12-28-2025, 09:15 PM
These are excerpts taken from an interview Sheikh Gumi's father granted in 1987 to a magazine called Quality:
Quality: Now you say Nigerian press is also very free?
Gumi: Yes.
Quality: Some of the papers have attacked you on some issues. Has it ever worried you?
Gumi: No, I was not worried because they did not know what they were doing. If they come and ask me what is this you are doing. If you know that what you are doing is from your heart, whatever criticism comes against you, you don’t feel, because the man who is acting doesn’t know what he is doing, if he knows what he is doing, he comes and ask you.
Quality: Apart from Islam, how much of this attitude would you say “my family has influenced me.” How much of it is from your family?
Gumi: Now I don’t think I got this from the family because since I left my family, I join the school and I was learning and practising according to my life and my father died when I was young and I have no elder brothers, I only have elder sisters who were married in their houses, so I was free since I was young and I did everything according to how I learnt from the book.
Quality: But even now, you have your own family. How much influence do they have on you?
Gumi: They have freedom of coming to ask me why. Freedom of asking me their rights and if I have I give them and if I don't have, until the time is right, this is the position.
Quality: They understand?
Gumi: Yes they understand.
Quality: On all issues?
Gumi: Everything, I don’t conceal anything.
Quality: Now we go back to politics again.
Gumi: Yes.
Quality: One of Nigeria’s problems is that of unity, how much can Islam help in bringing about the so much talked about Nigerian unity?
Gumi: Nigerian unity, if I am to do my best, is to try to convert christians and non-moslems as much as possible. Until the other religions become minority and they will not affect our society.
Quality: So that is the way you can help?
Gumi: Yes.
Source
Note: The Gumi in this interview is the deceased father of the current Sheikh Gumi.
Quote:When asked about Nigerian unity, he said Islam can help unity by converting Christians and non-Muslims. He believed unity would come when other religions become minorities and no longer influence society.
Quality: Now you say Nigerian press is also very free?
Gumi: Yes.
Quality: Some of the papers have attacked you on some issues. Has it ever worried you?
Gumi: No, I was not worried because they did not know what they were doing. If they come and ask me what is this you are doing. If you know that what you are doing is from your heart, whatever criticism comes against you, you don’t feel, because the man who is acting doesn’t know what he is doing, if he knows what he is doing, he comes and ask you.
Quality: Apart from Islam, how much of this attitude would you say “my family has influenced me.” How much of it is from your family?
Gumi: Now I don’t think I got this from the family because since I left my family, I join the school and I was learning and practising according to my life and my father died when I was young and I have no elder brothers, I only have elder sisters who were married in their houses, so I was free since I was young and I did everything according to how I learnt from the book.
Quality: But even now, you have your own family. How much influence do they have on you?
Gumi: They have freedom of coming to ask me why. Freedom of asking me their rights and if I have I give them and if I don't have, until the time is right, this is the position.
Quality: They understand?
Gumi: Yes they understand.
Quality: On all issues?
Gumi: Everything, I don’t conceal anything.
Quality: Now we go back to politics again.
Gumi: Yes.
Quality: One of Nigeria’s problems is that of unity, how much can Islam help in bringing about the so much talked about Nigerian unity?
Gumi: Nigerian unity, if I am to do my best, is to try to convert christians and non-moslems as much as possible. Until the other religions become minority and they will not affect our society.
Quality: So that is the way you can help?
Gumi: Yes.
Source
Note: The Gumi in this interview is the deceased father of the current Sheikh Gumi.