Sankore' Institute of Islamic-African Studies International

THE ROLE OF ISLAM IN UNITING DIVERSE ETHNIC GROUPS IN AFRICA & BAHIA, BRAZIL by Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid Allah ta`ala says: "O mankind! Verily We have ...created you all from a single male and female, and then made you into nations and clans so that you may know; surely the best among you all in the sight of Allah is he who is most mindful of Allah."1 This verse implies, at least on the theoretical level, that the brotherhood of Islam superseded the old ties of kinship. A new dispensation had been established where men of all color and ethnic background could move up vertically in a Muslim society. Prophet Muhammad clarified this by his statement: "The white is no better than the black, nor is the Arab better than the non-Arab, except by his mindfulness of Allah." More than a tenth of the Companions of Muhammad had come from the status of being a slave or the sons of slaves, yet this did not prevent them from having a prominent status in the newly emerging Islamic society. Among these were Bilal ibn Rabah, Zayd ibn Haritha, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Salman al-Farsi, `Ammar ibn Yaasir, Mihja and more than fifty-five other men and women of plebeian origin, yet who distinguished themselves as leaders of the Muslims in all walks of life. 2 In the decades just after the time of Muhammad and his Companions, it was men of this plebian status who actually ruled most of the metropoles of the Islamic Empire. Ada ibn Abi Rabah, an ex-slave ruled Mecca because of his superb erudition in Islam. Ta`us ibn Kysan, an ex-slave, ruled the Arabs of Yemen. Yazid ibn Abi Habib, an ex-slave, ruled the people of Egypt. Makhut al-Dimasqi, a Nubian ex-slave, ruled Syria. The ruler of Mesopotamia was an ex-slave named Maymun ibn Mahran. And the ruler of Basra was non other than the illustrious scholar and mystic al-Hassan ibn Abu'l-Hassan al-Basri, also an ex-slave. All this occured within a short time after the time of Prophet Muhammad and it exemplified a pattern that would continue with the spread of Islam in Africa. 3 The great Turudbe ruler of the Songhay Empire was an ex-slave of the Sosso leader Sonni Ali. His trusted secretary of state, Ali Fulani was a slave who had distinguished himself by his erudition and piety among the scholars of Timbuktu. Thus, Islam had the ability to unify different ethnic groups on the basis of the religion and what the Qur'an defined as 'god-fearing' (taqwa). The manifest sign of a person possessing this quality was his ability to learn and understand the Islamic sciences. The Qur'an explains the intellectual benefits of taqwa which laid the foundation of upward mobility in an ideal Muslim society in a series of verses. They are: "Be mindful of Allah (ataquu allaha), and Allah will teach you." 4 There is also His saying: "O you who believe! If you are mindful of Allah, He will make for you an intellectual and spiritual astuteness." 5 This was further underlined by the statement of the Prophet of Islam when he said, "When Allah loves a servant, He gives him understanding of the religion". Thus, learning became the currency by which individuals could distinguish themselves in society and in the life to come. In Central and Western Sudanic Africa, literacy and learning was associated among the illiterate "...with magical or supernatural powers which gave special status even to the least-learned literati" 6. Certain crafts like tailoring was set aside especially for those who were alfas or disciples, thus guaranteeing economic security. The lucrative trade of writing of charms, talismans and amulets was related to ones status as a scholar. And in times of political security there existed the chance for salaried semi-legal post with the judiciary arm of the state. All these factors imply that, literacy became a means of social upward mobility among the Sudanese Muslims. These qualities were exemplified in the person of the alfa, alim or modibo.. The spread of Islam in Africa was accompanied by a spread of literacy. This is true because Islam is not a religion that revolves around a ‘man-god’, but the religion that revolves around a Devine script, the Qur'an. Consequently Islam placed a high degree of importance upon the ability to read it and correctly interpolate it. The language of the Qur'an is Arabic, which has provided a common form of literacy over large areas of the Sudan and in creating a means of both localized and international contact and a medium for education.7 As we mentioned earlier literacy allowed for upward mobility in a given Muslim society. This was the same for traditional African societies as well. For the scholars of Islam were held in awe by many of the pagan chiefs and were employed to write charms for the kings and their courtiers and to make talismans to protect their soldiers in battle. This was the case for the Yoruba, Asante as well as the Dahomey kings. These scholars, who were also merchants, used Arabic to record their routes, their profits and losses, debts and credits, the places they visited and where they stayed. Arabic was the language by which malams and alfas corresponded with each other on all matters. 