Photo credit, Massussuka Media
A controversial Islamic cleric from Nigeria has been murdered outside his home in the northern state of Katsina.
Two attackers arrived on motorbikes and shot dead Yahaya Masussuka in the town of Dutsin-Ma as he was bidding farewell to visitors on Monday evening, sources told the BBC.
The 47-year-old cleric and one of his guests, also shot, were rushed to hospital, but both were pronounced dead by the doctor on duty, police said.
It is unclear why Masussuka was targeted, but he had received death threats on social media where he posted videos rejecting elements of traditional Islam, including what happens to people after they die.
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In Islam, it is widely believed that the soul of a deceased person will be interrogated in his grave by two angels. If their answers are right, his soul will rest in peace until the day of judgment; otherwise, she will suffer punishment.
This understanding comes from what is known as the Hadith, a collection of texts considered to be the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad.
It provides an essential source of Islamic knowledge to help interpret the Quran, the central religious text of Islam.
But Masussuka based his teachings primarily on the holy book of Islam, questioned some hadiths, and did not believe that the dead woke up and were questioned.
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He was imprisoned for nine months for taunting respected scholars over their belief in this hadith and other teachings.
Masussuka, who had two wives and seven children, began preaching at the age of 13 in Koranic schools.
He then attended Al-Azhar University in Egypt and then traveled to Oman to continue his studies.
At home, he had a studio where he recorded videos of his teachings to be posted on social media for his followers.
The cleric also spoke vehemently against violent extremism and radicalization, and openly advocated for interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians, who make up almost equal shares of Nigeria's population.
Thousands of Christians and Muslims have been killed in ethnic and religious violence over the past 25 years.
For his efforts, Masussuka was honored last year by the Nigerian Network for Good Governance and Transparency with the Ambassador of Peace award.
Six other prominent Muslim preachers have been assassinated over the past two decades in northern Nigeria - several of them targeted by Boko Haram for criticizing the jihadist group which began its insurgency in 2009.
Founded in northeastern Nigeria, this movement opposes Western culture, education and secular government, and its political goal is the creation of an Islamic state.
Additional reporting from BBC Pidgin
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We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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