Prominent Scholars in Nigeria and some of their contributions (Series Two)
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The advent, consolidation and even seamless practice of Islam in different places are greatly connected to the efforts of some individuals who took drastic initiatives that brought about cohesion and compatibility between the texts (Qur’an and Hadith) of Islam and the reality of times and places.
In the previous series, we x-rayed the immense contributions of five of our great Scholars to the growth and building of Islam in Nigeria, while this series intends to explore the major contributions of four other prominent scholars to the growth and spread of Arabic language and Islamic Education in Nigeria and West Africa. They have immensely contributed and are still contributing to the advancement of Arabic as an international language and Islamic Religious Knowledge within and outside Nigeria.
Sheikh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh Al-Hussaini – Sheikh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh Al-Hussaini was born on a Saturday night, on 12th May 1938 in Aredibe, a nomadic settlement of the Shuwa Arabs, near Dikwa in Borno State. His father, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Salih bin Yunus Al-Nawwy, was a renowned Islamic scholar and a devoted Muslim. His mother, Fatima bint Sheikh Muhammad Al-Bashir Al-Hussaini, was a very generous and pious lady respected by all in the community. She was also a disciplinarian with an unquenchable passion for knowledge. Having lost her husband when their child was only seven years old, she took over his training to maturity. Undoubtedly, she was the single most important influence in his life that made it possible for Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh to be a world-class scholar today. For instance, she once rejected his proposal to abandon the search for knowledge in preference for livestock trade, when he was only fifteen years old. She became visibly alarmed and withdrawn, an attitude that frightened her young son and brought him back on track.
Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh was introduced to the world of Qur’anic recitation at a very young age, being always with his father, who spent most of his nights in offering supererogatory prayers (nawafil). As a result, the young Ibrahim memorized many chapters of the Book even before he commenced his formal study. Many senior students studying the Qur’an under the guidance of his father were intrigued by Ibrahim’s intelligence and the ability to correct them, while they were far ahead of him. His family members, on both sides, were great scholars who did their best to expand the frontiers of religion through the dissemination of authentic Islamic education and the cultivation of exemplary character.
The period 1944-1964 was the time in which Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh struggled to make his mark in the fields of Qur’anic studies, and religious sciences, as well as in the acquisition of other branches of knowledge including logic, philosophy and rhetoric. His search for grounding and expertise in Qur’anic sciences started at his family compound and blossomed into other renowned institutions of learning popularly referred to as Tsangayoyi (singular, Tsangaya) in Maiduguri and its environs. His fame for excellence in the recitation of the Qur’an soon spread like a bushfire in all the places where he sojourned in pursuit of its knowledge, such as Tarmuwa, Gulumba, Gide, Maishumari and Maiduguri. He became easily distinguishable and traced to his family, even by scholars meeting him for the first time, as a result of his good character, depth of learning and his diction in Qur’anic recitation.
Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh has also paid considerable attention to the study of Tauhid and Fiqh. He has read most of the important literature available on tauhid. He also understands the basis and nature of differences among the various Schools, the logic of the field and its variant strands. Fiqh of the Maliki School is also a familiar ground to him. There are very negligible issues on which he may have to open a book before he could give a sound verdict. He knows the Maliki School as well as the other Legal Schools. He is fully aware of the basic issues on which the others either differ or agree with the Maliki School. This is as a result of his continuous interactions with scholars and followers of the other Schools.
His main areas of academic interest and research, in which he has written more than four hundred (400) books and pamphlets, as well as more than one hundred (100) commissioned conference papers, all in the Arabic language, include: Qur’anic sciences, Prophetic Traditions, History, Philosophy, Islamic Jurisprudence, Astronomy, Arabic Literature, Linguistics, Science of Sufism, Islamic Polity, Islamic Law of Personal Status & Inheritance, Peaceful Co-existence between Nation States, and many other sundry issues that boarder on the essence of humanity and personal liberty.
Sheikh Muhammad Kamalud-deen AL-Adaby- Sheikh Muhammad Kamalud-deen Al-Adaby came to the world in the twentieth century when Nigeria’s political, social and educational reforms were taking shape due to the contact of the Indigenous Yoruba people of central northern Nigeria with the British colonial administration and the Christian missionary activities.
