyone in the same bag. In politics, anyone can speak out in public, even a woman, even a bastard. That’s what the Izalas do; that’s the curse they are bringing.

8[…]

9The Tijani recognize the importance of saints because they had a direct relationship with God. They were anointed by God and He recognized their holiness. Division was brought about by the Izalas, which is the root of the current crisis and violence in Nigeria. In the past, we did have weapons, but people wouldn’t fight. Today, because of these divisions, bombs are exploding all over the country.

10Westernized young people who have attended the white man’s school are attracted to the novel nature of the Izalas. They want something new and reject old practices, which explains the success of the Izala movement among the youths. Politics is based on the American model. The Izalas put politics before religion, therefore placing the United States before God.

11The problem in Nigeria is that the first Izala sermons chastised the Tijaniyya and the Qadriyyah, and the political power let it happen. If government representatives had intervened, today’s situation might be different.

12It all began in Kaduna; the first Izala sermons accused the members of the brotherhoods of being infidels […]. If a political voice had been heard earlier, the Izala movement would not have grown as much. The problems Nigeria encounters today have been caused to varying degrees by the Izalas. No association with the Izalas is possible. To make such association possible, they would need to stop criticizing the saints. The role played by the saints is important. When you want to get to the president, when you want to get to God, you don’t talk to him directly; you don’t go to him directly. That is the role of messengers and intermediaries; they are necessary steps. It’s like touching a power pole: you can’t touch it with your bare hands; you need gloves.

13[…]

14We must not follow the Izalas in prayer; we must not go and pray in Izala mosques. We can’t call them infidels, because they do pray; but as Muslims, we cannot associate with the Izalas, as this would mean forsaking the Prophet.

15In Nigeria, there are Muslims, there are Christians, and then there are the Izalas. The only thing they have in common is that they constitute the population of Nigeria. But the truth will only come out on Judgement Day.

Sheikh Kabiru Gombe: ‘Jirgin Annabi Nuhu’ (The Ark of the prophet Noah)

Sermon delivered in Tahoua, Niger, during a wa’azin kasa

16Today we will examine al-Baqarah, one of the most important surahs. It conveys different things that should be clearly distinguished. Marabouts often have a difficult time explaining this surah properly […].

17When the angel Djibril [Gabriel] came to Mariam [Mary], he appeared to her as a young man. Mariam was cautious because she was alone in Djibril’s presence at that time. This shows that Mariam was a well-behaved woman. Young people’s attitude towards women today is a problem. There are idle young men who enjoy a carefree life and do not care about God. These young men approach girls and make up stories to impress them. They ask their friends to call their phone when they are with a girl so that she will believe they are businessmen. They adopt different techniques depending on the personality of the girl they are after; if the girl is religious, the boy will give her a pious speech and will try to get closer to her as the day goes by. At 8 P.M. he acts all serious with a book in Arabic, making an argument in favour of Quranic schools. By 9 P.M. he gets closer and reduces the distance between them until she is cornered against a wall. If someone comes by and asks him what he’s doing to the girl, he’ll say he’s ‘preaching to her!’ [The audience laughs.]

18These young men’s rooms are always neat, with a bottle of fruit juice that might stay unopened for three months and will only be opened the day a girl comes. I am warning you parents against these young men, who can show great respect to fathers – by kneeling down to greet them, for example – in order to better achieve their goals. They use all sorts of techniques to avoid a parent’s watchful eye, dressing up as girls, wearing the hijab ...

19A word of advice: when a young person comes to your house to see your daughter, ask him who his father is, what family he comes from. After he has told you where he came from, send him home. Then, take a stick and go to his house; ask to see his father; ask him if he knows that his son has come to your house to see your daughter. Ask him if his son wants to marry your daughter; then a discussion can be had. If that is not what he intends to do, then threaten to break his knees if he ever comes to your house again.

20I appeal to the marabouts of Tahoua: it is not enough to teach the Quran; young people must also be warned against this kind of attitudes. In Gombe, there is a marabout who teaches girls; he teaches them how to assess a young man’s seriousness by testing his knowledge of Islam.

21Well-mannered girls cannot accept being approached by men they do not know. This was Mariam’s attitude towards the angel Djibril, but he then explained that he was not human and was sent by God to give her a child. ‘God has decided to give you a child without you having to sleep with a man, which is proof of His supremacy.’ Mariam panicked. Djibril then explained to her that it was God’s decision. That was how things were; her opinion did not matter, and her consent was not required. The angel Djibril then blew on her stomach and she found herself nine months’ pregnant. She felt heavy, had trouble walking, and felt the first contractions […]. She gave birth to the child, and Djibril spoke to her to reassure her that everything had been planned, that she had nothing to worry about. A source of water appeared, a date palm grew, and it gave her fruit […].