8 The Islamic scholar was seen as dynamic agents and manipulators of spiritual powers and esoteric knowledge. This esoteric knowledge was divided into various forms. The first kind was that which was related to prophecy and prophetic revelation. This knowledge usually was accompanied by visions or dreams resulting from spiritual exercise. The scholar who possessed this sort of knowledge was called wali (saint) and allegedly had the ability to perform miracles (karamat). The second kind of esoteric knowledge was that related to the power of words, letters and numbers. Supposedly this knowledge was drawn from the Qur'an. It included recitation of the names of Allah, the esoteric meanings of certain verses of the Qur'an and the science of letters. From this knowledge emerged numerological practices, the science of numbered squares utilized in the creating of amulets and talismans. The third kind of esoteric knowledge was those related to astrology and geomancy. 9 Granted, the last two kinds of esoteric sciences were usually condemned by the conservative Muslim scholars, yet they were widely utilized by certain scholars in many of the African kingdoms during the 16th to 19th centuries. These scholars operated in response to the needs of ordinary people as well as to the demands of rulers. The impact of the esoteric sciences upon the spread of Islam of west Africa should not be underestimated, because it was the most dynamic element in the diffusion of Islamic culture among different African ethnic groups. This will be seen in the emergence of the use of the science in the slave revolts of Bahia.10 Another aspect of Islamic scholarship, which had strong influence upon the actions of many Sudanese societies, was the Muslim concept of eschatological beliefs. These concerned the topic of the 'End of Time' and all the cataclysmic events which herald it’s happening. According to Islamic sources the End of Time would be preceded by a series of 'signs'. These signs included natural and man-made disasters, the breakdown of Islamic morality, civil upheaval, war, and social decay. These signs also included the primacy that the Europeans (Ahl ‘r-Ruum) would gain over Muslim polities. These signs would culminate with the appearance of the Mahdi (the Islamic messiah), the appearance of the Dajjal (the anti-Christ), the heavenly descent of Jesus the son of Mary, the release of Gog and Magog, the raising up of the Qur'an from the Earth, and finally the rising of the sun from the West - which will signal the destruction of the universe and the ushering in of the Day of Judgment. 11 All of these eschatological beliefs were drawn from the text of the Qur'an and the oral traditions of Prophet Muhammad, which gave them the status of creed or foundation of belief. This meant they were apart of the basic education of any Malam, alfa, marabout or alim. It was sometimes these ideas that scholars utilized to rally support for their endeavors to establish Islamic governance in the Sudan. In addition to these classical sources for the End of Time, there also emerged a mass of accumulative oral traditions about the End of Time developed out of the Sudanese society itself. These traditions spoke of the destruction of a particular society or city as being one of the signs of the End of Time. One popular tradition, which had profound and universal affect upon the role of the scholars of Western and Central Sudan, was the prophecy made by a Timbuktu sage, Ahmad ibn Abdallah, saying that the conquest of Timbuktu was an eschatological sign of the End of Time. 12 On the eve of the 1591 invasion of Timbuktu, many of the scholars were forcibly deported or fled to other regions of the Sudan. In fact, it is alleged that it was this dispersal that brought many Dyula/Mande-speaking scholars into Yorubaland, Asante, Hausaland and other regions near the Bight of Benin around the 16th century. What is known is that the destruction of Timbuktu marked the beginning of the quasi-militant era of Muslim scholars throughout the Sudan. Prior to this period, Islamic scholars were quietist and were involved with education and advising existing traditional rulers. However, after the Moroccan and Portuguese invasion of Timbuktu in 1591 millenarian ideas became widespread among the scholars. Normally millenarian movements were characterized by other-worldliness and withdrawal from participating in the society; since society was irretrievably destined for divine destruction. However, millenarian movements in Islam, particularly those in Africa, were characterized by militancy and 'the rule of the jurists'. 13 This involved the scholars resting the reigns of governance from the hands of those who were not deserving of it in order to establish the rule of Allah on earth in preparation of the End of Time. This was not a passive millenarian approach, but an activist approach that would characterize the Islamic reform movements that swept Africa during the 16th to the 19th century. These Muslim armies, who called themselves 'the Army of Allah', were allegedly motivated by their conviction of the nearest of the End of Time; or at least this was the propaganda used to rally the massive support which they received. Enslaved African Muslims no doubt carried this phenomenon across the Atlantic to Bahia. It was recognition of this, which caused some scholars to define the slave revolts of Bahia as millenarian. This messianic Islamic trend was seen throughout the Bilad as Sudan, particularly after the sacking of Timbuktu in 1591. Across Black Muslim Africa, aftr the scking of Timbuktu and the invasion of the Songhay Calliphate, scholars embarked upon a more militant and millenarian approach to spreading the call of Islam. The methodology of this novel approach was by means of the religiously, thus legally, binding obligations of hijra and jihad, which was perpetual until the End of Time. This was the reality of Islam in the Bight of Benin during the height of the Atlantic slave trade. The insecurity which the slave trade created and the apparent strength of the Christian Portuguese could only have increased millenarian feelings amongst the Muslims of the coast, especially those who were unfortunate enough to be captured and shipped to Bahia. Bahia, Brazil witnessed the persistence of this ongoing African trend on the shores of Brazil. And this can be deduced from the opinions that the Portuguese had of these Sudanese Muslims as they were unloaded from the ships to be integrated into the slave plantations of Bahia. Consequently, between 1640 and 1890 1.9 million Yoruba, Ewes, Hausas, Fullanis, Asantes, Nupes, Effans and Malinkes were shipped from the ports of Lagos, Forte de El Mina, and Whydah. According to Patrick Manning: "Over half the slaves exported, both overall and in each century, appear to have gone to Brazil. For the entire 18th century, an average of over 11,000 slaves appears to have been exported every year. The high point of the trade was from 1700 to perhaps 1725, with another great peak of exports in the 1780s." 14 The estimates of Manning were taken from the assessment made by Philip D. Curtin in his The Atlantic Slave Trade. 15 J.E. Inikori demonstrated that Curtin underestimated the volume of slave exports from Africa to the Americas. This is because Curtin failed to include slave mortality during the Atlantic crossing or slave mortality while waiting to be shipped. Hundreds of thousands of African souls perished while being captured or while being confined on the African coast. However, tens of millions died and were murdered during the tortuous Middle Passage. Another factor was the phenomenon of slave smuggling in Portuguese territories in order to cheat the Customhouses and not pay heavy taxes. Inikori demonstrates that the total number of slaves imported into Brazil from 1801 to 1850 came to approximately 3,700,000 Africans. 16 Many of these Yorubas, Ewes, Hausas, Fulanis, Asantehena, Nupes and Malinkes were imported from the ports of Lagos, El Mina and Whydah. According to Donald Pierson, Bahia was the destination of mainly of Yorubas, Ewes and Hausas. He maintained that the majority of the Hausa were strict Muslims who had converted many of the Yoruba and Ewes to Islam. The Portuguese described these Muslims as shrewed and intelligent and were superior in cultural equipment to their masters. "Many were literate, and some are said to have written Arabic fluently...Often they banded together...to buy the freedom of a favorite friend."17 From 1807 to 1837, Islam was the major catalyst in uniting diverse African ethnicities in Bahia Brazil, and inspired them to strike for their freedom as a united people. During that same period across the Atlantic, one of the leaders of the Islamic revolutions in the central Bilad as-Sudan composed a poem which epitomized the solidifying impact of Islam: And we are an army victorious in Islam, And we are proud of nothing but that. Tribes of Islam - and Turudbe is our clan Our Fulani and our Hausa all united, And among us other than these, certain tribes joined together For the help of Allah's religion - made up the union. . . . None can destroy what the hand of Allah has built. None can turn back the command of Allah when it comes. Allah's promise has been completed and the victory of His religion: There remains nothing but thanks to Him, and humble prayer." 18 Footmotes: 1. Qur'an, 49:13. 2. Daniel Pipes, "Mawlas: Free Slaves and Converts in early Islam", in Slaves and Slavery in Muslim Africa, vol. 1, (ed.) John R. Willis, (London, Frank Cass, 1985), 210-211. 3. Constance Hilliard, "Zuhur al-Basatin and Ta`rikh al-Turubbe: Some Legal and Ethical Aspects of Slavery in the Sudan as Seen in the Works of Shaykh Musa Kamara," in Slaves and Slavery in Muslim Africa, vol. 1, (ed.) John R. Willis, (London, Frank Cass, 1985), 167-168. 4. Qur'an, 2:282. 5. Ibid., 8:29. 6. Elias Saad, The Social History of Timbuktu, (Cambridge, 1982), 159. 7. J.O. Hunwick, "The Influence of Arabic in West Africa", Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, vol. VII, 1964, 24-25. 8. Ibid., 36. 9. Louis Brenner, "The 'Esoteric Sciences' in West African Islam", in The Changing Role of the Ulama, Conference, March 29-31 1984, Northwestern University, Lansing, 2-3. 10. Ibid., 6. 11. Uthman Dan Fodiyo, Tanbeehu'l-Umma `Ala Qurb Hujuum Ashraat'l-Saa`at, TMs, 1-4. 12. Elias Saad, The Social History of Timbuktu, 183. 13. Elizabeth Hodgkin, "The Ulama Under Muslim Colonialism: the Timbuktu Ulama After the Moroccan Invasion", in The Changing Role of the Ulama, Conference, March 29-31 1984, Northwestern University, Lansing, 5-6. 14. Patrick Manning, "The Slave Trade in the Bight of Benin: 1640-1890", in The Uncommon Market: Essays in the Economic History of the Atlantic Slave Trade, (eds.) Henry A. Gemery and Jan S. Hodgendorn, (New York, Academic Press, 1979), 124-125. 15. Philip D. Curtin, The Atlantic Slave Trade: A Census, (Madison, 1969). 16. J. E. Inikori, "Measuring the Atlantic Slave Trade: An Assessment of Curtin and Andsey", Journal of African History, XVII, 2, (1976), 197-223; and also "Measuring the Atlantic Slave Trade: A Rejoinder by J.E. Inikori", Journal of African History, XVII, 4, (1976), 607-627. 17. Donald Pierson, Negroes in Brazil, (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1942), 39-42.. 18. Abdullahi Dan Fuduye’, Tazyin'l-Waraqaat, trans. Mervyn Hiskett, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press, 1963, pp.110-111.

USUUL AL-`ADL (The Fundamental Principles of Justice) of Shehu Uthman Danfodio. by Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid As a result of regional corruption, injusti...ce and inequity the year 1807 (1224) was detrimental for everyone in the central Bilad as-Sudan. Even the Muslims who were raging a jihaad to overthrow the tyrranical Gobir Hausa regime, suffered. Shaykh Abd'l-Qaadir ibn Mustafa said about that in his Mausufat's-Sudan: "They thus scattered throughout the lands like lizards They were afflicted with the most abominable kinds of hardships This was followed by a destructive plague which also descended Confirmed by the hedonism which had become excessive in the times The plague afflicted the Muslims as well and even touched our Shehu With the hardships of fever hitting many of our people without exception Then however, Allah lightened this for him from that And he became cured along with the army there" The wide spread tribulations, affliction, and repulsive plagues which befell the general population was a result of the disobedience of the people, their rejection of the Truth, the alteration of the times, the changing resolve of the Muslims, their inclinations to this world and craving for it, the intense competition for political authority, wealth and rank, as well as the general neglect of the devotion to the masaajid, the schools of learning and other than that. This tribulation which befell the general population continued from the month of Dhu’l-Qa`ida of 1223 hijra until the end of Jumad at-Thani of 1224 (circa February 1808 until June of the same year). At the beginning of this unfortunate time Abdullahi Dan Fodio received a spiritual indication from Allah to abandon the army, turn to the Best of creation, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, occupy himself with his own soul and head in the direction of al-Medina al-Munawara, the direction of the Chosen one, upon him be blessings and peace. He thus made the hijra accompanied with five of his trusted lieutenants until they reached the city of Kano. Subsequently, the people of Kano prevented him from continuing with his journey, requesting him to instruct them how to establish the religion and how to remove the love for this worldly life from their hearts. Shaykh Abdullah’s response to their request was: This very thing which I see in you is exactly what I was fleeing from. It was due to this that Shaykh Abdullahi changed his intention and stayed in Kano where he composed his excellent treatise on constitutional theory and government called Diya al-Hukaam and he also taught them the entire exegesis of the Qur’an. It is said that the real reason that the people of Kano prevented Shaykh Abdullahi Dan Fodio from reaching al-Medina was because his brother, the Shehu, when he heard that his beloved brother and chief advisor had left the army, he supplicated Allah ta`ala that He would stop him and not allow him to continue his journey. It is for this reason that the people of Kano prevented him, and eventually he returned to lead the army and Allah gave decisive victories to the Muslims as a result. It was on a Wednesday after the dhuhr on the 7th of Jumad al-Ulaa, 1224 (April of 1808), that Shehu UthmanDan Fodio addressed the tribulations which had spread and effected non Muslim and Muslim alike. Because starvation, drought, the spread of epidemics and disease are the result of the spread of injustice and corruption' the Shehu composed a text which addressed the core solution to the social upheavals, corruption and diseases that plagued everyone. The work was called Usuul al-`Adl. The Shehu composed this work initially, to strengthen his brother Abdullahi, but also to remind the generals of his army, the Amirs as well as the remainder of the Muslim army that the only way to overcome the corruption, disease and tribulations that had spread is by establishing JUSTICE. Using the teachings of Imam al-Ghazali as the main source for this work; the Shehu arranged the principles of justice into ten principles. The work is relatively short, being no more than 10 folios. This work was not only popular in the central Bilad as-Sudan, but it was disseminated in the western Bilad as-Sudan as well, where I found a copy in the Ahmadu Baba Institute in Tinbuktu. My first copy of this work, I recieved in the Republic of Sudan. The fact that I was able to find two copies far from the original place where the work was composed, demonstrates the popularity of this small work for African Muslims. It is because the conditions today are similar to the conditions which were the incentive for the composition of the Usuul al-`Adl, I felt it appropriate to annotate, translate and publish this work, so that Muslim nations, communities, families and individuals can know that the only way that the present crisis befalling Muslims and the general tribulations affecting the world can be changed is by establishing JUSTICE and eradicating injustice. courtesy: Shaykh Muhammad Shareef www.siiasi.org

KITAAB AL-WIRD SAYF AL-HAQQ OF SHEHU UTHMAN DAN FODIO part 1 In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Most Merciful, there is no power nor might besides Allah,... the Exalted the Mighty. Says the poor needy slave of the mercy of his Mighty and Wise Lord, Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid, may Allah forgive him and accept his repentance. All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. It is in His Name, and with His power and might, that I ask that He send His abundant eternal blessings and perfected unending peace upon our master and chief, the Beloved Muhammad, and upon his family who are the mines of His secrets and upon all his Companions who are the champions of His truths. I ask Allah to be pleased with the masters of the Second Generation (Taabi`uun); the Subsequent Generation (Taabi` ‘t-Taabi`een); the four Imams who exercised independent judgment (mujtahiduun); the right-acting scholars (`ulama’l-`aamileen), the perfected sages (al-awliyya al-kummaal) and all of those who follow them in the paths of peaceful surrender to Allah (subul ‘s-Salaam). This gloss is an annotation and explanation of the Kitaab’l-Wird of Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio. The sufi sages say: The person without a wird (litany) is a qird (monkey). Thus, I have named this commentary Izaalat Dhameem Khisaal al-Qird Bi Iktishaaf Anwaar Kitaab al-Wird (The Removal of the Obnoxious Traits of the Rogue Monkey By Disclosing the Illuminations of the Book