Sunday July 7, 2024 was declared last weekend by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General for both the Nigeria Supreme Council for the Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) as the first day of the first month (Muharram) of the Islamic lunar calendar, the Muslim Hijrah year 1446AH. Today Saturday July 13, 2024 is therefore equivalent to Muharram 7, 1446AH.
First, we owe every gratitude and glory to Allah, the Creator of the heavens and earth who caused the rotation of the earth to produce day and night. It’s a privilege to be alive to witness the beginning of another Hijrah year; 1446AH. It’s a privilege because many who saw the start of the previous year, 1445AH, did not live to see its end. Therefore, we say Alhamdu lillahi, Alhamdu lillahi, Alhamdu lillahi.
To take advantage of this holy season, we encourage patriotic and peace-loving Nigerians to pray to Allah to accept our repentances and forgive our vices; give us refuge against all evils and grant our leaders the wisdom and piety to defeat insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, poverty, and unemployment. Let us remorsefully plead with Allah to make 1446AH a year that would salvage Nigeria from its economic woes; guide leaders to increase citizens’ access to basic necessities of life including quality education, improved healthcare delivery system, good roads, clean water, and stable electricity supply, amin!!!
The commencement of a new Hijrah year is traditionally the beginning of a new fiscal year in Islam. Zakat is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam and therefore obligatory on Muslims (male or female) whose wealth of crops, livestock or cash has reached Nisab. In Islamic Jurisprudence, Nisab is the minimum which a person’s wealth (in cash or crops or livestock) is required to reach before it attracts Zakat. Being a cardinal principle of Islam and owing to the utility of Zakat which seek to ensure even distribution of wealth among members of the society, we urge those who qualify to give Zakat to do so with the fear of Allah.
Recent figures released by the Society for the Propagation of Islam (in Nigeria), indicate that the minimum taxable amount of money (Nisab) upon which two and a half percent is payable as Zakat in the year 1446AH (based on the current exchange rate of the Nigerian currency Naira to the US dollar) is put at N7,851,719.56k. Nisab is usually the current value or amount of money in naira that can buy 20 pieces of dinar (gold). The minimum amount of money payable as minimum dowry (Sadaq) as well as the least value of a stolen property that can attract amputation of hand (called Hadd in Islamic jurisprudence) is now put at N98, 261.42k, which is usually the current value or amount of money in naira that can buy one quarter of a dinar (Rub’u Dinar).
The sum of N392,581,380.74k is the blood-money (Diyyah) payable for manslaughter. Diyyah is usually the current value or amount of money in naira that can buy 1,000 Dinar. Nonetheless, the value of Nisab, Sadaq and Hadd mentioned above in naira are all relative because the amounts are determined by the prevailing price of Dinar as well as the exchange rate of local currency, the naira, at the time of Zakat or payment for Diyyah. The respective rise in the value of Nisab and Sadaq from N2,279,182.89k (about N2.2m) and N28,523.15k (less than N29,000) in 14145AH/2023 to N7,851,719.56k (over N7.8m) and N98, 261.42k (over N98,000) in 1446AH/2024 shows how terribly naira has suffered devaluation in the past twelve months; the effect of which is better felt when the heartbreaking rate of inflation on goods and services is taken into account.
Fasting on Tasu’ah and Ashura:
The Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) exhorts the observance of voluntary fast on the 9th (Tasu’ah) and 10th (Ashura) days of the first month, Muharram, in the Hijrah Muslim year. The six authentic compilers of hadith all relate on the authority of Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) fasted on Ashura day (10th of Muharram) and he instructed believers to observe voluntary fast on that day. Further on Ashura (10th of Muharram), Abi Qatadah (RA) reports that the Prophet (SAW) said, “It vitiates for (the sins of) the previous year”. About observing voluntary fast on Tasu’ah (9th of Muharram), Imam Muslim (RA) relates on the authority of Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “If I am alive till next year, I will surely observe voluntary fast on Tasu’ah (day)”. While we arouse the interest of Muslims who have the physical strength to observe this Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), we pray that Allah accepts it from those who are able to do so, amin. Monday July 15, 2024 and Tuesday July 16, 2024 would be Tasu’ah and Ashurah days.
Shaykh Dahiru Usman Bauchi clocks 100:
This column joins millions of well wishers around the world to congratulate Shaykh Dahiru Usman Bauchi who on Monday Muharram 2, 1446AH clocked 100 years of age in the Hijrah Muslim calendar. He was born on Muharram 2, 1346AH. May Allah continue to grant the ‘Voice of Islam”, as he is fondly called, good health to render greater services to Islam, amin.