Sheikh Alhaji As-Sanusi Alabi Ibrahim Adeyemi Al-Imam As-Salamiyy Al-Adabiyy (1929–2002)

Prominent Scholars in Nigeria and Some of Their Contributions

As-Shaykh Alhaji As-Sanusi Alabi Ibrahim Adeyemi Al-Imam As-Salamiyy Al-Adabiyy was an erudite scholar in the field of Arabic and Islamic studies, His services have great impact on many intellectuals and learners in the field, most especially in Yorubaland.

He was born in 1929 to the family of late Shaykh Ibrahim Sanusi (Al-Adabiyy) Al-Imam of Odeomu town in Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State.

He started his early education under the tutelage of his father (Shaykh Ibrahim  As-Sanusiyy Adeyemi (Al-Adabiyy); the fifth Imam of Odeomu town.  He was permitted to further his Islamic education under Shaykh Abdus-Salām Yusūf Alikinla Al-Adabiyy Al-Ilori. He was the most senior student of Shaykh Abdus-Salām Yusūf Alikinla.

He was gifted with abundant knowledge, understanding and wisdom from his youth. He travelled with his Sheikh to many cities from Ilorin to Ede, Osun State, Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State among other cities mainly to spread the Islamic knowledge and Da’wah. He then later settled at Ibadan, Oyo State with his Sheikh. The Sheikh then established a great Arabic school and chose him as the senior student to control the affairs of the school. He did not leave his Sheikh until his death in 1960. He spent two years after the demise of Shaykh Alikinla managing the affairs of all what his master left behind.

Shaykh As-Sanusi Alabi travelled wide across Nigeria (after he has reached a peak of his career in the field of Arabic and Islamic Studies) such as Agbede, Auchi, Ikare, Akoko and many towns in the Northern Nigeria such as Kano, Gboko, Jos etc. calling people to Islam as well as trading with Arabic/Islamic books.

He later settled at Oyo Alafin, Oyo State where he established an Arabic school teaching many erudite scholars in the town by then. He later travelled to Cameroun, Yaounde and Duela. In 1960, he returned to Oyo State in preparation  for pilgrimage to Makkah after he had sought the permission from his Shaykh; Abdus-Salām Alkinla.

Furthermore, he made several trips to the Arab world apart from Saudi Arabia where he had performed Umrah severally. He travelled to Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, Cairo, the capital city of Egypt and Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia.

He later established his Madrasah (Arabic school) at Gbogan and Odeomu both in Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State where he produced many Imams and Alfas of the repute till today. The name of his school was the institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Odeomu before it was changed to Assanusiyah Group of Schools by one of his sons; Shaykh Sirajudeen Olusegun Adeyemi in 1984. The group of schools, in addition to pure Arabic education, has to its credit, a Nursery/Primary, Secondary and College of Education which has become a degree awarding institute through its affiliation to Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State.

Among his scholastic works are:

Sermon used for weddings, naming ceremonies and prayers on the deceased person on the way of Prophet tradition,Elegy for his great master (Shaykh Abdu-Salām Yusūf Alikinla with other contributions from his colleagues, Khayrul Masira (Takhmis) for the poem of Hal-li-Masirrah composed by (Shyakh Uthman Dan Fodio), Taking part in the work of his Sheikh titled ‘Asjadul-Asna’, Many short poems written on sociology as well as many school poems which he composed for use in his schools.

Sheikh As-Sanusi died on Sunday 10th February 2002 after a brief illness. He was survived by many notable and erudite scholars both in the country and abroad. Among them are Academic professor, Doctors, medical Doctors, Imams and learned Scholars in the city of Odeomu and many places in Yorubaland.

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