Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi defended the use of public funds to support marriages in states under Shariah law. He described the practice as a legitimate part of responsible governance.
Gumi shared his position in a Facebook statement on Thursday. He argued that governments in such states must assist people who need marriage support.
In his statement, Gumi said: “In a Shariah law-driven state, where prostitution, fornication, adultery, and promiscuity are prohibited by both divine and state laws, using public funds to facilitate the marriage of women who are in excess of the available pool of eligible men, or of any young person in dire need of marriage, is a legitimate and responsible component of good governance.”
He linked the need for such funding to the ban on extramarital sexual relations under both religious and state rules. As a result, he presented government help for marriage as a necessary response to social conditions created by those prohibitions.
Gumi’s comments followed a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government. Officials joined 1,500 couples under the Auren Gata initiative last Friday. The Kano State Hisbah Board coordinated the ceremony as part of the state’s social intervention programme.
The programme aimed to ease financial pressures on vulnerable couples. It also supplied economic and household support so participants could start married life.
Reports indicated the state allocated about N1.5 billion for the effort, with each couple receiving benefits that included cash, household items and other aid.
The event continued to spark public discussion about the use of public resources for marriage programmes. Gumi’s intervention framed the spending as consistent with Shariah principles in states that enforce related moral laws.