The Sheikh was born in 1905 to the family of Sheikh Habeebullah Musa of Ara-Agbaji Compound in the Okekere area of Ilorin. He was named‘Muhammad Tukur’. He commenced his Islamic educational training at an early stage of his life with Qur’anic study under the tutelage of Ahmad Tijani and one Salahudeen both of Babaita compound at Alore, Ilorin from where he graduated in 1919. In his thirst for Islamic knowledge, he eventually joined the school of a famous erudite scholar of Islam and intellectual innovator who injected new ideas into the field of Arabic language and Islamic knowledge during his era, Sheikh Muhammad Jamiu Al-Labeeb popularly called Taju-al-Adab at Ile Imamu Imale in Masingba, Omoda, Ilorin. It was under this astute scholar he earned his first commendable title ‘Kamalud-Deen’ on his graduation in 1920, which eventually became his first name. Within one year of his scholarship, Kamalud-deen has completed the study of a fiqh book called Risalah. Like his teacher, he was a morally sound person. Probably, it was his exemplary morality that earned him the appellation of Al-Adaby. The Sheikh was famous for his high moral standards, forbearance, clemency, sincerity and humility. All of these were his golden attributes that made him an epitome of piety, a paragon of morality and an embodiment of good virtues.
Some of his contributions – Sheikh Kamalud-deen contributed greatly to Islamic education in the entire Yoruba land. Based on his experience in Makkah, when he returned from pilgrimage in 1938, he started his reform activities in the area of Islamic education. The reformation began with his establishment of formal Arabic and Islamic schools against the age-long traditional method of impacting Islamic education on the pupils where students sat on the mat, cow skin or on a bare floor with the teacher holding a cane or horsewhip for flogging any erring student who would not pronounce any Arabic words or verses of the Glorious Quran correctly. He acquired Islamic knowledge under this unconventional method. For the first time in Yoruba land, the Sheikh introduced the use of benches, chairs and tables for students in Lagos at 15, Ojo-Giwa Street, Lagos Island with twenty-two pupils and six benches and a chair and table for the teacher when he single-handedly established his first Islamic school named ‘Madrasat al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah’ in 1938. That was the beginning of his reformation process, which eventually had a lasting impact on Islamic education throughout southwestern Nigeria and the neighbouring West African countries particularly Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin). He began his public lecture while under the tutelage of his teacher Shaykh Taju-al-Adab. His first public lecture was at Ihunbo, a small town near Idiroko, a border town between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. This first experience exposed him as a Preacher of persuasion, an Orator and an eloquent speaker. Kamalud-deen was so highly respected as a prominent and great Islamic scholar who was well deep with sagacity and profound Islamic erudition.
All of these giant strides put together make him one of the foremost prominent Nigerian Islamic Educators. His life was an example of meritorious years of selfless service in the course of Islam, especially in the area of Islamic scholarship by bringing up several Muslim children throughout the length and breadth of Yoruba land. His commitment to the propagation of Islam through teaching and preaching constitutes the premise for his invaluable contributions to Arabic language and Islamic education in Nigeria and some West African countries. He was indeed a legend when it came to Islamic education and the Arabic language. A reputable Islamic Educator of international prominence who was reported to have done Tafsir for 85 years and completed the interpretation of the holy Qur’an about six times in his lectures. He died in the year 2005 on the 18th of December.
Sheikh Murtada Abdus-Salam – His Biography and Education Sheikh Murtada Abdus-Salam was ushered to the world in Ibadan in the year 1921 through a family of a great Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abdus-Salam bn Zubair bn Haroun of Ita Bale Olugbode, Isale Sun. His father, though a native of Ibadan, traced his origin to Ogbomosho where he migrated from the Aaye compound in Iwo before he finally moved to Ibadan. Their family compound Ile Aaye still exists in Iwo to the present time. His mother, Saidat, was the daughter of another Ibadan prominent Islamic scholar called Shaykh Abdul-Malik Motala. Murtada happened to be the youngest of the three sons of his mother. Coincidentally, each of them was an Islamic scholar of note in his own right. One of them, Shaykh Mudathir Abdus-Salam was the Chief Imam of Ibadan (the largest city in West Africa) between 1988 and 1991.
Just like Shaykh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, Shaykh Murtada Abdus-Salam commenced his Islamic education under the tutelage of his father- Shaykh Abdus-Salam Zubair. He completed the learning of the Glorious Qur’an from his father, after which he proceeded to further studies in Arabic and Islamic knowledge under his father’s teacher popularly known as Alfa Agba (most senior tutor) within the same compound. One of his teachers in life who exerted the greatest influence on him on him was Alfa Lanose. It was under his tutorship, that Shaykh Murtada was exposed to various aspects of Arabic language and Islamic studies such as Nah’u (Arabic grammar), Sarfu (ArabicMorphology), Arud (Prosody), Balagah (Rhetoric), Tafsir (Qur’anic Exegesis) and Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence). Shaykh Murtada was so brilliant that he acquired Arabic speaking skills without any exposure to any formal training in the Arabic language.
