Muslims in the country have been urged to marry more than one wife so as to reduce the number of unmarried women (spinsters) roaming the streets of the cities without husbands.
An Islamic scholar in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, Sheikh Muhammad Tukur Sani Jangebe made the call in one of his weekly special preaching held at the Muslim Foundation Gusau.
He said the call to cultivate the habit of having more than one wife by every Muslim became imperative considering the fact that according to statistics, women everywhere in the world out number their men counterpart.
According to the Sheikh, wealthy individuals among the Muslims have a greater role to play because they have the means to maintain four wives talkless of one or two.
The cleric also disclosed that Prophet Muhammed (SAW) in his Hadith made similar call on the Muslim ummah to marry as many wives as four "but you should not exceed four," have children so that I can be proud of you in the day of resurrection.
"It is very disheartening to see our young girls hawking in the streets of our towns and cities. This hawking you can see is what is leading them to prostitution as well as any crime because of the current economic hardship facing the nation," the sheikh declared.
He further advised the people particularly civil servants, to fear God in their day-to-day activities as everyone will stand before Him (God) the Almighty to give an account of his or her stewardship in the hereafter.
Sheikh Jangebe commented further that it is ridiculous and unreasonable for a Muslim to be a part of any act of dishonesty, insincerity and falsehood, pointing out that God frowns at those Muslims who are in such habit.
The sheikh while commenting on the issue of the Sharia legal system currently being implemented in many northern states in the federation, explained that there are challenges in regard to the Sharia legal system, declaring that it is not easy to achieve any success when greediness invaded the hearts of the ulama of these particular northern states. "Government should avoid any malam whose intention is only to get money and at the same time should not be involved in any of the programme in respect of the Sharia because the fear is he will hitherto spoil the rest of the people who have good intention in their hearts."
It would be recalled that last two years (2001) women in the state protested against men with only one wife (monogamists) calling on them to marry additional wives so as to reduce the number of hawking women in the street.