Bull with ‘Prophet’s name’ on forehead draws crowd

Category: News Published on Saturday, 16 March 2013 05:00 Written by Hamisu Kabir Matazu, Damaturu Hits: 706

A black bull with what looked like the name of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), formed by white skin, inscribed on its forehead is attracting a lot of people to Nguru, Yobe State, all trooping to catch a glimpse of the animal.

Weekly Trust gathered that the Yobe State government had to intervene and bought   the bull after people have turned the house of its owner in Nguru into a Mecca of sorts.
Mohammed Grema Abubakar, the Secretary of the Shari’a committee in Nguru, told Weekly Trust that the discovery of the bull was reported to their office Tuesday night, prompting officials to verify the claim.
“We received report that a black bull was sold to one Alhaji Bala at Zango cattle market with the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) written boldly with white hair on its forehead. I, therefore, contacted the Ministry for Religious Affairs in Damaturu and the commissioner directed me to buy it up from the owner,” he said.
He said there was a mild drama when the owner said he was not interested in selling the animal whatever the amount. “Despite many entreaties, the owner refused to sell it…in fact, we had to seek for the intervention of the Emir of Nguru before the man agreed to sell it at N200,000.
“You see how human beings can behave? An animal he purchased at N25,000. Our joy is that he agreed and government has to pay for the bull for so many reasons,” the secretary said.
Yobe State Commissioner for Religious Affairs Alhaji Auwal Goyo Kura said it was necessary for government to keep the cow under its custody to prevent people from attaching unnecessary beliefs to the cow.
“Government will keep it in the zoo to be used for Da’awa (preaching), as well as tourist attraction,” the commissioner said.
When contacted Chief Imam of Yobe Central Mosque, Sheik Hud Mohammed Yusuf said “this is not the first time such a thing is happening…other wonderful things had happened in Germany, where names of Allah and his Prophet were found on flowers. In Nigeria also, on many occasions, such names had appeared on snail and on the seeds of pumpkins,” he said.
He said God has promised to show his existence, supremacy and truthfulness of Islam as the only religion of truth.
“So, people should not consider this as something different, and they should be firm in their faith because the bull is not different from other cattle we use to have in our homes and ranches,” he said.
He also warned people against attaching any spiritual importance to the cow which is capable of affecting their faith in God. “Ours is to be more firm in our faith and use this as a source of Da’awa,” he said.
Sheikh Yusuf added that “It is telling that the name of the Prophet appeared in white even though the cow is completely black skinned. More so, it was written on the face. This is enough for us to appreciate and preach that Islam is the religion of God,” he said.