Mallam Yusuf Adepoju’s Encounter with Bro Danny A Christian Apologist

I am Danny,

It was a great and bright Friday 16th of November 2018 at Ladi-Lak Primary school, Somolu-Bariga area of Lagos Nigeria. This day ACADIP Nigeria (an Islamic dawa team/Muslim apologists) came to the area to do an open-air night Christian-critical program. I learnt of this program via Bond FM 92.9 around 6:30am, Wednesday November 14, 2018. I immediately understood the nature of program and indicated a personal interest to attend.

After coming back from office, I took a shower, changed my cloths (I put on a casual yellow t-shirt and a blue Jean) and off I went to the place. I got there around 10:05pm and I noticed that the program has not really started as more people were still coming and the ‘star man’ of the event, Yusuf Adepoju, was not around yet.

I waited patiently but later decided to enter a bar nearby to have some food and drinks, and equally use the opportunity to watch the match between the Netherlands and France which ended 2-0 in favour of the Netherlands. So after the match I went back to the venue of the program.

At the venue I saw some people, mostly middle-aged men, watching some past ACADIP videos at a corner. It was a good site, for the men, because they were able to have a preamble of what to expect at the program and to be equally ‘fully charged’ before the program starts. Over 90% of the men agreed with the contents of the video and equally learnt some few things to use against Christian in time of debate.

In the video some ‘Christians’ were seen ‘reverting’ back to Islam which further made the atmosphere more ecstatic. After some few minutes, the video being played at the corner was stopped and some went to get some copies while the rest dispersed peacefully. An announcement was made for all activities be stopped as the program proper was about to commence. Most of us now went to the venue, get seated and ready for the ‘show’.

On my seat, I could see men and boys selling different stuffs like drinks, sweats but the one that captivated me most was the ones selling books. Most of the books they sell are books critical of Christian beliefs, teachings and doctrines. I called one of the men selling the books and he respectfully handed some copies to me. I gazed at the titles (I can’t remember most of them except BILAL), flipped through some of them and handed over it over to him. For about another 30mins nothing seems to be going on. However, after about 10mins later a man (who I can’t remember his name) climbed the podium and gave some words of exhortations. He emphasized on the need for Muslims to stop attending Christian programs or seeking spiritual solution in churches and that Islam is the solution to all human problems. That even Christians visit him for spiritual help but would rather give testimonies in churches instead of coming back to him for appreciation.

After these words of exhortation, I heard sound of vehicles approach from my back and I also saw many people stood to see who was coming. Lo and behold, it was the man himself, the Ustaz himself, Yusuf Adepoju, who was escorted to the podium by some stern-looking security men (MOPOLS) and some men and women, specially and specifically, invited by ACADIP. After the Czar entered, he immediately went into the business of the day.

The first business was the recognition of the chief Imam of Somolu, though not present but was represented by another respectable cleric. After the acknowledgment of the chief Imam, the specially and specifically invited guest were also identified in a ‘hip-hop’ style, some of who were alleged to have be Christians who had ‘reverted’ back to Islam. Some so-called former ‘pastors’ were also among the specially and specifically invited guest. They were called to the podium, as a propaganda tool, to give their remarks, which were all anti-Christian rhetoric and bias, a typical Islamic preaching style (of course the foundation of Islam is all about Jewish and Christian bashing and where there are no Jews, the Christians are the only punching bags).

After the former ‘pastors’ speeches, the honourable minister of Islamic propaganda affairs, came on stage with his usual Christian-bashing which went on for about 1 hour. The centre of the bashing is the position of the ‘sonship’ or ‘Godship’ of Christ, the most important Islamic topic against Christian beliefs.

After much theatrical, and often comical, performance by the ACADIP leader, I decided to take my leave around 2am. On my way out of the gate, I saw one of the security staff and asked him if there is any chance that I would be allowed to ask questions. The security guy said ‘YES’ and equally directed me on where to seat if I have any question for the ACADIP leader. Unfortunately, there were some women seated and who were equally trying to ask questions. Around 2:15am, a supposedly Christian lady walked up to the podium and ask some questions. She asked roughly about 9 to 10 questions, which were all leading questions and the ACADIP leading was 100% familiar with the questions and a ready-made answers were already available.

