Maitatsine

Mohammed Marwa (died 1980), best known by his nickname Maitatsine, was a controversial Islamic scholar in Nigeria. Maitatsine is a Hausa word meaning "the one who damns" and refers to his curse-laden public speeches against the Nigerian state.^[1]

He was originally from Marwa in northern Cameroon. After his education he moved to Kano, Nigeria in about 1945, where he became known for his controversial preachings on the Qur'an. Maitatsine claimed to be a prophet,^[2] and saw himself as a mujaddid in the image of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio.^[1] Although a Koranic scholar, he seemingly rejected the hadith and the sunnah and regarded the reading of any other book but the Koran as paganism. Maitatsine spoke against the use of radios, watches, bicycles, cars and the possession of more money than necessary.^[3][4] In 1979, he even rejected the prophethood of Mohammed and portrayed himself as an annạbi (Hausa for "prophet").^[4]

The British colonial authorites sent him into exhile, but he returned to Nigeria shortly after independence. He returned to Kano and by 1972 he had a notable and increasingly militaristic following of Yan Tatsine.^[4] In 1975 he was again arrested by Nigerian police for slander and public abuse of political authorities.^{[citation needed]} But in that period he began to receive acceptance from religious authorities, especially after making hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.^{[citation needed]} As his following increased in the 1970s, so did the number of confrontations between his adherents and the police. His preaching attracted largely a following of youths, unemployed migrants, and those who felt that mainstream Muslim teachers were not doing enough for their communities.^{[citation needed]} By December 1980, continued Yan Tatsine attacks on other religious figures and police forced the Nigerian army to become involved. Subsequent armed clashes led to the deaths of around 5,000 people, including Maitatsine himself.^[4] Maitatsine died shortly after sustaining injuries in the clashes either from the wounds or from heart attack.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Adesoji, Abimbola (Summer 2011). "Between Maitatsine and Boko Haram: Islamic Fundamentalism and the Response of the Nigerian State". Africa Today 57 (4): 98–119,136. http://search.proquest.com/docview/883393210?accountid=10475. Retrieved 2011-11-13. 
2. ^ Isichei, Elizabeth (1987-10). "The Maitatsine Risings in Nigeria 1980-1985: A Revolt of the Disinherited". Journal of Religion in Africa 17 (3): 194–208. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1580874. Retrieved 2011-09-04. 
3. ^ Kastfelt, Niels (1989). "Rumours of Maitatsine: A Note on Political Culture in Northern Nigeria". African Affairs 88 (350): 83–90. http://afraf.oxfordjournals.org/content/88/350/83.extract. Retrieved 2011-09-04. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Pham, J. Peter (2006-10-19). "In Nigeria False Prophets Are Real Problems". worlddefensereview.com. World Defense Review. http://worlddefensereview.com/pham101906.shtml. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
5. ^ Hiskett, Mervyn (1987-10). "The Maitatsine Riots in Kano, 1980: An Assessment". Journal of Religion in Africa 17: 209-23. JSTOR 1580875. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1580875. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 

External links

• The Maitatsine Riots in Kano, 1980: An Assessment
• The 1982 Maitatsine uprisings in Nigeria: a note

Persondata
Name	Maitatsine
Alternative names	Marwa, Mohammed (real name)
Short description	Islamic scholar in Nigeria
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	1980
Place of death