22A woman who has just given birth needs good food to eat and water to drink. But in Africa, we are not fortunate when it comes to that. Women suffer here. During the last month of pregnancy, a husband will buy wood to prepare hot water, porridge, and then bring a midwife who will make his wife drink potash. The woman suffers, sweats; her eyes get red. She is washed with boiled water three times, rubbed with hot water and neem leaves. The midwife will tell her that she is not brave, that in her time they knew how to handle it. But those days are over! What I’m asking you is to give good things [to pregnant women], quality tea, bread, milk, malkou¹ ... Sometimes, she won’t even get a piece of the sheep that has been sacrificed for the naming ceremony. Then she will be given plants for strength. Forget about that! Good food is what gives someone strength, not porridge full of potash!

23[…]

24Trust in God is based on the certainty that God does everything, and that is the difference between Al-Sunnah and the Yan Bid’ah.² For them, all these things are done by their saints, their shehu.³ For them, everything is the work of the shehu: rain, sun, health ... That is what sets them apart from us. The Tijani accuse us of being rich and of being funded by Saudi Arabia. But we owe our obedience to God only: the blessings are for God and God alone.

25Sujada, for example, is the practice of reciting verses and asking for blessings on someone’s behalf; it is performed by a person with more religious knowledge. It is a Tijani practice in that it involves the intervention of an intermediary. It’s bid’ah. May Allah rebuke them! Al-Sunnah believe that you have to do things yourself – no need for intermediaries. Everyone must seek their own path to Paradise, unlike the Tijani who think they can be led to Paradise by their sheikhs, which allows the faithful to misbehave as they rely solely on their sheikhs to get to Paradise.

26For Al-Sunnah, all you need is to put your faith in the angels, the Prophet, and God. The most important things are people’s intentions, the purity of their heart and not of what they say.

27[…]

28I have not been as happy as I am today here in Tahoua in a long time. I am delighted with the construction of this guest house for travelling Al-Sunnah, which began four months ago. It is a very beautiful and very large building. May Allah make the first Islamic university be built here in Tahoua. May Allah make the first Islamic hospital be built here in Tahoua. I salute the men of goodwill who are working on the building. I will not leave Tahoua without adding my own contribution. Couldn’t the audience here also contribute? [To someone putting his hand in his pocket] No, wait, I’ll start donating first! As in Paradise, I will go first and you will follow. [He then makes a donation, in naira, in his name and in the name of his alarama.⁴ A collection is then organized: security guards walk through the crowd with bags to collect donations]. Donating money brings great blessings, it is a way to make Islam grow. It’s not like the Yan Bid’ah, who use that money to make protective amulets.

29[…]

30Bid’ah imams are a bad influence on people; they drive people crazy. They provide amulets to thieves but also give amulets to make people rich. They feed both sides! Bid’ah imams provide amulets to prostitutes – beauty amulets to attract men. They cut out pieces of shrouds in order to make those amulets.

31Al-Sunnah prefer personal faith over prayers that are led from beginning to end. Not everyone is interested in praying for the harvest. Someone who is in love and is trying to win a girl over will not care about the harvest. Everyone has their own priorities and their own way of praying.

Abubakar Gero ‘Matan Kwarai, Iyalin Kwarai’ (Good wifes, good families)

Ramadan sermon delivered in Gwandu, Niger State, Nigeria to an exclusively female audience

32Festivities are practices from the time of ignorance. [Addressing women] Your virtue goes beyond that! Bringing in griots, dancing – all these are negative practices.

33Women who lived about fifty years ago did not know Islam well. They used to wear petticoats and short skirts. You should feel proud of living in an era when Islam has evolved. You should thank God for pulling you out of ignorance.

34In the 1960s, weddings were family affairs that involved all of its members. At the time, parents did not mind when their daughters spent the night somewhere else. Back then, in Nigeria, there were no Quranic schools for women. Sheikh Hassan Saidu was the first to introduce a Quranic school for women. Today, thank God, women have access to Islamic knowledge and can recite verses of the Quran.

35Before marrying a woman, some things must be clarified: First, it must be made clear that you are Al-Sunnah. Then the woman must wear the hijab.

36In the days of ignorance, rules were not followed. Weddings were marked by ten days of festivities, music, dancing, and spending. Sometimes, the complicity between the bride and the musicians, the griots, would even lead to some obscene gestures. But those who did this in the time of ignorance are forgiven. Those who do that today, however: God is waiting for them with His stick!

37Cocktails, picnics, launches, events where people go dancing, women take off their hijab, men share food with women – these are all negative practices. They are pagan, Western practices. At picnics, men smoke cigarettes, women hug their boyfriends, and those who don’t are seen as village women.

38Those of you who use Revlon hair products: be aware that Revlon products contain pork. In addition, women who colour their hair cannot wear the hijab correctly; they cannot perform janaba¹ correctly.

39In the past, before being taken to her husband, a bride would listen to music such as Michael Jackson’s. These are white people’s practices; it’s not right. But that time is over now; the time of Islam has come, the time of charity. Today, even white people are moving away from these practices. People who convert are serious: a white woman who converts will wear beautiful clothes from Mecca and Medina.

40Michael Jackson’s time is over; the time of Islam has come. You must get rid of your Dan Ibro² and Dandali Soyeya³ CDs. The time of Islam has come, the time of jihad.⁴ Quranic schools should be full of women. Women’s goal, their mission today, is to fully submit to God. Those who follow the good teachings and practices: God will take them into Paradise.

41In the past, people used to parade the blood-stained sheet the day after the wedding night and would congratulate themselves over it. Congratulations would abound, coming from all over the bride’s family. Today, ignorance is over. Thank God today is the time of Islam.

42Take the Prophet, for example, whose wives had demanded comfort in their homes. He told them they could have all the comfort they wanted, but that he would divorce them. Starting with Aisha, he explained to her that if it was luxury she wanted, he would give it to her but he would then repudiate her. If she chose God’s way and stayed with him, it meant accepting the rules: no going out to bars, no picnics, no henna at weddings.⁵ Festive ceremonies are what differentiates Al-Sunnah from those who engage in bid’ah. Aisha replied that she chose faith, happiness in the afterlife and not a life of luxury and ignorance, without even having to ask her parents for advice. The other wives of the Prophet all had the same reaction. As a result, God, who until then had addressed only men, started addressing women directly.

43From the moment a marriage is sealed, no transgression is possible. Women who do not abide by the rules will be punished even before Judgement Day. Those who wear the hijab, go to Quranic school, and fast will be rewarded. Marriage is a contract. One must respect its clauses and not fall into the ease of a good life.

Abubakar Gero and Kabiru Gombe ‘Hisabi Dole Ne’ (The hijab is an obligation)

1^st sermon: Abubakar Gero
Sermon delivered in Daura, Katsina State, on 8 July 2012, following a wedding and close to the start of Ramadan

44The difference between Al-Sunnah and other branches, without getting into issues of conflict, is that Al-Sunnah consider the Prophet to be the judge of all judges in Islam. All his recommendations must be followed; he is God’s messenger. God sent him because he was knowledgeable enough to become the guide. The Prophet’s message must therefore be taken as it is and must not be distorted.

45Concerning the act of prayer: the Prophet recommended, once prayer was over – after ‘As-Salam alaykum’ – not to think of yourself but to think of others first. However, an abundance of fatihas¹ is often the fruit of selfishness. Al-Sunnah disagree with other branches of Islam on this point.

46Good attitudes, good deeds must be done in front of witnesses. Your heart’s good intentions are not enough. On Judgement Day, your neighbours will be called to testify to your good conduct. That is why you should always ask forgiveness from those you have wronged. In the afterlife, it will be too late.

47[…]

48It is very rare, among Al-Sunnah, to find someone who does not abide by Islamic rules. There might be one in a million. I can’t really say that there are none, but it’s very rare. Among Al-Sunnah, you will not find anyone who digs up the dead, engages in cannibalism or witchcraft, or drinks alcohol. However, saying that you are Al-Sunnah is not enough to guarantee you will go to Paradise. On Judgement Day, everyone’s cases will be examined […] the verdict will be rendered in a fair and equitable manner. Traders who engage in speculation, for example, will be held accountable. No negotiation and no corruption will be possible. God does not care about your social position, your status.

49Some religious leaders shirk certain obligations, such as the funeral prayer. Not all of them do that, but some perform it only for celebrities. This is something that must be attended to, even for a layman. Some leaders skip the first prayer at the mosque because they are too busy. This is a serious mistake that will catch up with them on Judgement Day. It is important to gather as a group to practise religion well.

50We must turn our backs on Western practices, especially when it comes to state management. By turning our backs on these practices, we gain in dignity.

51It is important to maintain fervour and rigour in our religious practice. Married women will also be held accountable, because they make many mistakes. In cases of conflict with their husbands, some break Quranic laws to annoy their husbands – they do not wear the hijab, do not pray at the right time, or do not go to Quranic school, for example. However, marital problems have nothing to do with God.

52There are women, for example, who now have a knowledge of the divine precepts and have remained confined to their homes – one of whom has remained in her home for 44 years – while many women go out all the time and commit sins, fornication in particular.

53Some practices must be carried out in groups – such as prayer, which has more value when it is collective, since each person can make sure of the seriousness of the other – but not all. Some practices must remain individual in order to avoid sinning.

