My Ziyārah Chronicles (4)

The Abuja Meeting: A Call on Professor Ibrahim Maqari 

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

Say: "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition. Quran 39:9

From the above quoted verse, it could be deduced that great premium is placed on people with knowledge. Thus, a Muslim is expected to seek for knowledge that would profit him in this life and the hereafter. In the same vein, seeking for knowledge is a sure means of attaining closeness to Allah in Islam. No wonder, the first verses to be revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad SAW centre on knowledge(Qur'an 96:1-5). Premised upon these, One should not take the quest of its acquisition for granted. The period of its acquisition they say is from cradle to grave, hence, nothing should debar one from acquiring.

It is imperative to state at this juncture that one of the challenges bedeviling the Ṣūfī community of the contemporary time is the dearth of knowledge. In fact, it is a huge threat that is alarming and every Ṣūfī advocate should be concerned about in the present dispensation. In view of this, I was more than elated upon the confirmation of Professor Maqari's appointment. Nothing would have been more fascinating than being in the company of a man  who strikes a balance between the Shari'ah(exoteric knowledge) and Sufism(esoteric knowledge) and live by it. Thus, meeting a man of this caliber is not only an opportunity but also a blessing

Born and raised in the ancient city of Katsina, Professor Ahmad Ibrahim Maqari is one of the vibrant Islamic Scholars of the contemporary time. Having been educated in Nigeria and Egypt, the Revere Professor became the Deputy Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque in 2012. Over the years, he has contributed immensely to Islam and Sufism. He has served as a member of the Assembly of Muslims in Nigeria and also a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

In furtherance to the actualization of my Ziyārah, on the 7th of August, 2023 at around 1:30pm WAT(West African Time), Umar(my interlocutor), Yusuf(an online admirer) and my humble self were at the Prof's office at Jahi Area in Abuja. Coincidentally, that fateful was the day I got to physically meet the duo of Umar and Yusuf. Thanks to technology especially the social media that facilitates the connection. However, having waited briefly at the Prof's office, lo and behold was the emergence of an average height, neatly bearded, cool, and handsome man. His cheerful face was alarming and the warm hospitality was enthralling. Professor Maqari is definitely a beacon to behold!

Suffice it to say that my Ziyārah to Prof was a brief but very remarkable. It afforded me the opportunity to discuss about germane and salient issues bordering on life and spirituality. He further opined that I should extend the duration my visit with him, however, my interlocutor informed him about my imminent engagements at Kano. Thereafter, I present my publications as my hadiyah (gift) to him and was glad by his acceptance. We took few photographs afterwards and bid one another farewell. Meeting Professor Maqari is the crux of my Ziyārah at Abuja. With his success and accomplishments in life at such age(born, 1976) he is indeed an inspiration to the contemporary Ṣūfī Youths. 

In-shā'-Allah, I will continue from here in my next post. 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 sharing my experience with you. I look forward to your observations and comments. Let's meet tomorrow for the next episode. Thanks