Zaria

Zaria

Coordinate	11°04′13″N 7°42′43″E
Country	Nigeria, Kaduna State
Total population	1,018,827 (2007)
Places
Mosques	Jami' Mosque of Zaria

Arba'in gathering in Zaria.

Zaria is the most important Shi'a city in Nigeria and the center for the leadership of Nigeria's Islamic Movement. The center of Shia activities and assemblies is a Husayniyya in this city called "Husayniyya Baqiyyat Allah". The most populous assemblies of Nigerian Shias in Arba'in as well as activities such as ceremonies for birthday anniversaries of Twelve Imams, and Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky's lectures of the exegesis of the Qur'an and Nahj al-balagha take place in this Husayniyya. In an attack by the Nigerian police on the al-Quds Day of 2014 on demonstrators in the city, thirty-three people, including three sons of Ibrahim Zakzaky were killed. The event put Zaria on top of the news in the media of the Islamic world for a while.

Location

Zaria is a city in Kaduna State in Northern Nigeria, located 250 kilometers away from Nigeria's capital city (Abuja). Zaria has an area of about three hundred square kilometers and a population of 1,018,827 (2007). The Ahmadu Bello University (founded in 1962), the largest university in Nigeria, is located in this city. Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky studied in this university for a while.

Shi'a in Zaria

Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky, the head of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN)

Figures

Main article: Ibrahim Ya'qub Zakzaky

Shaykh Ibrahim Ya'qub Zakzaky (b. 1953), Shi'a cleric, is from Nigeria and is the leader of Shias in his country. He was born in April 30, 1953 (on Sha'ban 15, 1372) in Zaria or Zakza in Northern Nigeria. He began his studies in Zaria, and then moved to Kano where he stayed from 1971 to 1975 and studied political sciences and economics. Furthermore, he then returned to Zaria to continue his studies in Ahmadu Bello University (the largest university in Nigeria).. His studies were coincident with the Islamic Revolution of Iran. Zakzaky used to be a believer in the Maliki School of Sunni Islam, but he later converted to Shi'a. He was imprisoned several times in 1980s and 1990s. His three sons were killed by the Nigerian police on the al-Quds Day of 2014.

Centers

Main article: Husayniyya Baqiyyat Allah (Zaria)

Husayniyya Baqiyyat Allah in Zaria, before being demolished by Nigerian army in 2015

Husayniyya Baqiyyat Allah in Zaria, after being demolished by Nigerian army in 2015

Husayniyya Baqiyyat Allah is the center for assemblies and activities of Nigerian Shi'as. Activities, such as birthday ceremonies of Twelve Imams (a) and Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky's lectures of the exegesis of the Qur'an and Nahj al-Balagha, take place in this Husayniyya. Shi'as in northern areas of Nigeria annually go through convoys to Zaria in order to attend Arba'in ceremonies in Husayniyya Baqiyyat Allah. These ceremonies are the most glorious and populous ceremonies of Nigerian Shi'as, in which some Sunni Muslims participate as well.

At the end of December 2014, after the Nigerian army's attack on the Shia Muslims, the Nigerian government destroyed the Hussainiyah under the pretext of lacking a building permit.

Shia Events

The center and leadership for Islamic Movement of Nigeria is in Zaria. Since the formation of the Movement, Nigerian Shi'as held demonstrations of the al-Quds Day in Zaria, but on the al-Quds Day of 2014 they were attacked by the Nigerian police. In this attack, 33 people, including three of Ibrahim Zakzaky's sons, were killed. The event put Zaria on top of the news in the media of the Islamic world for a while.

On the anniversary of Imam al-Rida (a)'s martyrdom in 1437/December 12, 2015, the Nigerian army attacked the Shi'a Husayniyya in Zaria. In this attack, a number of people, including another son of Ibrahim Zakzaky, were killed.