Hisbah Arrests Nine Persons for Eating in Public During Ramadan

Hisbah Arrests Nine Persons for Eating in Public During Ramadan.

The Kano State Hisbah has arrested nine Muslims who were seen eating during the day as the Ramadan fast got underway.

Officers from the Islamic religious police picked up the suspects while going around restaurants, markets and other public places on the first day of the holy month. The detainees include seven men and two women.

According to the deputy commander of the Hisbah in Kano, Mujahid Aminudeen, the arrests happened after patrol teams found them eating when they were supposed to be fasting. He said those detained are being kept at the board’s facility where they will be taught about the importance of fasting and how to properly observe the holy month.

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“We arrested them and they are with us, where we will teach them the importance of fasting, how to pray and read the Qur’an, and how to become good Muslims,” Aminudeen said.

He also noted that some of those arrested said they did not know that Ramadan had started. It is not yet known when they will be allowed to go home. In the past, the Hisbah has reached out to the families of such offenders to help make sure they keep the fast for the rest of the month.

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Kano is one of the northern states in Nigeria that runs Sharia law alongside the country’s secular legal system. The Hisbah is tasked with making sure people follow moral and religious rules. During Ramadan every year, its officers step up patrols to stop Muslims from eating or drinking in public during the day.

Fasting from dawn to sunset is one of the five pillars of Islam and is seen as a time for self control and drawing closer to God. While restaurants in parts of Kano with many non-Muslims stay open during the day, Muslims are expected to observe the fast.

The detainees were reportedly held to receive lessons on the importance of fasting and the Quran.

This year’s Ramadan started on the evening of Tuesday, February 17 and will run until Thursday, March 19.