… His Tafsir in Kaduna against killings

Few days before the attack, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi was critical in his commentary of verse 35 in chapter five of the Qur’an which prohibits the taking of the life of any human being. The verse (Qur’an 5:35) reads thus: “On that account, we ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person […]

Few days before the attack, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi was critical in his commentary of verse 35 in chapter five of the Qur’an which prohibits the taking of the life of any human being.
The verse (Qur’an 5:35) reads thus: “On that account, we ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person (unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land) it would be as if he slew the entire humanity; And if anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the entire humanity.
Although there came to them Apostle with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continue to commit excesses in the land.”
In his elaborate and extensive exegesis of this verse, Sheikh Dahiru condemned the killing of innocent lives. He emphatically explained that every life, regardless of faith, is sacred; and that no human life shall be taken except on two conditions namely: (1) When an individual kills another and is convicted of the crime of murder after prosecution; adding that only government has the legitimate authority to ensure that the law takes its course against the criminal. (2) When a Muslim is confirmed beyond reasonable doubt to be an apostate; changing his religion from Islam to another. Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi was categorical that it is not part of Islam for any individual or group to kill people. He further clarified that to kill an individual because of the ideals he represents is to kill all who uphold the ideal. To save an individual life in the same circumstances is to save a whole community.
While also commenting on verse 48 down the same chapter (Qur’an 5:48), Sheikh Dahiru yet criticized wanton killing of lives. Qur’an 5:48 reads as follows: “We ordained therein for them: life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal. But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what God has revealed, they are no better than wrong doers” Here again, Sheikh Dahiru stressed that even in the taking of revenge for loss of any part of the human body, such can only be done under the weight of a constituted authority.