of the Litany). My intent in writing this commentary is to clarify that the objective and intent that the Shehu had in composing this small work was in order to confirm that he had established his own unique Tareeqa within the Turuq of the Sufis. I realize that this assertion has gone largely uncontested or even examined in academia. In its dusty halls, regional experts assert that the Shehu was a Qaadiri; or that he was, at most a master of the Shadhaliyya, the Khalwatiyya and the Mahmudiyya Paths as well. However, among the traditional scholars who inherit from the Shehu through lineage and knowledge, there has always been this assertion that the Shehu initiated his unique Path; and that this work, which some scholars called Lamaa Balaghtu (Once I Attained); is the formal declaration of that fact. My teachers, such as Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin ibn Adam, Shaykh Muhammad Bello ibn Abdullahi, Shaykh Abu Bakr Basambu ibn Umar, Shaykh Muhammad Bello ibn Abd’r-Raaziq, Shaykh Ibrahim ibn Uthman, Shaykh Umar ibn Ahmad Zaruku and Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin Moyi; all attested to the fact that the Shehu not only inherited the lights and stations of the Sultan of the Awliyya, Abd’l-Qaadir al-Jaylani; but that he also inherited the lights and stations of Shaykh Ahmad ar-Rufai`, Shaykh Ibrahim ad-Dusuqi and Shaykh Ahmad al-Badawi; considered the four awtaad of the circle of the Awliyya. The fact that the Shehu was a direct descendant of the Qutb al-Aqtab, Sayyid Abu’l-Hassan as-Shadhali through his mother’s lineage, was justification for many of the living sages of Sokoto, Wurno, Maiurno and Toker to assert that he inherited the haqaa’iq of this great redemptive wali and mastered his methodology. The third Amir of Gwandu, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Khalil ibn Shaykh Abdullahi Dan Fodio, who was considered one of the disciples of the Shehu that had attained spiritual mastery (mushayyikha) said in his Tanbeeh al-Ghaafileen that the Shehu was the fifth element of the four components of the perfected awliyya: al-Jaylani, ar-Rufai` al-Badawi and ad-Dusuqi. Just as these four sages established unique spiritual methodologies whose schools of thought were named after them. Similarly, Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio laid the foundation for a new school in practical and theoretical sufism, constructed upon a unique methodology of spiritual discipline and developed an inimitable .launching pad for gnosis of the Absolute Being. This work, Kitaab al-Wird basically discusses two major spiritual openings and unveilings that occurred in two time periods in the Shehu’s life: the first at the age of thirty-six and the second at the age of forty and some months. The first spiritual opening heightened his physical body and enhanced his natural abilities. It was then that he first discovered the wird (litany) that was transcribed in a kind of nano-script with the Pen of the Divine decree on his fifth rib on his right side. The second spiritual opening gave him arrival, designation, being given the Sword of Truth, being named the Imam al-Awliyya (the Leader of Sages); and it was then that he was instructed to disseminate the wird that he saw transcribed in his body. Both spiritual unveilings involved the wird or litany. Both spiritual openings occurred for the Shehu as a result of abundant and prolonged periods of sending blessings and peace upon the Prophet. Both, his son, Sultan Muhammad Bello and his son-n-law Waziri Uthman Gidadu ibn Muhammad Layma narrated the accounts of these openings and described them as the same kinds of spiritual unveilings which the founders of new Sufi spiritual orders experienced; such as Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idris of the Idrisiyya, Shaykh Muhammad Uthman al-Murghani of the Mirghaniyya, Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani of the Tijaniyya, Shaykh Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Sanusi of the Sunusiyya and Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba of the Muridiyya. Allah willing, this annotation and commentary will bring out the evidences which corroborate the assertion that the Shehu was the founder of a specific Tareeqa and the initiator of a unique methodology in this ancient spiritual path (suluuk). Not only is this Kitaab’l-Wird the most concise means of drawing near to Allah ta`ala, but this succinct work is also a key (miftaah) to all the sciences obligatory for the responsible servant to know and act upon. Following the principle of the fourteen illuminated letters which open the Quranic chapters, the