Sheikh Gumi Biography: Background, Ministry, Controversial Moments & Legacy

Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, also known as Sheikh Gumi, is a prominent Nigerian Islamic preacher, scholar, and former military officer. He is currently the Mufti and Mufassir (Qur’an interpreter) of Kaduna’s Sultan Bello Central Mosque. Sheikh Gumi was born on October 1, 1960, in Kano State, Nigeria, as the eldest son of the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, a renowned Islamic scholar who served as the first Grand Khadi of the old Northern Region. Sheikh Gumi comes from a long family of Islamic scholars who are highly involved in Northern Nigerian Islamic traditions.

Sheikh Gumi Biography

Gumi was born on the last Friday of Ramadan, 1344, in the village of Gummi (now a local government area in Zamfara state), to the family of Mahmud, an Islamic scholar and Gummi’s Alkali (judge).

Ahmad Gumi education

His education began within the boundaries of his family, as a student of his father’s Islamic teachings. He was eventually moved to a school in Ambursa, Sokoto province, where he was taught by a Malam named Musa. There, he was introduced to Fiqh and read books and praised poetry about the Prophet.

The first secular school he attended was Dogondaji Primary School, where he met Ibrahim Dasuki, the future 18th Sultan of Sokoto, and excelled in religious responsibilities. He was appointed Hakimin Salla (prayer leader) and was tasked with organising religious events for the students. Within a year, he was transferred to Sokoto Middle School, where Ahmadu Bello was a teacher.

There he met Shehu Shagari, Waziri Muhammadu Junaidu, and Yahaya Gusau, a co-founder of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, a well-known Nigerian Muslim organisation.

After finishing middle school, he moved to Kano to study law and become a Qadi. He started working as a scribe for Qadi Attahiru, but he quickly became dissatisfied with the technicalities of his position. As an outlet for his dissatisfaction, he taught private Islam and tafsir classes. His father died in 1937, when he was in middle school.

Career

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi began his military career as a medical officer in the Nigerian Army’s Medical Corps. After years of service, he retired with the rank of Captain and devoted himself entirely to Islamic teaching and studies.

As an Islamic preacher, he became well-known for his Ramadan Tafsir sessions in Kaduna’s Sultan Bello Mosque, where he interpreted and explained Qur’anic verses to thousands of followers. Sheikh Gumi has also been actively involved in peacekeeping missions in northern Nigeria, aiming to reduce violence and promote dialogue between opposing factions.

Conflicts

Abubakar Gumi has issues about the administrative and religious leadership provided by emirate officials in Northern Nigeria. His first dogmatic encounter with authorities occurred in Maru. The conflict was over the practice of Tayammum.

The main Imam of the Maru Mosque practised the act of washing with sand (Tayammum) before prayers, although Gumi contended that Tayammum was only appropriate when water was scarce, and water was abundant in Maru. Gumi went a step further in his challenge to the practice, instructing pupils not to attend prayers until the Imam stopped practising Tayammum.

Gumi, who had previously penned a blistering attack on the Sultan of Sokoto, suddenly found the Sultan interested in his complaint with the Chief Imam of Maru. The Sultan supported the formation of a commission of inquiry on the matter.

The commission, however, voted in favour of Gumi because of his greater grasp of Islamic ideology as well as his argumentation skills. After gaining a little success over the Sultan, Gumi capitalised on the limelight by writing a critical piece about Muslims, particularly the Sultan, accepting British titles. By then, he had begun to steadily question accepted ideas and attitudes towards action among the Muslim Ummah.

Gumi also targeted the Ahmadiyya movement, which is led by Jibril Martin. Gumi targeted the movement because parts of its founder’s opinions contradicted core Islamic orthodoxy, and the founder had called himself prophetic.

Gumi’s concerns about the movement were later exacerbated by the Nigerian founder’s organisational abilities; the movement gradually became involved in the Western Nigerian pilgrimage board, had established schools for students in the south, and was moving north in his dissemination of Ahmadi principles. Gumi accepted the challenge with ease, and the movement’s northward goal was curbed.

Awards

He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic. In 1987, he received Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal International Prize for his translation of the Quran into Hausa.

Abubakar Gumi, who was referred to as the father of Izala as he was usually mentioned during his Islamic teaching process, succeeded in overwhelming the establishment of the 1970s organisation by the name Izalatul Bidi’ah wa Iqamatussunah, co-founded by one of his prominent students whom Gumi tutored in his previous job as a schoolteacher at the School of Arabic Studies (SAS) in Kano, though he also maintains his membership in Jama’atu Nasrul Islam (JNI), which favours him to proceed in his

Controversy

Sheikh Gumi is one of Nigeria’s most controversial religious personalities. His negotiations with armed robbers in northern Nigeria have generated both praise and criticism.

He became known for entering woodlands and bandit camps to negotiate peace and persuade militants to hand over their guns, promising them that Allah would forgive them if they repented. Gumi claimed that “kidnapping children from school is a lesser evil because it allows negotiation,” which caused considerable criticism.

He also urged the Nigerian government to extend amnesty to repentant bandits, comparing them to former coup plotters who were pardoned under previous military administrations. As a result of these acts, he was summoned to testify before the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2021.

In addition, Sheikh Gumi has been a vocal critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, accusing it of failing to combat insecurity. He has also been accused of making inflammatory remarks, while he maintains that his aims are for peace and justice.

Personal Life

Sheikh Gumi is noted for his calm demeanour, strong faith, and commitment to peacebuilding. Despite the controversy surrounding him, he is a prominent religious leader who advocates for national unity, justice, and security. Sheikh Gumi is married; however, he keeps his wife’s identity confidential. His family is noted for living a humble and disciplined lifestyle in accordance with Islamic ideals.

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has multiple offspring, although little is known about them. He wants to keep his family matters out of the spotlight, focusing instead on his religious obligations and peace activism.

Sheikh Gumi Net Worth

Sheikh Gumi’s net worth is believed to be $3.1 million, which he has earned through his successful career as a medical doctor, Islamic scholar, and respected religious leader.

Social Media

X: @Ahmad_Gumi

Facebook: Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi.