Emir Sanusi removes carpet bearing inscription allegedly disrespectful of Prophet Muhammad

The Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, has removed from his palace a customised rug engraved with his adopted name, ‘Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi ll’, which has generated controversy in the state and beyond.

On Wednesday, PREMIUM TIMES reported how a photo of the emir walking on the rug sparked controversy, with some Islamic clerics accusing him of disrespecting a religious creed through his actions.

The emir promptly addressed the accusation, saying actions are judged according to intention. Citing references, Mr Sanusi insisted that he was not wrong because his intention was not to disrespect the prophet.

But on Thursday, a photo of the emir standing on the same floor but without the controversial rug appeared online. A senior emirate official told PREMIUM TIMES that the carpet was removed following the controversy.

The official said the emir would address the public on the issue but he did not say when.

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In a trending video, Muhammad Sharif, a Zaria-based Islamic cleric, said the emir should have followed the disciplines of the founders of Tijjaniyya, Ahmadu Tijjani, and Ibrahim Niasse, in showing respect to Prophet Muhammad and emulated the late American boxer Muhammad Ali, who refused to have his name on the floor of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame out of respect for Prophet Muhammad.

Mr Sharif said Mr Ali told the producers of Walk of Fame ceremonies that the names he bore, Muhammad and Ali, belonged to respected figures in Islam and should not be defaced; thus, he requested that his star be put on a wall rather than on the sidewalk like the other stars.

In 2002, the legendary boxer was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, breaking tradition, the star was mounted on the wall instead of the pavement at the Kodak Theater entertainment complex.

“I saw how Muhammad Sanusi, claiming to be the Khalifa of Tijjaniyya, is walking on a carpet inscribed with Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi. The name Muhammad is above someone to walk on if you truly respect the name; not even the Khalifa of Tijjaniyya or any other Muslim/ even non-Muslim who knows the right thing can walk on Muhammad’s name.

“For the Khalifa of Tijjaniyya walking on Muhammad’s name, I doubt if he is truly a disciple of Ahmadu Tijjani (the founder of Tijjaniyya),” Mr Sharif said in the trending video.

Another cleric from the Tijjaniyya sect, Ali Abdulrahman, said if the emir had walked on Muhammad’s name in the time of Imam Malik, he would have been punished for disrespecting a religious creed.

Another Kano-based cleric, Ishaq Adam, a lawyer, quoting other scholars, said the emir’s action was disrespectful to the name of the prophet. He urged the emir to remove the carpet.

But Mr Sanusi, while responding to the debate, said the clerics who accused him of wrongdoing probably did not understand him. He said he would accept any superior argument over his own in the debate.

Mr Sanusi said disrespecting the name of God or any prophet of God by directly making reference to them is what is considered an offence in Islam.

Mr Sanusi said his intention was never to disrespect the name because the carpet only bore his name, not that of Prophet Muhammad (SAW); quoting Islamic scholars who debated the issue.

The emir, born Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, adopted the name of his grandfather and former emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, after his initial appointment as emir in 2014.