Shehu inserted fourteen Qur’anic verses upon which the foundation of the religion is established. This can only be understood by shinning the light of Quranic exegesis upon these verses which clarify the sciences of the religion in detail. My teacher, Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin said that whoever memorizes these verses and understands their exegesis will comprehend all of the individual obligations in general. Thus, the wird of the Shehu is also a canon of beneficial knowledge (qa’ida `ilm ‘n-naafi`) that when you recite it and understand its meanings, you increase in sciences. In this Way, the Shehu exemplifies the meaning of the prophetic tradition: The most superior form of worship is seeking knowledge. By combining the remembrance of GOD (adhkaar) with the legal and theological reflections of the Book (afkaar), the Shehu makes this concise and succinct wird the strongest, the most insightful and the most illuminating of all the awraad. May Allah show you and I the truth as truth and help us to follow it and show us falsehood as falsehood and help us to avoid it. It was during the Ramadan of 1985, that I read the Kitaab’l-Wird, to my teacher Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin as he received it from his father Shaykh Adam Kari’angha ibn Muhammad Tukur; who received it from Shaykh Mallam Musa al-Muhajir; who received it from the star of gnosis, Shaykh Ali Dinba ibn Shaykh Abu Bakr Ma`llama the Imam; who received it from the Imam of the awliyya, the Light of the age, the sword of Truth, the mujaddid and Amir ‘l-Mu’mineen SHEHU Uthman Dan Fodio: who said: . In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, may Allah send blessings upon our master Muhammad, his family and Companions and give them abundant peace. : Says the poor slave in dire need of the mercy of his Lord, Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman, known as DAN FODIO, may Allah engulf him in His mercy Amen to continue: Miraculous Abilities & the Discovery of the Wird Sayf al-Haqq . When I attained the age of thirty-six Allah removed the cloak from my eyes, the burden from my hearing and smell, the dullness from my taste, the stiffness from my hands, the sluggishness from my feet, and the heaviness from my body. . I could see the far like the near and hear the far like the near. I could smell those who worshipped Allah with the sweetness of their scent and the stench of those disobedient with the foulness of their odor. I could recognize the halal by taste before it reached my throat and I could recognize the haraam in the same manner. I could then take with my two hands what was far from me while remaining in my place. I could walk with my two feet the distance which a fleet horse could not travel in years. That was a favor from Allah which He gives to whom He wills. [Qur`an - 62:4]. I was then made acutely cognizant of my entire physiognomy; every organ, bone, nerve, muscle, and hair follicle. I was made to understand each of these from their distinctive grade and function. : . I then found written on my fifth rib on the right side of my body, written with the pen of the decree of Allah: [1] al-hamdu lillahi rabbi ‘l-`aalameen (‘All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’) ten times; [2] allahumma salli `ala sayyidinaa muhammadin wa `ala aali sayyidinaa muhammadin wa sallim (‘O Allah bless our master Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad’) ten times; and [3] astaghfiru Allah ‘l-`adheem (I seek forgiveness of Allah the Mighty) ten times. I was genuinely amazed at this. to continue see part 2 SOURCES: Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid: Tawq al-Lama`a wa Itmam n-Nia`ma Fee Sharh `Ala Sawq al-Umma Ila Ittiba`a as-Sunna: https://www.academia.edu//Tawq_l-Lama_wa_Itmaam_n-Niama_a; Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid: Nuur ‘z-Zamaan: the Light of the Age: https://www.academia.edu//Nuurz-Zamaan_the_Light_of_the_A; Ihya’s-Sunna al-Muhammadiyya wa Ikhmad ‘l-Bid`a as-Shaytaaniyya: https://www.academia.edu//Ihyas-Sunna_wa_Ikhmadl-Bida_The