54[…]

55We must look at the prophets for inspiration. They too were made of flesh and blood; they too had desires yet managed to control them and avoided shame on Judgement Day. We should emulate them. No matter which group you belong to [Tijaniyya, Qadriyya, Al-Sunnah], God will study your case in the same way. Having an important social position among Al-Sunnah does not count.

56Jews and Christians are also descendants of the prophets. On Judgement Day, God will judge the attitude of everyone and will determine whether they have followed His precepts or not.

57One shouldn’t cling to or follow someone, give them more importance, simply because of their status. For example, during holiday prayers, especially at the end of Ramadan, the leaders’ bodyguards hold umbrellas to shield them from the sun while they are praying, while they [the bodyguards] are not praying. They must drop this useless overzealousness and pray too.

2^nd sermon: Kabiru Gombe
Sermon delivered in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.

58Looking at the crowd before me, I see 80 percent young people. I am happy to see that the youth has left the movements engaging in bid’ah and that they are shunning vulgar practices and depravity. Educated young people follow Al-Sunnah movement.

59Youth unemployment is a very worrisome phenomenon. Idleness leads to bad behaviours, such as delinquency, theft, lying. Such phenomena have been brought about by the advent of politics: during election times, politicians give away money to young people; then the government turns its back on them. So, what should a young person look for? They should first search for knowledge – religious knowledge being the most important of all, as it surpasses all other forms of knowledge; it protects you from ignorance. Whatever your rank, status, job – whether you are a businessman, a lawyer, an administrator – if you have not gained Islamic knowledge, you are ignorant.

60Islamic knowledge gives you the ability to resist temptation, from embezzlement, corruption.

61[…]

62I ask young people to prepare themselves, first to seek Islamic knowledge, then to seek scientific knowledge. Nigeria needs doctors; we need midwives. We should avoid having men deliver babies who will see your wife naked, touch her – men who may not even be Muslims! To a Muslim, having a non-Muslim touch or see his wife is a great shame, so we need to have many doctors among us. Today, in Nigeria’s hospitals, there are very few Muslim doctors. We also need Muslim engineers. In some cities in Nigeria, Muslims are in charge of sanitation work, which is not normal.

63Young people also need to learn other languages. The Prophet, in his time, encouraged the learning of Hebrew. Youth is the best time to learn, because the mind is awake. We need qualified young people to meet the challenge of this technology-dominated world. Mobile phones are made by Chinese high school students in China, not by Muslims. When you can’t reach your correspondent, you hear a female voice telling you that ‘the number you have dialled ...’ [He imitates a high-pitched female voice; the audience laughs.] If Muslims were the ones making mobile phones, you’d hear a very deep male voice!

64[…]

65Very often, the children of poor Muslims are the ones who do not have access to education; they start driving motorcycle taxis. Today the government is taking action against motorcycle taxis; so, tomorrow, they will control us, and we risk becoming their slaves [government slaves].

66If you did not get an education, you must do business, because the Quran has never encouraged inactivity. [He quotes a verse according to which ‘everyone should sell what he has’.]

67Inactivity has serious consequences; unemployed young men prostitute themselves to rich women whose politician husbands do not have time to take care of them. Also, homosexual practices are developing, particularly in Abuja.

68Some young people refuse activities such as sewing, yet they don’t mind begging. But the prophet Idris himself was a tailor. Who can say that they are better than the prophet Idris? The prophet Nuhu and the prophet Zakaria were both carpenters; the prophet Dawud was a blacksmith.

69Instead of creating training workshops in which young people could learn, they are scattered across the country [in reference to NYSC – the National Youth Service Corps] and do nothing. […]

70Our mission is to develop the training of young people, teach them a trade, the Quran, and how to conduct business.

71The state demands social cohesion but does not provide the means to implement it. In Kaduna, for example, more than 8,000 women have orphans they can’t afford to raise. There are more than 9 million beggars in northern Nigeria. The almajirai are mistreated, while those who have chosen to attend the white man’s schools are better treated. There are state structures provided for secular schools, while nothing is provided for the students of Quranic schools, who are left to cope on their own. This difference in treatment is unfair. […] There are even reckless, irresponsible marabouts who mistreat children, sometimes to the point of death. But no prophet has ever had to learn the Quran this way, nor have we, Al-Sunnah, had to take this path to learn the Quran.

72When a child is born, the parents are primarily responsible – especially the father, who is responsible for his child’s education. There is a division of labour: women are in charge of carrying the child for nine months, while men are in charge of their education. Quranic school is sometimes seen as an opportunity for fathers to shirk their responsibilities. We have a responsibility to take care of these abandoned children and to teach them the Quran. […] Failing to do so would be betraying them.

73It is possible for someone to learn the Quran, learn a trade, and take classes on the side. […]

74We have to adapt, to change our strategy, to teach the Quran to our children, but also what they are taught in the white man’s schools. When there are educated Muslims within state institutions, then things will finally change.