Why Buhari’s graveyard wears new look — Family
A family member of the late President Muhammadu Buhari has explained the reason his grave is wearing a new look. Viral pictures and videos on social media showed that the graveyard where the former president is laid to rest within his Daura country home is wearing a new look weeks after his burial. The shots […]
A family member of the late President Muhammadu Buhari has explained the reason his grave is wearing a new look.
Viral pictures and videos on social media showed that the graveyard where the former president is laid to rest within his Daura country home is wearing a new look weeks after his burial.
The shots were taken during a recent visit by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State to the graveyard.
While some argue that the graveyard of the former president deserves the new look, considering his status while alive, others think that the development negates Islamic dictates.
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When contacted for a possible reason for such an action, a family member, Alhaji Hamisu Haro, who is in charge of the day-to-day running of the late former President’s house, said the fencing was strictly for security reasons.
He said religious dictates were taken into consideration before the fencing.
“Considering the time we are in, we felt that there is a need to fence the graveyard, keep it secure, so that whosoever comes to visit would stay out there and offer their prayers, just like what people saw during Governor Radda’s visit recently.
“There was a time some people, out of their sheer admiration for the former president, went and laid some flowers at the grave, without our knowledge, we had to remove those flowers from the place, because it is a practice that contradicts Islamic teachings.
“That is why we thought of fencing the whole area, so that no one will access it without our knowledge,” he said.
He said, apart from the fence within the area, there is also a concrete floor around the rave and a pavement leading towards the area, which could help check the problem of erosion due to rainwater.
He assured that the grave itself has not been changed, considering the religious teachings.
Daily Trust learnt that although there are different perspectives among the four major Islamic sects in Nigeria – Izala/Salaf, Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyya and Shi’a, all of them have little or no regard for the perimeter fencing of a graveyard.
A Katsina-based Islamic scholar, who preferred anonymity, said, “The bone of contention has to do with the grave itself, how it should be done, and there is a prophetic narration prohibiting decoration, tombstone and so on.
“But regarding fencing, even the place where our noble prophet and two of his companions are lying now is fenced.
“But with regards to decorating the tomb itself, and the tombstone, or in some cases, a metal plate bearing the name of the deceased, the Salaf or Izala sect is very strict about its prohibition, unlike the other sects that highly decorate the tombs of their religious leaders,” he explained.