Emir of Kano clarifies proposed Islamic Family Law to deter men who are not financially incapable from polygamy

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi ll said the proposed Kano Islamic Family Law was not meant to stop Muslims from marrying up to four wives as prescribed by Islam.During the 50th anniversary of Ambassador Wali in Abuja last Sunday, the monarch said a committee he has set up is seeking to propose a law which will expect men to fulfill certain conditions before they can marry more wives.  The law will also address outlaw forced marriages, make domestic violence illegal, maintenance of of children and inheritance. 

"Those of us in the North have all seen the economic consequences of men who are not capable of maintaining one wife, marrying four. They end up producing 20 children, not educating them, leaving them on the streets, and they end up as thugs and terrorists" the Emir said. 

"It will be the first time in Northern Nigeria that a Muslim law on personal status will be codified," he added. 

Shedding more light on the proposed family law on Tuesday, through the Chairman of Islamic Family Law Committee, Dr.Bashir Aliyu, Sanusi said the law was rather meant to guide Muslims faithful on how to conduct their family lives in line with the teachings of Islam, Daily Trust reports.

Emir Sanusi explained that the proposed law was aimed at digesting issues bordering on marriage, inheritance, orphans, widows and divorce among others in order to guide Muslims to the real teachings of Islam.

On the polygamy issue, the emir said, the law provides that a Muslim can marry additional wife only when he meets up with two fundamental conditions; that he would be just in treating his wives and had the means of taking care of more than one wife.

"These are the two conditions provided by the law and that what Islam says about polygamy. When passed into law, the law will help our judges and lawyers in discharging their duties as administrators of justice.

"It will also guide the community how resolve some family matters. And it will equally prevent alien laws and culture from penetrating into our religion,” he said.

He, however, said the law did not in any way prescribe punishment for defaulters, saying this was purely the discretion of the court of law.

He said the 40-member family law committee had already drafted the law and is currently reviewing it before submission to the main committee for final draft and subsequent passage into law by the Kano State House of Assembly.

Sanusi said the committee was able to reviewed Islamic family laws of the following countries; Morocco, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar,Kuwait, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirate, Malaysia and Jordan before coming up with the draft of proposed Kano family law.

The emir said members of the committee comprised of judges, Qhadis,lawyers and experts in Islamic Shari'ah law. He expressed hope that the law would help the people of Kano state.

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