Islamic scholars and clerics have strongly rejected any attempts to link banditry, terrorism, and other violent crimes with Islam, stressing that the religion stands for peace, justice, and the sanctity of human life.
The declaration came at the 17th Annual Islamic International Conference, organised by Daaru Na’im Academy for Shariah Sciences, Nigeria, which held in Lagos and drew over 20,000 participants from across Nigeria and beyond.
The four-day conference carried the theme: “The Jurisprudence of the Sound Creed and Contemporary Challenges.”
Speaking at the event, Dr Imran AbdulMajeed Eleha, convener of the conference, said the gathering aimed to examine the relevance of sound Islamic belief across African societies in light of evolving social behaviours that contradict authentic Islamic principles.
“This challenge is further compounded by discourses hostile to the sound creed, propagated by groups that claim affiliation with Islam and the qiblah, yet remain far removed from the true methodology of Islam in belief and actions,” Eleha said.
The conference focused on tackling contemporary challenges facing Muslim communities, including extremism, moral decay, and social vices, while promoting unity, cohesion, and mutual understanding.
Guest speakers, including Professor Abdul Mojeed Alaro and the Grand Kadi of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Kamaldeen Abdulateef, called on Nigerians of all faiths to embrace religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and national unity, describing these as essential tools in combating insecurity.
Representatives of international Islamic bodies, such as Dr Hamad Al-Wuhaybi, from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Sheikh Mohammad Ali Wahiso, Deputy Mufti of Uganda, reinforced the message, asserting that terrorism and banditry are antithetical to Islamic teachings and should never be attributed to the religion.
The scholars warned that misrepresenting Islam as a violent faith fuels mistrust, prejudice, and religious intolerance, and urged Nigerians to reject narratives that associate the religion with crime or injustice.
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