On account of his brilliance, he was able to memorize a voluminous book entitled Alifiyyah bn Malik (1,000 lines of poems by Bin Malik). Of his keen interest in the acquisition of Arabic and Islamic knowledge, he voluntarily made it a habit to visit a foreign Arabic scholar called Ustaz Dukhaini who was a lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies of the premier University of Ibadan to drink from the lecturer’s ocean of knowledge. His humble nature made him to be visiting the Arabic Teachers under him in his school to tap from their wealth of knowledge in the cause of teaching his students in the classrooms.
Some of his contributions – From the brief biography and Islamic educational background of Sheikh Murtada Abdus-Salam, the intellectual giant undoubtedly contributed immensely not only to the development of Arabic and Islamic education but, also to the sustenance of the two ingredients of Islamic education in the Yoruba land of Nigeria. When the League of Imams and Alfas (Ulamau) was founded in 1963, he was made the Chairman of the second segment (Alfas/Ulamau) of the League while Shaykh Muili Abdullah, the then Chief Imam of Ibadan was made the Chairman of the imams component of the league. Thus, it is an achievement on his part to be a pioneer co-chairman of the League of Imams and Alfas (Ulamahu) in Yoruba land. One of his great contributions to Arabic and Islamic education in Nigeria was the establishment of an Islamic educational institute known as Mahd al-Arabyy an-Naijiriyy based on his peculiar educational philosophy which is an Educational theory founded on religious epistemology as propounded by the prominent Imam Ghazali and the great historian, Ibn Khaldun. In his comment on this philosophy, Adebayo stated that according to the philosophy, the aim and objective of education is to train a child to become a sincere worshiper of Allah and for such a child to graduate from the state of being a Muslim to being a Mu’meen and ultimately becoming a Muhsin.
Any system of education that fails to make provision for a balanced development of the child is a valueless and incompetent educational system. The school was established in Ibadan in 1958 with the assistance of Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory who has been running his own Markaz since 1952. Thus, the curriculum designed for the school established by the Sheikh ensures the child’s physical, spiritual and intellectual training. Regarding the model of training adopted, Sheikh Murtada followed the lines of his mentor and eventually shifted ground and adopted the Saudi Arabia method. The Sheikh tilted towards Puritanics emphasizing purdah and turbans as obtainable in theSaudi thoughts and practices. Ma’had began operation at a temporary place at Ita-Bale in Ibadan with two rented shops before eventually moving to its permanent site at Madina, Elekuro, Ibadan in 1962.
Sheikh Mustapha Zuglool Sunuusi- Shaikh Mustapha Zuglool Sunuusi is a native of Ikirun in Osun state. He was born on the 18th of August 1938. He was one of the earliest students of Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-ilory. Sheikh Adam said a lot about the brilliancy of this special student of his. He was truly his pride. He ( sheikh Adam) once said ” If I’m asked by the angel on the day of qiyama, what good have you done? I would say – proudly- ‘I taught Zuglool’.
He started his early learning from his father sheikh Muhammad Sunuusi before he resumed in Markaz, Agege at the age of eighteen. He became a scholar under the tutelage of his teacher; sheikh Adam. This was evident when he traveled to many Islamic countries in 1960 where Arabic and Islamic scholars marveled at his prowess. He had many presentations which signified he qualified to be a graduate of a university or even more just like his teacher.
He became a senior instructor at Markaz when he came back from his journey. He was granted a Diploma certificate in 1967 in Markaz. Having realized his endowment and capacity. He requested to be excused so he could expand his tentacles and exhibit his full capacity in disseminating and imparting knowledge. He established his school; Daru Dawah Wal Irshad in 1970 at Mushin before it moved to its new and current site at Isolo in 1980/81.
Sheikh Mustapha Zuglool Sunuusi is a successful researcher in Islamic historiography; a field that is wide and usually reserved for the _Jami’iy_; graduates of universities even though he only graduated from Markaz, Agege. His works merited the works of graduates from universities around the world. He was an erudite, a prolific writer, a murshid and a da’iyah. His school; Daru da’wah wal Irshad at Isolo has graduated hundreds of students in Arabic and Islamic studies.
Conclusion
Reflecting upon these individuals’ legacies teaches us that each of them contributed to society in their unique ways. While the medium of contribution is important, we must hold onto the true principles and values of Islam, so that our thoughts, words and actions are based upon the teachings of our religion.
The legacies of these prominent individuals have also shown how important it is to lend a hand in nation-building, be it through advocating social justice, countering extremist ideologies or fostering interfaith works. No matter how small we deem it to be, our participation might benefit and influence generations to come. The end!
Read Series One Here: https://peacemagazine.com.ng/prominent-scholars-in-nigeria-and-some-of-their-contributions/
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