Islam Forbids Forced Conversion and Violence Against Non-Muslims, GSU Professor Says
- A Professor of Islamic Studies at Gombe State University delivered the institution's 26th inaugural lecture on religious tolerance in Nigeria
- Prof. Safiyanu Ishiaku argued that most conflicts labelled as religious crises in Nigeria are actually driven by political and ethnic interests
- Gombe State University's Vice Chancellor linked the lecture's theme to Nigeria's approaching 2027 election season
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
A Professor of Islamic Studies at Gombe State University, Safiyanu Ishiaku, has said that Islam does not permit any form of forced conversion or the killing of non-Muslims, describing such acts as clear violations of the religion's core teachings.
Ishiaku made these remarks on Tuesday while delivering the university's 26th inaugural lecture, titled "Islamic Principles of Tolerance Toward Non-Muslims: A Panacea to Peaceful Coexistence in Multi-Religious Nigeria."
Source: Facebook
Insurgency Misrepresents Islam, Professor Argues
The professor was direct in his condemnation of violent extremism carried out in the name of religion, Punch reports.
He said insurgents who forcibly convert people to Islam or kill non-Muslims are acting against everything the faith stands for.
"The insurgency we are witnessing today, where people are forcefully converted to Islam or non-Muslims are killed in the name of religion, is never the teaching of Islam. It is deviation, misunderstanding, misconception and misperception. Islam has nothing to do with forcing people to accept it," Ishiaku said.
He urged those seeking to understand Islam to go directly to the Qur'an and authenticated traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, rather than judging the religion by the behaviour of some of its followers.
"If you want to understand Islam, go to the Qur'an. If you want to understand Islam, go to the authentic Hadith of the Prophet. Islam is a religion of peace," he said.
Ishiaku added that non-Muslims frequently assess Islam through the conduct of individual Muslims, without drawing any distinction between those who are ignorant, those who are deviant, and what the religion itself actually teaches.
Religious Labels Used to Mask Other Conflicts
Beyond extremism, Ishiaku raised a broader concern about how religion is exploited in Nigeria's conflict landscape.
He argued that the majority of so-called religious crises in the country are not genuinely religious in origin but are instead rooted in political, ethnic, or economic disputes that get framed in religious terms because of how deeply faith resonates with Nigerians.
He maintained that only a small number of conflicts in Nigeria's history have had any direct religious basis, while the rest have simply borrowed religious language to mobilise support or settle unrelated grievances.
The professor also warned against ideological followership, saying some Muslims have caused harm to Islam's reputation by prioritising loyalty to individuals over adherence to authentic teachings.
University Ties Lecture to 2027 Election Season
The management of Gombe State University welcomed the lecture's theme as relevant to Nigeria's current moment.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sani Yauta, was represented at the event by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Danladi Umar, who said the lecture addressed one of the country's most pressing national concerns.
"It is very essential, especially now that we are getting closer to a very critical season — election season — for the nation. We need peace, and we also need to understand the best way to coexist," Yauta said.
The Chairman of the University Ceremonies Committee, Prof. Mohammed Gurama Dukku, noted that the event was the eighth inaugural lecture from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the second from the Department of Islamic Studies since it separated from the former Department of Religious Studies.
India orders demolition of Muslim-founded university
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that hundreds of students and supporters have protested plans by authorities in India's Uttar Pradesh state to demolish most of the buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, a Muslim-founded institution at the centre of a growing political and legal dispute.
The proposed demolition follows an order issued by the Rampur Development Authority (RDA), which alleged that 38 of the university's 40 buildings were constructed without the required approvals.
Source: Legit.ng
