INTEGRATING ISLAMIC BUILT ENVIRONMENT CRITERIA IN TOILET DESIGN OF PUBLIC PROTOTYPE HOUSING: A CASE FOR GORIBA ROAD HOUSING ESTATE, KATSINA-NIGERIA
2.0 BACKGROUND
The concept of house in Islam is quite radical from the western views. While a house could be an end in itself in the western concept, in Islam it is considered as a means to an end. House ownership is one of the rights and bounties of Allah (S.W.T) to Muslims, as long as it was acquired and utilized according to the Sharia. From Islamic perspective, a house means a habitable and comfortable place to live in harmony without any problems (Akeel 2007). It was defined as a place to rest, relax body and mind, enjoy legitimate worldly delights, worship, teach, learn and propagate the message of Islam (Spahic 2004). House as an Ibadah institution was prescribed in the following Verse in the al-Qur’an, and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H));
﴿وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّءَا لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَاجْعَلُواْ بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلَوةَ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴾
“And We inspired Moosa and his brother (saying): ‘Take dwellings for your
people in Egypt, and make your dwellings as places for your worship, and
perform al-salah, and give glad tidings to the believers.”[ Yoonus 10:87]
Hadith of the prophet (P.B.U.H))
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Do not make your houses into graves. The Shaytan flees from a house in
which Surah al-Baqarah is recited.” (Reported by Muslim, 1/539)
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Recite Surah al-Baqarah in your houses, for the Shaytan does not enter
a house in which Surah al-Baqarah is recited.”
(Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak. 1/561; Sahih al-Jaami’, 1170).
Government of Nigeria at various levels has been in the forefront of providing housing in form of low cost housing estates for its people especially civil servants. In Katsina state for example, until nine years ago there were three housing estates provided by the federal and state governments of the then Kaduna, and Katsina states. Federal government built the Kofar Marusa housing estates which were replicated in other local governments in 1977. The then Kaduna state constructed the Dutsin-safe low-cost housing estate, in 1989. Katsina state constructed the Saidu Barda low cost housing estate in 1994. See Table 1
Two additional housing estates were constructed by the last administration; these are the Barhin, and Goriba road housing estates. Goriba road housing estate is selected for the study because it was conceived and constructed (completed in 2004), after the state Government declared the adoption of Sharia in 2003 as its sources of law. Barhin housing estate was still on-going during the preparation of this paper
Housing estate by Federal Government Housing estate by former Kaduna state Housing estate by Katsina state before Sharia Housing estates by Katsina state after Sharia
Kofar marusa housing estate 1977 Kofar marusa layout 1977 Dutsin safe low-cost housing estate 1989 Goriba road housing estate 272 no. 2004
Barhin Housing estate 500 no. 2008.
Table 1. Showing housing estate provided by the Governments at different time periods
Source; Katsina State Housing Authority
By declaration of Sharia in its day to day running of its affairs, the state agreed to strictly abide by Islamic legal system, which guide man to what is divinely good and acceptable in the sight of Allah and what is injurious and harmful, and thus rejected in the sight of Allah(S.W.T).
The contemporary Muslim scholar, Hammudah ‘Abd al’Ati, as reported by Hisham 2004, defines the Sharia as:
Simultaneously religious law, natural and positive law. It relates man to God.
Its origin is divine, its objective is human. It deals with the present and
the hereafter, encompassing all aspects of human action, whether latent
or manifest, open or hidden. It is at once universal and particular, absolute
and relative, general specific, strict and flexible. It tempers formal justice
with equity, guarantees liberty, encourages excellence and fights abuse.
From the definition above we can easily relate that the application of Sharia is all encompassing including management of the built environment. Thus, it has become desirable if not necessary for governments to insist on Sharia’ compliant designs to reflect its status as “Sharia state”. This can be achieved by seeking for and using architectural and planning designs that responds to Islamic principles, which will ultimately elevate the spiritual status of its inhabitants. It is the aim of this paper to contribute in this direction.