By Waziri Isa Adam
More and more Sunni Scholars comprising of Salafi, Tijjaniya and Qadiriyya adherents are beginning to speak out against the gruesome killing of Imam Husain, the Grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam – Muhammad (SAWA), and 72 of his companions, by 34,000 troops of Yazid bn Muawiya in Karbala – Iraq in the year 61 AH.
This development, many arque, is as a result of the scholars’ resolution to sincerely, consciously and without prejudice embark on deep and scholarly research in books written by respected and prominent Sunni Scholars on the Karbala tragedy and the personalities involved (Imam Husain and Yazid bn Muawiya bn Abu Sufyan).
Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria, who, before his equally gruesome killing on the 2nd of February, 2014, by yet to be identified gunmen, was one of the leading and respected Salafi Scholars in northern Nigeria, in one of his preaching sessions cursed all those that killed the Prophet’s Grandson. He also cursed all those that celebrate/d the heinous crime.
Sheikh Albani said, “Sayyidina Husain’s murder was a great tragedy that made the holy Prophet cry, when Angel Gabriel presented to him the sand of Karbala, where the Imam would be killed by the Prophet’s companions. On hearing this, tears started to flow down the cheeks of the holy Prophet (SAWA)”
Another Kano-based popular Sunni Scholar, and adherent of Qadiriyya sect, Sheikh Nazifi Alkarmawy, in one of his preaching sessions, prayed to the Almighty Allah to continue to torment the killers of Imam Husaini by sending calamities to continue to befell them till eternity
Sheikh Alkarmawi lamented that the killing of the Prophet’s Grandson was a great tragedy that scared even the enemies of Islam who expressed great shock and wondered why the Prophet’s companions will kill his Grandson shortly after he (the Prophet) departed the world.
Another highly distinguished kano-based Sunni Scholar of international repute, and prisoner of conscience, Sheikh Dr AbdulJabbar Nasiru Kabara, who, conscious and unconscious followers or sympathisers of the killers of Imam Husain conspired with the former governor of kano state, Dr Umar Ganduje, to silence him by sending him to prison on frame-up charges; whose real offense is defending the purity and personality of the Prophet and his household or progeny.
Sheikh Kabara whose outspokenness in defense of Imam Husain and the tragedy of Karbala is unrivaled, said, it’s time to educate muslims on the excellence of the Progenies of the holy Prophet and how they were persecuted in history by friends and companions of the Prophet.
Another Minna-based prominent Sunni Scholar of Tijjaniyya Sufi Order or Sect, Sheikh Sheriff Adam, challenged those Sunni Scholars who claim that certainly Imam Husain was gruesomely killed and mutilated in Karbala along with 72 of his righteous followers, but those that killed him were shiites; by asking those scholars that if the Imam was killed by the Shiites, were those his 72 disciples that helped and stood by him and were all killed in his defense, Sunnis?
He further challenged those Sunni Scholars to carry out deep research to see several Hadiths in prominent Sunni books where the Prophet (SAWA) clearly mentioned Yazid bn Muawiya as the Killer of Imam Husain. The Prophet revealed this on several occasions to his companions even before Yazid was born.