The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Thursday called on Muslim faithful in Nigeria to uphold their right to practise the religion without any let or hindrance, even as he appealed for unity among Muslims.
Alhaji Abubakar said this at the NSCIA 2026 General Assembly held at the Abuja National Mosque, and emphasised the need for Muslims to uphold their faith.
He further called on Muslims to be proactive instead of passive when issues affecting their faith and welfare arise, and urged them to engage constructively in protecting their religious interests.
While saying Muslims should protect their religious interests, the Sultan, who is the spiritual head of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah, however, emphasised that Islam does not advocate coercion in matters of faith.
According to him, Muslims did not need and must not force anyone to embrace Islam.
‘What we need in this country and anywhere else is for us, as Muslims, to be allowed to practise our religion without hindrance.
‘We do not intend to force anybody to join Islam. But we have seen how many people have been joining Islam on their own free will because Almighty Allah said there is no compulsion in religion,’ he said.
The Sultan, however, appealed to Muslims to support and protect those who voluntarily embraced Islam with a view to helping them live according to the tenets of Islam.
He equally admonished Muslim faithful to demonstrate humility and equality, submitting that all people were equal before Almighty Allah and that piety remained the true measure of a person’s worth.
While appreciating Allah for making it possible to hold the general assembly this year, seven years after the last one, the Sultan described the gathering as significant, as it brought Muslim leaders from across the country together.
According to him, this year’s general assembly did not only serve as an avenue for Muslim faithful in the country to share ideas but also strengthened the existing bond among them as members of the big family of Islam.
‘We are holding this general assembly almost seven years after we had the last one. All of you are aware why we didn’t hold general assembly for some few years,’ he said.
The Sultan said that, despite not holding a general assembly, the NSCIA had been holding expanded general purpose committee meetings, explaining that the inability to hold a general assembly all this while was largely due to financial constraints.
Despite the constraints, the Sultan said the NSCIA had been seeking assistance to enable it to carry out its responsibilities to Islam and the Nigerian Muslim Ummah.
This year’s general assembly, according to the Sultan, was holding at a time when Nigeria and the entire world were facing challenges.
‘This (general assembly) is coming at a time when we should be attentive. We should be a little more conscious because we all know the situation in the country and in the world. We Muslims have a lot of roles to play,’ Sultan Abubakar said.