My Ziyarah Chronicles (3)

The Commencement: Setting out to Abuja 

عَن أَنَس عَن النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ مُسْلِمٍ أَتَى أَخًا لَهُ يَزُورُهُ فِي اللَّهِ إلاَّ نَادَاهُ مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَنْ طِبْتَ وَطَابَتْ لَكَ الْجَنَّةُ وَإِلَّا قَالَ اللَّهُ فِي مَلَكُوتِ عَرْشِهِ عَبْدِي زَارَ فِيَّ وَعَلَيَّ قِرَاهُ فَلَمْ يَرْضَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِثَوَابٍ دُونَ الْجَنَّةِ

6466 مسند البزار

Translation 

Anas reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No Muslim servant visits his brother for the sake of Allah but that a caller from the heavens announces: You are purified and Paradise is purified for you! Otherwise, Allah says in the realms of His throne: My servant has visited Me and his guest for My sake, so I am not pleased for him to have any reward other than Paradise.”

Source: Musnad al-Bazzār 6466

The above quoted Hadith led credence on the permissibility and reward accrued to paying Ziyārah to a beloved. Though the technical connotation in the Ṣūfī parlance is usually confined to the saints of Allah and their burial sites, nevertheless, it behoves a Muslim individual to occasionally sacrifice from his opulence to engage in such meritorious act. Thus, it is an act that should be cherished with covet rather than perceived with prodigality as often do in some quarters.

As aforementioned in the previous episode that I commenced my sojourn on the 6th of August, 2023. My itinerary has been carefully designed by a brother in the spiritual path whose name is Umar Muhammad Atiq Tijani. Umar, a final year student of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria is more than an online brother to me. Our acquaintance started online few years back having shared in common the spirit of Ṣūfī proselytization on the social media. In fact, I owe the success of this travelogue to him. Albeit not meeting me physically, he facilitated my connection with 80% of the eminent people I intended to visit in Arewa land. As if that is not enough, he sacrificed his time to accompany me to the people he had recommended. He also served as my interlocutor during most of my engagements. If not for him, my Ziyārah would have been an onerous task for a barebe like me. May Allah reward him abundantly. 

In consonance with the itinerary designed by Umar, our meeting point would be Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, from there we shall proceed to the other states in North West Nigeria, i.e. Kaduna and Kano. Abuja, the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria is situated at the centre of the country precisely within the North Central Region. The aim of commencing my Ziyārah at this territory is to spiritually benefit from the meeting of the Grand Mufti of Nigeria. Shaykh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh.

Shaykh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh (age 84) is one of the Revere Islamic Scholar in the world and according to themuslim500.com, he is among the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World. The Head of Supreme Council for Fatwa and Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, Shaykh Saleh is an author of more than 600 books and also more than 200 commissioned conference papers. Besides all these, he is a respected Ṣūfī Leader having underwent spiritual training under the doyen of spiritualism, Shaykh Muhammad Gibrima of Nguru, Yobe State, Nigeria. Being in the presence of this Revere Scholar is not doubt a blessing for a murīd(spiritual aspirant) and Salik(spiritual traveler) like me but unfortunately, our meeting couldn't materialized due to his  engagements outside the shores of Nigeria at that period, thus, we settled for the visit of another doyen of Islamic studies and a Humble Ṣūfī man,  Professor (Shaykh) Ahmad Ibrahim Maqari, the National Imam of Abuja Central Mosque. He had hitherto fixed our appointment for 12pm (11am GMT) at his personal office that is situated at Jahi Area in Abuja.

However, prior to my engagement with Professor Maqari. Suffice it to state that I took off from Ilorin around 9:20am on that fateful Sunday, 6th of August, 2023 and arrived Abuja around 6:10pm same day. It's an hectic journey as some of the roads are in deplorable condition especially those  in Niger State. I was received by one of my online admirers, Alhaji Lawal-Boyi Ismail who was magnanimous enough to give me a lift to my host's residence. He used the opportunity to do a little orientation of Abuja city for me. My host in Abuja, Mallam Uthman Giwa, a Civil Servant who doubles as my childhood friend is one of the altruistic individuals Allah has blessed me with. His magnanimity and endurance throughout my stay is acknowledged. May Allah reward him and Alhaji Boyi abundantly.

In-shā'-Allah, I will continue from here in my next post where I will share my experience with Professor Maqari. The lessons learned and experiences garnered in each of the episode will be highlighted and discussed in the concluding part of the travelogue.

 I am Shittu Olanipekun and I am here to share my experience with you. I look forward to your observations and comments. Let's meet tomorrow for the next episode. Thanks 

PS/ 

I apologize for the hiatus experience of yesterday and a day before yesterday. I pray such won't repeat itself again.