Their engagement with this woman lasted for almost 2 hours. I called on one of the protocol officials and asked him to hasten the sections as more people wanted to ask questions. The gentleman told me, to my dismay, that they don’t function that way. That they are not interested in entertaining many people and that if a single is converted, to Islam, that night they have accomplished their mission. After much pleading, they ended the section with the first ‘questioner’ around 3:49am. The rest of us who have questions were asked to climb the podium for our questions. However, before our questions were entertained, a 10-minute window was given so that donations can be collected from the crowd. At exactly 4:05am, I was given the opportunity to to ask my question. My first question was taken from the hadith of sahih Bukhari (over 99% of Christians have ignorantly concluded that Quran is the only Islamic literature). They are not aware that that, aside the Quran, Islamic literatures used daily by Muslim are:

•    Sahih Bukhari
•    Sahih Muslim
•    Sunnah abu dawud
•    Sunnah ibn majjah
•    Al-timirmidi
•    Seerah rasool allah (by ibn Ishaq)
•    Seerah rasool allah (by ibn Hisham)
•    The history of Islam by al-tabari
•    The tafsir (ibn kathir and jellalyn)
•    The reliance of the traveller, etc

These are the major Islamic literature use worldwide, aside the Quran. The Quran itself contains less than 10% of Islamic teachings, laws or jurisprudence.

Now going back to my earlier point, I was given the opportunity to ask my questions. My first question was on sahih bukhari 3175 and 5765 which narrated a black magic being used against the prophet of Islam that made him delusional and mentally unstable. I asked him why Mohammad, if truly was a prophet, was afflicted by the demon (jinn) of insanity which made him mentally deranged. The honourable minister Yusuf Adepoju, caught off guard, struggled with a rational response. He however affected that Mohammad was really affected by black magic but concluded that, since Mohammad was inflicted with black magic, no man is immune to the effect of black magic. I don’t want to drag the issue into an argument so I skipped to my next question.

My second question was taken from quran 4:24 and Sunnah abu dawud 2150. In the hadith, it was reported that Mohammad armies conquered a land and took the men and the women captive. The Muslim armies were reluctant to have sexual intercourse with the female captives, in the presence of their husband, and so Allah revealed Quran 4:24, which eventually sanctioned Mohammad’s army to go ahead. The honourable minister Yusuf Adepoju again struggled to give a rational response to this question (while the once lively crowd remained very silent and in shock). In order to save face and expand the argument, a typical Islamic style, run to the bible for a rescue. He asked me if Lot was a righteous man. I was taken aback by this kind of question. I asked him the essence and the reason for this question. He insisted I answer him ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. I answered ‘Yes’. He asked me a follow up question: Do you know that he slept with his daughters? (I was here trying to educate him of how things went and that it was never a consensual sex and he flipped to another question). He asked me if it was proper for God, in the Bible, to asked the children of Israel to destroy the Amalekites and take slaves. (We engaged in another moral and theological discussion which later became bad business for the ACADIP guy as I also asked him to explain Mohammad’s instruction for the torture of Kinana at Khaibar). Now it became so clear, to the ACADIP team, that I am a ‘bad business’ and should be stopped. The mic was taken from me that I have spent enough time (less than 20mins). I noticed that they can’t deal with anyone they can’t brainwash, and someone who can challenge them on the same intellectual level.

By 5:02am, when it became very obvious, to me, that they were no longer comfortable entertaining my questions and discussions, I decided to take my leave. Before I left I told him I would like to engage him in an open debate which he accepted. I shook hands with him (and all his backroom staff on the podium), stepped from the podium and decided to take my leave. Most of the Muslims in attendance were very well behaved and many of them gave me a hug and handshake while I was leaving. I had no fear for my safety because I was dealing with Yoruba people who are generally tolerant when it comes to religious matters.

However, as I was about to step out of the gate, 2 Muslim guys, putting on ACADIP ‘money jacket’, who I believe were volunteers for the program shook my hands and hugged me. They said they were impressed with me and asked if I still have the desire to have an open-air debate with the ACADIP chairman who I personally like addressing as honourable Yusuf Adepoju. My response was in affirmative, I said ‘Yes’. The 2 guys now attempted to engage me in a side-debate but I told them I have an official assignment (not true, was actually feeling sleepy). They however suggested we have a debate somewhere in Somolu after which I can now have a ‘dialogue’ (a popular Islamic English) with the ACADIP leader. The guys got my number and promised to chat me up so that we can have a ‘dialogue’ (as if we are quarrelling) at any given time. They called me and we actually had the so-called dialogue somewhere in Somolu (Lagos, Nigeria) at Ann Barracks.

Danny, founding member, Centre for Christian Apologetics, Lagos, Nigeria (danonuh80@gmail.com). watch out for the second part.