Sheikh Zakzaky, the guest of Iran these days.
Sheikh Ibrahim Yaqub Zakzaky was born on May 5, 1953, in the city of Zaria in the northern part of Nigeria. He was born in a Sunni and Maliki family.
Among Sunni sects, Malikis have major differences from other sects, and most West African Muslims are also Malikis. Ebrahim Zakzaky was also studying religious sciences in addition to studying at school. For this purpose, he went to the city of Kano (northern Nigeria) and studied at the School of Arabic Studies.
Due to his numerous scientific and educational activities in the university, he became a member of the Muslim Students Union after a short period of time and then became the imam of a religious school.
In 1975, he entered Ahmed Belu University in Zaria and a few years later, he received his bachelor’s degree in economics from this university. Due to his numerous scientific and educational activities at the university, he became a member of the Muslim Students Union after a short period of time and then became an imam in a religious school. Finally, in the same year, he was able to take over the position of Secretary General of the Muslim Students’ Union of Ahmad Bello University.
Meeting with Imam in Paris
During his trip to France, Zakzaky met and talked with Imam Rahel, who was spending his exile in Paris at the same time. A meeting that was supposed to change the fate of Ibrahim and tens of millions of people.
This meeting was the beginning of an end; A meeting that brought Hanif Nigeria to his true love and goal. Ibrahim Zakzaky ran after the truth with his right-seeking spirit like Salman Farsi, and when he found it, he did not simply pass it by. This meeting was recorded in history, and Noflelochateau signed the decree of happiness and salvation of tens of millions of surrendered hearts.
Meeting with Imam in Iran
At the beginning of the revolution, 30 members of the Muslim Students Union of Nigeria came to Iran with the support (or at least lack of opposition) of the ruling government in Abuja. Ebrahim Zakzaky, who was the vice president of international affairs of the national committee of this union, entered Iran for the first time with great enthusiasm.
Zakzaky was given the opportunity to meet Imam Khomeini again, this time as the supreme leader of the revolution. In that visit, the Imam gave him a Quran as a gift and said: Go and guide the people of your country with the Quran. He was fascinated by Imam and his religion. Zakzaky officially changed his religion from Sunni Maliki to Shia. He, who had learned the religious sciences of Sunnis well, entered the seminary of Qom to learn the religious sciences of Shia and became a distinguished student of this seminary.
During Zakzaky’s trip to Tehran, the Imam gave him a Quran as a gift and said: Go and guide the people of your country with the Quran. He was fascinated by the Imam and his religion. Zakzaky officially changed his religion from Sunni Maliki to Shia
Ibrahim Zakzaky, whose name was now pronounced with the prefix “Sheikh”, returned to his country and tried to inform the people of Nigeria about the success of the Iranian Islamic Revolution. According to Zaintuddin Ibrahim, Sheikh Zakzaky’s wife, he often told everyone that it is possible to return to Islam and the Islamic government. If God made this victory possible for the people of Iran, then this is also possible in Nigeria.
The beginning of the movement in Nigeria
Sheikh Zakzaky’s movement started in the early eighties and spread to other parts of Nigeria, especially the northern parts (which are mostly Muslim). Of course, its feedback can also be seen in the southern parts, but these effects could not be as great as what happened in the north.
In its history, Nigeria has had an Islamic revolutionary experience of about 200 years (and led by Ben Fodio) which, with the arrival of European colonists in this country and the growth of Christian ideas, gradually turned the government of this populous West African country into a secular system. Sheikh Ebrahim Zakzaky, who had the idea of creating an Islamic revolution in his country, got a double spirit with the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran, and with the increase of his hopes, the Islamic movement also started.
Trying to suppress the movement
With the beginning of his movement, the opposition and repressions of the Nigerian government also began. Under the influence of Western, Zionist and Wahhabi influences, the Nigerian government felt the danger of Sheikh Zakzaky’s existence and deprived him of free social and political actions.
Sheikh Zakzaky, of course, during his student days, was always one of the main figures of the nationwide student protests that wanted Sharia laws to be included in the review of the Nigerian constitution. But after returning from Qom, his activities became more serious. Zakzaky was imprisoned several times on charges of sedition and disturbing public order.
He experienced prison in all Nigerian governments from Obasanjo, Shajari, and Buhari to Babangida and Abacha.