Thread by @aushamaki

Are you one of those people who think because they're Hausa and they are Muslims, that somehow gives them greater right to Islam or makes them act and feel like they are better Muslims than others, this thread is for you.

I have a friend with whom I went to university, who had an annoyingly nasty habit of acting, speaking & regarding Muslims from other ethnic groups in a condescending manner. It didn't matter how many times I admonished him or scolded him about it he wouldn't stop.

What's worse, he didn't try to be low-key about it. He openly and unabashedly expressed his disdain for Muslims from other ethnic groups, even going as far as implying they had to pray twice more than usual to have their prayers answered.

On countless occasions, we would have serious fights and refuse to speak to each other. However, since our families were close, the avenues for reconciliation were too numerous to be ignored. So we, for lack of a better word, endured one another.

One day, a young lady in school converted to Islam & was having a discussion with some ladies who were explaining some basic tenets of Islam to her. When he heard about it he laughed & passed a demeaning comment. I lost it. We had a serious fight that almost got physical.

Once again, family and friends prevailed upon us & we reached what could best be described as an uneasy truce. One day my Dad came to Kano & asked me to accompany him to the family house of a friend of his so he could check on his friend's dad, who at the time was almost 95.

The old gentleman happened to be a history teacher back in the day. He had taught at some of Northern Nigeria's oldest secondary schools and despite his age had an astounding memory. My Dad & I who happen to be history buffs spent hours chatting about various historical events.

While we were chatting it occurred to me that the old gentleman seemed to have a rich history of a lot of prominent families in Kano, my friend's family included. We chatted for hours. Thinking about it now evokes a lot of nostalgia.

A few weeks later I witnessed once again my friend's condescending remark about Muslims from other ethnic groups. I decided I was going to teach him a lesson he would never forget. Considering how humbled he was & still is by the lesson I taught him, it's evident he never forgot.

I called my Dad's friend & asked him if his Dad would be home during the weekend, I wanted to visit to say hi and discuss history with him. He said: "Of course, he'll be home. He's over 90. Where is he going out to?" So I asked my friend to accompany me to see the old gentleman.

On a Saturday afternoon we went to see the old gentleman. We chatted about various historical events. Then I surreptitiously steered the conversation towards the prominent families in Kano. As the old man reeled off the history of the prominent families, my friend was intrigued.

As someone who was very proud of his family and didn't fail to wave his family name in people's faces, I knew he couldn't resist to take the bait. He asked the old gentleman to tell him some more about his family's history.

Prior to this, my friend knew little about his ancestors. The old gentleman however, had the skill and knowledge to trace his family way way way back. As he told my friend about his family's history, I waited for the perfect opening, then I pounced.

"Has my friend's family always been Muslims?" I asked. Here is the old gentleman's response: "Of course not. Islam in Kano like most Northern states was more or less an imported religion. Before it's arrival, people engaged in paganism."

"Some people worshipped the sun, some worshipped thunder, others worshipped carvings. In particular reference to your friend's family, his great great grandfather's father was known to be a staunch pagan who was highly opposed to converting to Islam."

"In fact, it was said that he banished one of his sons who dared to accept Islam. In fact historians cannot accurately say for sure if he converted to Islam before his death or remained a pagan till his death." My friend was dumbfounded. His mouth hung open.

The old gentleman wasn't done: "Come to think of it, I believe there are some distant relatives of yours in a village outside Kano who are yet to convert to Islam. They still practice the old ways of the Maguzawa."
My friend was absolutely flabbergasted by this revelation.

During the drive back to school he was quiet. His entire reality had been shaken. Here was someone who believed he being Hausa made him a better Muslim than people from other ethnic groups but he had just been informed his ancestors were at one time pagans.

For weeks he hated me & avoided me at all cost as he had finally understood my reason for taking him to see the old historian. Later on he softened and became humble. From that day to this very day, he has never regarded Muslims from other ethnic groups with disrespect.

So, the next time you feel the urge to regard Muslims from other ethnic groups with disrespect and disdain, check your family history first and ask yourself if your tribe or family owns the rights to Islam.