Friday sermon: On the planned genocide against Igbo Muslims in Nigeria
By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, who has honoured the Muslim believers with servitude to Him alone and submission to Him, and has bound their hearts with the bond of allegiance to Him, and has made it obligatory upon them to show mercy to each other and to support one another for His sake.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, who conveyed the Message, fulfilled the mission with which he had been entrusted, and strived in the way of Allah as is His due. May Allah bless him, his family, and his Companions. To proceed:
Dear brothers and sisters! Fear Allah, and know that whoever fears Allah, He will protect him from evil in this world and the Hereafter, and He will provide for him a way out of every hardship and grant him relief from every distress.
Respected brothers and sisters! Allah the Most High says: “They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light, although some of the disbelievers dislike it. It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it.” [Qur’an, 9:32-33]
Respected brothers and sisters! The entire Muslim Ummah in Nigeria has unanimously condemned in strong terms the hostility, hatred, hate speech and hate mongering been spread in an alarming vedio and audio recording, circulating on social media that allegedly calls for violence against Nigerian Igbo Muslims, describing it a direct incitement to criminality.
In the message, the Igbo Muslim sister, Basirah Ugochi Abdullahi, tried her best to translate the hate speech spewed against certain community simply for practicing the religion of their choices.
She raised a serious concern over the safety of Muslims living in south-east. She warns that the situation has escalated and that members of the Muslim community now fear for their lives.
She said, this is no longer a matter to be taken lightly, as threats and hostility have increased. She is calling on the relevant security agencies to urgently intervene and ensure the protection of lives and property of the Igbo Muslims.
The dangerous audio, which gained widespread attention on TikTok, is attributed to one Igbo man, Maazi Kanayo and reportedly urges members of the Igbo ethnic group to abduct, brutalise, eliminate and bury alive fellow Igbos who practice Islam, while falsely accusing them of abandoning their faith for material gain.
The entire Muslim Ummah in Nigeria warned that such rhetoric poses a serious threat to public safety and undermines Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees of life, religious freedom, and peaceful coexistence.
Therefore, the entire Muslim Ummah in Nigeria urged Nigerian security agencies to investigate the origin of the vedio and audio and ensure that all those responsible are identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Nigerian security agencies must dig into this evil plan and expose the organisers before any bloodshed is carried out by the criminal haters.
The Nigerian Muslim Ummah also called on regulatory authorities and social media platforms to take swift action to curb the spread of any content that promotes hatred or threatens communal harmony, and asked political, community, and religious leaders to publicly denounce the incitement to violence and reaffirm their commitment to peaceful coexistence.
The freedom of expression does not include incitement to murder, destruction of properties, ethnic cleansing, or religious persecution. So let the Nigerians reject divisive narratives and stand against any attempts to weaponise ethnicity or religion.
Let’s continue to engage authorities and monitor the situation to ensure that the dangerous rhetoric is addressed before it escalates into unnecessary violence.
Dear servants of Allah! As the whole world witnessed, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the embodiment of compassion, peace, kindness, patience, and mercy. His actions and words continue to inspire millions around the world.
For example, in Makkah, there was an elderly woman who despised Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and would throw garbage at him whenever he passed by her house.
She did this every day without fail. Despite her actions, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) never reacted with anger or revenge.
One day, he noticed that no garbage had been thrown at him. Concerned, he inquired about the woman and learned that she was ill. Instead of feeling relief or satisfaction, he went to visit her. When she saw him, she was surprised and asked why he was there.
With kindness, he replied, “I heard you were unwell, and I came to see if you needed anything.”
Overwhelmed by his compassion, the woman’s heart softened. She realised that he was not an enemy but a man of great character. Eventually, she embraced Islam, acknowledging that only a true Prophet of Allah could possess such patience and kindness.
This shows that, even when faced with hatred from enemies, respond with kindness and concern. Kindness has the power to change hearts.
The religion of Islam offers powerful guidance on avoiding hate mongering, emphasising unity, compassion, mercy, and the grave spiritual consequences of spreading division.
The life of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the primary example for all Muslims in dealing with hostility. When faced with extreme persecution, including being driven out of cities and pelted with stones, his response was always one of gentleness and hope for guidance.
A famous instance occurred in the city of Ta’if where, after enduring severe abuse, he refused the Angel of the Mountains’ offer to crush the people between two mountains, instead praying that Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Allah alone.
This powerful story illustrates that the Islamic response to hate is mercy and patience, not retaliation in kind.
Dear brothers and sisters! Have you heard about the devil of Quraish?
Indeed, it was Umair Ibn Wahb al-Jumahi. He was a disbeliever who fought against the Muslims during the Battle of Badr, and his son was taken captive in the hands of the Muslims. Later, he conspired with Safwan Ibn Umayyah to go to Madinah with the intention of deceitfully assassinating the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
When Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, saw Umair brandishing his sword, he was alarmed and shouted, “This is the enemy of Allah who provoked us on the Day of Badr and incited the people against us.”
He then ordered the Companions to be vigilant and cautious of him, ensuring that he would not harm or plot against the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
When Umair entered the presence of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the prophet, (peace be upon him), informed him of the true reason for his visit and the agreement with Safwan to kill him.
At that very moment, Umair realised that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a truthful Messenger who received revelation from Allah, and as a result, Umair declared his faith in Allah and became Muslim.
When Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, saw him embracing Islam, he was delighted and exclaimed, “By the One in whose hand is my soul, I hated Umair more than I hated a pig, when he came to us intending to kill the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). But now, I love him more than I love some of my own children.” [Narrated by At-Tabarani]
Fellow Nigerians! Hatred is described in a powerful Prophetic Hadith as a “razor” that shaves away, not hair, but one’s religion. This analogy serves as a strong warning that allowing hatred to consume the heart erodes faith and good deeds.
We are encouraged to remove envy and resentment to achieve true peace and contentment. The Qur’an teaches a prayer against this. Allah Almighty says:
“Our Lord, let not hate take root in our hearts.”
The Qur’an explicitly commands the Muslim believers to “hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided” (Quran, 3:103).
This Qur’anic verse highlights social cohesion as a fundamental goal of Islam. Hate speech is seen as working against this goal by creating divisions and alienating people, which in turn weakens the entire community. Promoting love, brotherhood, and harmony among people is the prescribed counter to hate speech and radicalism.
The noble Qur’an advises: “Repel that which is evil with that which is better.” [Qur’an, 41:34]
This principle guides Muslim believers to respond to hostility with grace and ethics.
Do not let your dislike for someone lead you to be unjust towards them. Be just, for that is closer to piety. Lying or creating false stories about someone you dislike is forbidden.
And Islam requires truthfulness and encourages a “good word” (Hadith). Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) taught that even a smile is charity, emphasising the positive power of our interactions.
Spreading the greeting of peace (As-salamu alaikum) is a fundamental act that fosters love and unity among people.
These teachings emphasise that the believer’s strength lies in their moral character, patience, and commitment to unity and compassion, even in the face of hate mongering.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) dealt with hostility and hatred through patience, forgiveness, dignity, and prayer for his enemies’ guidance, consistently choosing mercy over revenge. His approach aimed to win hearts through noble character, as exemplified in several Islamic teachings.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) emphasised that strength lies in controlling anger, not in overpowering others. He himself never shouted or used foul language, even under extreme provocation.
The Qur’anic verse, “Repel evil by that deed which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity will become as though he was a devoted friend” (Qur’an, 41:34), was a guiding principle for his actions.
Even when in a position of power, he chose forgiveness, famously declaring “Today is the day of mercy” upon the Conquest of Makkah, granting general amnesty to his former persecutors.
Instead of cursing those who harmed him, he prayed for their enlightenment, believing they acted out of ignorance. He maintained his integrity even with his enemies, ensuring the return of their belongings entrusted to him before his migration from Makkah.
While the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was resting under a tree, a hostile man seized his sword and asked, “Who is going to stop me from killing you now?”
The Prophet calmly replied, “Allah.” The man trembled and dropped the sword. The Prophet picked it up and asked the man the same question; the man pleaded for mercy and the Prophet forgave him and let him go free.
After the Battle of Uhud, Hind bint Utbah mutilated the body of the Prophet’s uncle, Hamza. Years later, after the Conquest of Makkah, she came to the Prophet and accepted Islam. He recognised her but did not say anything, displaying a remarkable act of forgiveness and magnanimity.
These examples highlight that true strength, as taught by the Prophet Muhammad, lies in mercy, patience, and the power of good character to transform hatred into love and unity.
Finally, Allah has commanded the Muslim believers to declare this openly, as He says:
“Say, O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” [Qurʾan, 109:1-6]
O Allah, honour Islam and Muslims and humiliate our enemies and destroy their enmity. O Allah, support Your servants who strive for Your Cause and for the elevation of Your religion.
O Allah, save the weak and oppressed people in Nigeria and everywhere, show compassion to them, empower them, and envelop them in Your mercy. O Allah, defeat the transgressing enemies, destroy them one by one, eliminate them entirely, leave none of them behind, and grant us victory over them with Your Mighty strength. Indeed, You are the Powerful, the Exalted in Might.
O Allah, grant success to our leaders, support them in what You love and are pleased with. Guide them towards righteousness and piety. Our Lord, grant us the good of this world and good of the Hereafter and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
O Servants of Allah: Remember Allah frequently and glorify Him in the morning and evening, and let our final supplication be: All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
All praise is due only to the Almighty Allah, and may His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the final Messenger and the seal of the Prophets.
This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Rajab 12, 1447 AH (January 02, 2026).
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi state, Nigeria. He can be reached via gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761 or +2348024192217.
