Posted by By NWAGBO NNENYELIKE, Ilorin on
Foremost Islamic cleric and founder, Ansar-il-Islam Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Kamaldeen Habeebullaahi Al-Adabiyy died in the early hours of yesterday at the age of 98.
Foremost Islamic cleric and founder, Ansar-il-Islam Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Kamaldeen Habeebullaahi Al-Adabiyy died in the early hours of yesterday at the age of 98.
The peaceful demise of Al-Adabiyy, who is also the Grand Mufti of Ilorin in his Oke Kere residence, threw the Kwara State capital into mourning when the news was made public.
The reverred Islamic scholar was laid to rest at about 4 p.m. yesterday in his residence in Oke Kere, Ilorin. The funeral prayers and interment were witnessed by a huge crowd of Muslim clerics, politicians, students and relations of Al-Adabiyy from within and outside Ilorin.
Notable among the personalities that graced the burial included the Kwara State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki, Minister of State for Education, Hajia Halimat Alao, The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, former Governor of Kwara State, Shaaba Lafiaji, Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Bio and Imams as well as clerics from Kwara, Osun Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos states. The Kwara Governor, Dr Saraki in a tribute described Al-Adabiyy's death as a great loss to the Muslim community.
'One truth is that my administration benefited from his wealth of experience.
'I must say that he left us when we needed his invaluable services to help us prosper the society. As we pray for the repose of his soul and admission into Paradise, I implore Muslims to emulate his numerous virtues," Saraki said.
On her part Hajia Alao, the Minister of State, Education, lamented the cleric's departure and said she was too shocked to make comments, but prayed that Allah should give the family and Ilorin people the fortitude to bear the loss of the scholar.
Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, the Emir of Ilorin, in his reaction said though the Sheikh's death was very painful 'but it is a thing of joy that the Grand Mufti died before us who are like his children."
The Emir said Sheikh Kamaldeen was a great scholar whose services for the emancipation of mankind would be missed greatly.
Born in 1907, Sheik Kamaldeen attended many Islamic schools, where he learnt Islamic Theology and Jurisprudence. In 1963, he was conferred with national merit award, Member of the Federal Republic (MFR), and 18 years after, in 1981 he was subsequently honoured with the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). He also bagged honours outside Nigeria, notably Egypt.
In 2004, the Emir of Ilorin conferred Al-Adabiyy with the title of Grand Mufti of Ilorin.
He authored many Islamic books, trained thousands of Islamic clerics and enjoyed large followership across the country.