Deborah Samuel: You Stood Alone in Life, In Death with Millions

Deborah Samuel: You Stood Alone in Life, In Death with Millions

By: James Bwala

Many scholars began books with this Hadith. Imam Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy upon him, commences his book of Hadith (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) with this Hadith and explains that every action that is done without seeking Allah’s pleasure is invalid and devoid of reward.

It is narrated on the authority of Amir al-Mu’minin (Leader of the Believers), Abu Hafs ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), say

“Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for.”(Related by Bukhari & Muslim).

If you asked me; there are about two things I learnt here. I am not a muslim neither an authority on Islamic teachings, but my simple understanding of this Hadith is that whoever done things for the sake of Allah or his Prophet will have Allah’s reward. Also whoever does things for worldly gain will have the worldly reward.

So many people have condemned the killing of Deborah Samuel last Thursday following the alleged claim of blasphemy. Other things followed and I learnt about seven people were also killed during the protest that ensued as a result of the arrest of perpetrators of that heinous crime. I am happy that so many educated Islamic clerics did not agree to this point of mixing religion with madness.

I have had the privilege of listening to Deborah’s tape or rather alleged audio voice where she was alleged blasphemous and had to pay with her blood. As a northerner, I have heard and seen such situations a number of times I could not count. In Deborah’s case I have heard an audio sound to that effect. I have told my friends that she made a mistake because I know the society and the environment we are living in. Sincerely speaking, for a Christian in the north, it has been a dangerous ground to stand with a Muslim on religious matter. It is either you play along or you stand alone. Deborah did stand alone in this case.

I recalled a similar case at the University of Maiduguri in my early days of reporting where an Igbo student was lynched because somebody framed him by saying that he saw him wiping his ass with the pages of the Holy Quar’an. I told my friends at that time that the Igbo student was framed yet they did not believe me. I believe they thought I was just trying to take side with the alleged wrongdoing by the Igbo boy. I left it like that and played along. The DSS because of the continuing problem at the University of Maiduguri at that time stationed their men to watch out for the trouble shooters. That was prior to the escalation of the Boko Haram Insurgency’.

About a week later, I drove with one of my colleagues to the University. That was on July 26, 2008. That day also, he told me his name was Daniel John, but I know him as Ahmed Salkida. I was not surprised at what we stumbled on that day at the University of Maiduguri. One Malam Musa from Gombe state. He is a student of the Islamic Studies Department. He also used to lead prayers at the Mosque near the Bursary Department at the time.

Malam Musa, we learnt, was caught near the Juma’at Mosque trying to frame up another student after he (Malam Musa) did the unthinkable with the pages of the said Holy Book. I was also not shocked when some Muslims selling as well as some students who are muslims asking the security official to do ‘Afuwa’ for the criminal (Afuwa is like asking for forgiveness, so that they don’t take him for prosecution.). As a reporter, I did my own story and I also spoke with the then state Director of SSS about it. After a few days of roar on the matter, it naturally died down and the student (Malam Musa) was set free.

Also Read: Tambuwal relaxes 24-hour curfew in Sokoto

Other similar cases continued to happen and all the leaders both Muslims and Christians are aware of it after much talk and writing on the pages of newspapers, the story or actions needed to take go down with the voices just as is being done in the current case at hand.

I am never against punishment for wrong doers, but I am against taking the law against the already established laws of the nation. Such can lead to savagery.  In my profession I learnt to ensure a balanced story. Like I said, I listened to the audio over and over again with the Hadith above and other teaching of the Prophet of Islam (SWA) beating around my analysis of the whole but sad drama.

If this had happened in the US or Britain or any other country and not northern Nigeria would it have resulted into such unholy visitation? It also makes me to think again between ‘Preaching Peace and Violence’ in Islam. I believe this situation has given the Imam and Pastors more work to do on their followers and the Nigerian government must have to stand against such evils if we must continue to live as one indivisible nation.

The greetings of violence of this barbarian attitude again open many doors to question what we teach our people especially in the north. Analysing the audio and based on the Hadith I started this writing on, where should we place this sad occasion? If Peace were the watch word of Islam, killing Deborah Samuel as rightly explained further in the circulated piece by respected Islamic scholar, Sheikh Gumi and others who condemned the killing, we might indeed begin to call for those who are mixing religion with madness to see the light in the above admonition. 

My friend, who is a Muslim and we share a lot of thoughts ask my opinion on the Sokoto killing and I directed him to the Hadith. I told him there was the intention to kill Deborah Samuel long before it happened based on my analysis of the audio.  Before Deborah Samuel could utter those words that triggered the madness at Shehu Shagari College of Education last Thursday, She was heard saying, “Holy Ghost fire ‘nothing will happen to us”. 

If those words were to mean something, then there must have been a threat from a provocative statement. If I were to be judged in this case, I would ask why or what made Deborah utter those words and the subsequent ones that follow. Our people say you give a dog a bad name so you could kill it. If this case study is anything to go by, I will take the action as the killing of Deborah Samuel.

However, if indeed the action must be judged by the intention, I would assume that she was marked for death before it happened. My conclusion after a long listening of the audio is that in Nigeria, it is not easy to kill a human and go free, but when you mix such an idea with religious connotation then it is easy to take the life of someone and still be moving freely on the street.

Indeed, I see provocation and I see a threat that made Deborah shout, “Holy Ghost fire’ nothing will happen to us.” She however could not control the situation and voice out what was tag blasphemy. That perhaps is what the person provoking her was also waiting for and to get provoked for action. She could not play along, so she stands alone. She was gone, Deborah Samuel was history but should we continue to kill for whatever reason?

Deborah Samuel: You Stood Alone in Life, In Death with Millions