Maitasine A Myth or a Mischief?

Abstract

There have been errorneous statements made by some writers that the
"Izalah Muslim sect, which is officially recognized, has a doctrine similar to
those of Muhammadu Marwa Maitatsine". This was the interpretation of
West Africa Magazine and also that of Dr. M. A. Ojo whose article on The
Maitatsine Revolution in Nigeria appeared in the American Journal Islamic
Social Sciences.
The actual name of Izalah Movement is Izalat al-Bid'ah Wa Iqamat al-
Sunnah, the movement that aims at removing devilic innovations (al-Bid'ah
al-Shaytaniyyah) and establishing Sunnah in the life of Muslims on the same
pattern as that of the great Nigerian Mujahid and Mujaddid Shaikh 'Uthman
Danfodio. The person who started this reform movement is no other than
Shaikh Abubakar Mahud Gumi who has been recently recognized and awarded
King Faysal Award for his meritorious services to the cause of Islam in
Africa.
The question is then, who was Maitatsine or who are the Maitatsine
followers who made their very strange appearance in Nigeria at dijerent
times? I have read all the writings about Maitatsine by various scholars and I
have closely tried to study this mischievous anti-Islamic and destructive
movement, but as time goes on I have become more and more perplexed like
many of my friends about the real identity of Maitatsine and his followers.
The recent write-up by the columnist Candido in New Nigerian Newspaper
entitled, "The Maitatine Scare", on Wednesday April 8,1987 is an alarming
disclosure: ...