By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Kaduna – Sheikh Haliru Maraya, a Kaduna based Islamic scholar, has said that the religion of Islam attaches enormous importance to educational pursuit ,reason why in spite of the status of the fasting of the month of Ramadan as one of its pillars , neither the Holy Quran nor the Sunnah enjoined or recommend the suspension of learning during the month of Ramadan .

‘This is also the position of the religion, about educational activities in the remaining months of the lunar calendar,” he said.

Speaking in an interview, Sheikh Maraya explained that “additionally, there wasn’t a time during the lifetime of the successors of the Prophet (SAW), or their successors, that educational pursuit was suspended under the fasting of the month of Ramadan.”

“Consequently, learning is presently taking place in Saudi Arabia despite the fact that the Muslim faithful. are observing the fasting of the month of Ramadan. In a nutshell, no Islamic injunction abhors learning in any month, including the month of Ramadan,” he said.

“Are those authorities, that have suspended learning in their respective states, going to do so during the period the Christians are going to observe their fasting? In my opinion, the government should do all that it takes to alleviate the suffering of the governed during and after the Ramadan period instead of tampering with educational pursuit and activities,” he said.

Speaking in a separate interview, Elder Sunday Oibe of the Northern CAN, said
“our position tallies with the position of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).”

“We object and oppose completely the closure of some schools as announced by some certain Governors ,Katsina, Kebbi and Kano and one other. This is a trend that must not ne encouraged.”

“Before now, during Ramadan, it was organised in such a way that schools can close early. But for schools to be closed for 5 weeks, it’s toying with the future and foundation of these children…The question we want to ask is, are only schools that must be closed? Why are they not closing the Government Houses,clinics , because of Ramadan? The most disturbing thing is that the children of these politicians are schooling outside the shores of this country….where nobody is interfering with their education. They want to toy with the future of the children of the poor, so that they become perpetual servants to them. We say No .”

“Secondly, there are mission schools owned by churches, private schools owned by individual Muslims and Christians. These are private businesses and you taxed them. It’s from there they generate revenue for you to tax them. Now when you close them for 5 weeks, how do you expect them to survive, for you to tax them, for them to pay teachers? So it’s an infringement on the fundamental right of the business owners, an action planned to tamper with the progressive nature of the education of indigent children that are in these schools. So we say to it and we are calling on them to desist from it.”

‘I read something very intriguing. That the Governor of Borno State has come out with a very beautiful arrangement, where children can go to school, close early, have the strength to do their fasting and continue with their lives. That is reasonable. That’s how it should be.”

“So those who have taken this decision without consultation, we are calling on them to beg them, to copy the good example of what the Governor of Borno State has done, by repackaging this thing, so that their children’s education would not be interrupted,” Oibe said.