The Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abukari II, has banned an Islamic cleric of the Ambariya Sunni Community in Tamale, Sheikh Abdul-Rauf, from preaching anywhere within the Dagbon Kingdom.
The ban comes after the Islamic cleric allegedly made unsavoury comments about some appellations of the Overlord during a sermon, despite a recent warning from the Ya-Na to Islamic clerics to desist from attacking Dagbon customs and traditions in their preaching.
He is also accused of repeatedly making derogatory remarks against traditional authorities and other religious sects in the area.
Last Monday morning, the Paramount Chief of Gukpegu, Naa Alhassan Abdulai, acting on behalf of the Ya-Na, summoned Sheikh Abdul-Rauf to the palace and formally announced the indefinite ban on his preaching activities.
Peace, mood
Naa Abdulai said the move was intended to safeguard peace, mutual respect and harmony between the traditional and religious leadership in Dagbon, which have coexisted peacefully for generations.
He reaffirmed the Ya-Na’s commitment to protecting the dignity and authority of the Dagbon Kingdom.
He further advised all religious preachers to desist from making derogatory remarks against traditional authorities in the area.
When the Islamic Scholar appeared before the Gukpegu Naa, he looked very remorseful and subdued.
However, he declined to comment on the matter when approached by journalists after the meeting.
He was accompanied by the leadership of the Ambariya Sunni Community.
Background
On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the Ya-Na summoned a section of religious clerics in Tamale to the Gbewaa Palace to address the growing trend of violent and divisive preachings flooding the airwaves in the kingdom.
The King, who spoke directly to the Islamic scholars and preachers, reminded them of their core mandate to call the populace to salvation and moral uprightness and questioned why they had deviated from that purpose by engaging in verbal attacks on one another’s personalities and doctrines.
He admonished the clerics to desist from personal attacks and instead use kind and persuasive words to invite people to Islam.
Also, the Paramount Chief of the Kuga Traditional Area and Head of Customs and Traditions of the Dagbon Kingdom, Naa Yaba Kuga Naa Abdulai Adam, urged Islamic clerics to stop attacking the customary and traditional practices of Dagbon.
He stressed that the people of Dagbon were Dagombas and not Arabs, noting that while the clerics may draw inspiration from Arab scholars, the Arab world had its own distinct customs and traditions that differed from those of Dagbon.
He further cautioned preachers against condemning or naming Dagbon deities in their sermons and urged unity among the scholars for the peace and development of Dagbon.
Writer’s email: mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh
