Ransom To Bandits Is Haram, Kidnap Victims Are Going To Paradise – Abuja Cleric

An Islamic cleric in the federal capital territory, Abuja, Prof. Ibrahim Maqari, has said that releasing funds as ransom to terrorist groups is haram (forbidden) in the Islamic religion.

CityNews Nigeria reports that the Deputy Chief Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja stated this while delivering a sermon during Ramadan Tafsir in the nation’s capital city on Tuesday.

The cleric is quoted to have said that those killed by bandits and kidnappers will directly be going to “paradise.” Maqari stressed that Islam forbids Muslims to pay money as ransom to enemies they are at war with.

He insists that qari said kidnappers should not be paid a ransom in order to starve them of the funds they could use to boost their activities.

Maqari said: “Since Allah (SWT) has forbidden the payment of money to an enemy who is at war with you, in order not to empower them to continue to fight you, then contributing money as ransom for the release of kidnapped persons, is haram (prohibited).

“But he (the criminal) has been made aware that the money is never going to be paid and the one who is killed (the victim) is going to paradise.

“But as long as people will continue to give a ransom to secure the release of their loved ones, the recipients of the money will continue to use.”