Shaykh Abdus-Salam Yusuf Alikinla Al-Adabiyy (1903–1960)

Prominent Scholars in Nigeria and Some of Their Contributions

Shaykh Abdus- Salām Yusuf Alikinla Al-Adabiyy came to limelight in 1950, as an accomplished scholar in Yoruba land.  Most of his works were written in Arabic.

The Shyakh was born in 1903 to Alikinla family in Alikinla compound ita Ogunbo, Ilorin township in Kwara State. His father; Alfa Yūsūf Alikinla, was an itinerant Islamic scholar who doubled as a petty trader, dealing in textile and footwears.

Shaikh Abdus-Salām experienced a delay in having children, a situation which prompted him to marry many wives. However, only three of those wives were gifted children for him.

Shaykh Alikinla started his early Arabic education with his father. For further study, he later moved to late Shaykh Zakariyyah Al-Adabiyy popularly known as Tajul-mu’min from Omoda Compound, Ilorin in 1928. Shaykh Zakarriyya was impressed with the brilliance, discipline and ingenuity of his new student; Sheikh Alkinla.

Shaykh Abdus-Salam Yūsūf Alikinla was sent to Epe (now in Lagos) to further his study with Alhaji Jumu’ah who taught him some books on Islamic studies.

He then left Epe for Abeokuta, State capital of Ogun State where he enjoyed the tender care of Shaykh Salman Ake who also taught him many more books on Islam between 1930—1934. He then visited many towns and villages mostly in Yorubaland for Islamic preachings before he finally settled down in Ibadan choosing it as his permanent base for his Islamic propagations. He established a great Islamic school under the banner of his society Hizbullahil-Ghalib where he taught many students both youths and adults morning and evening.

During his lifetime, Shaykh Alikinla was seen as a model worthy of emulation for Muslims. He was an icon to reckon with in many ramifications especially in moderate social life. In this respect he established a society called ‘Hizbullahil-Ghalib in Ibadan city between 1948-1950. This organization was able to establish Muslim Primary Schools in Ibadan in 1955 with branches in several towns at Ibadan environs. The Islamic Religions Knowledge features prominently in the curriculum of the schools.

Some of his academic works are:

Talif-fīt-Tawhid, Qasīdatu Maqsūrah, Isādatul- Maĵd ( An amplification of Lāmiyyah of Ka`ab bin Zuhayr- Bānat Suād), Al-Kifāh as Siyāsa’si (A prose work), Mustaqbal Ilorin Az-Zāhir (An Alifiyyatu Maqsūra in the future of Ilorin), Qasīdatul-Lāmiyyah (poem in prose of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and its efforts in spreading knowledge and democratic principles, Al-Asjadul-Asna:( Takhmis Dāliyyah of al-Hassan al Yū’si), Al-Hifrīdul-Farīdi (Tashtir of Mansūratu ibn Durayd).

Sheikh Alikinla had many disciples in Yoruba land and Ilorin some of which are Shaykh Alhaj Ahmad Tijani Busari Gate  who was the first indigenous scholar to found an Arabic printing press in Ibadan and Shaykh Alhaj As-Sunusi Alabi Adeyemi Al-Imam (Odeomu) the founder of As-Sanusiyyah Schools) in Odeomu and many other Islamic scholars.

The Shaykh died in 1960 after a brief illness and was survived by three children but only  Shaykh Fadhlur Rahmaan Alikinla is still alive till the time of writing this article.

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