ON SURAT AR-RAHMAAN & THE POWER OF THE DIVINE NAME -RAHMAAN By Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid The Divine Name ar-Rahmaan (the Universally Compassionate) is f...rom the etymological root of fa`laan () taken from the word ‘mercy’ (ar-rahma []). This means He is the One who manifest His commands to His creation by all the varieties of compassion (ar-rifq []) that He shows in bringing them out into existence. It is recited along with the Divine Name of Majesty (ism’l-jalaala) Allah when Allah ta`ala says: Invoke Allah, or invoke ar-Rahmaan. Whichever Divine Name you invoke, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Allah ta`ala joins the two Divine Names in order to show that He is specifically designated by the Divine Name RAHMAAN, like the Divine Name of Majesty ALLAH. This means that the Divine Name ar-Rahmaan is understood to mean a special mercy by which Allah ta`ala causes creation to come into existence, whose reality is not understood except by Him, subhaanahu. This in turn explains the meaning of His ‘sitting’ (al-istawa’) when Allah ta`ala says: Ar-Rahmaan is astawaa over the Throne. Shaykh Muhammad Tukur ibn Muhammad al-Fulati said that the word ‘sitting’ (al-istawaa) here means ‘manifest’ (ad-dhuhuur). Thus, His universal compassion is manifested in the Throne and comprises all existing things (al-kaa’inaat). This is because the Lord of Truth is Independent (ghaniyy) of creation and it (the whole existence) is in need of Him. This is firmly established. Thus, His mercy is His manifesting them and this mercy remains apparent in them from their beginning until their end, always. For this reason He created them as an admonition that all the knowledge of this Divine Name ar-Rahmaan revolves around the concept of mercy. The method of coming into relationship (at-ta`alluq) with this Divine Name ar-Rahmaan requires intimacy (uns) in GOD, hope (raja’) in Him and debasement (idhlaal) to His will. For in this Divine Name RAHMAAN is the secret of all the Divine Attributes (as-sifaat) of GOD because it gathers all of the meanings of the Divine Names. It is for this reason that many of the awliyya consider it one of the Great Immense Names of GOD, with which when you ask by means if It, you will be answered; and when you seek refuge with It, you will attain refuge. It is no mistake that the words of GOD in His Infallible Qur’an: [17:110] Say: Call upon ALLAH or call upon, the RAHMAAN; whichever you call upon, He has the Most Beautiful Names; and do not utter your prayer with a very raised voice nor be silent with regard to it, and seek a way between these; were essential elements of the awraad of Shaykh Mukhtar al-Kunti, Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio and the Samaniyya of the Sudan. The method of drawing near (at-taqarrab) to GOD by means of this Divine Name RAHMAAN and recalibrating oneself to behave in accordance with its meaning is in three manners. The first is by being of assistance (nusr) to others; either with the heart and supplication; or with one’s knowledge, wealth and capacity. The second is by seeing to it that mercy and compassion are made expansive (itisaa`u ar-rahma) to all creation. The third is making mercy and compassion manifest by establishing benevolent and charitable good deeds on behalf of others. The awliyya agree that the one who is able to realize these above three realities of mercy and compassion; that it will result in the downpour (istimtaar) of general and universal mercy from GOD by His causing the general society to move towards repentance (tawba) and relenting (inaaba) to GOD. This is based upon Allah ta`ala words: Your Lord has written for Himself mercy, that whoever among you does evil out of ignorance, then repents after that and then make correction, verily He is Forgiving, Merciful. Therefore, you should look at the whole of creation with mercy as one of the shaykhssaid in two poetic verses: Be merciful to the children of the whole of creation, all of them Look at them with eye of compassionate kindness and sympathy. Show respect for their elderly, show compassion to their young Be scrupulous with regard the whole of creation, this is a right due His creatures. The intrinsic qualities (khaasiyyat) of this Divine Name ar-Rahmaanis that It transforms its reciter to act in accordance with universal compassion. The one who remembers this Divine Name YAA RAHMAANU and carries it on his person; by the permission of GOD, it will avert all harmful things. The Divine Name AR-RAHMAAN is effective against forgetfulness, heedlessness and the inability to remember lessons. When a person who is innately slow mentally, they should recite YAA RAHMAANU one hundred times (100 x) after every prayer, whether after the congregation prayer or after prayer in seclusion. This shouild be done for forty consecutive days. If one day is ommitted; then you must start over again, until you are able to do this for forty straight consecutive days. This remedy will definitely remove heedlessness and forgetfulness from the heart, by the permission of Allah. Whoever suffers from covetous character and is always full of anguish, they should recite the Divine Name YAA RAHMAANU and then their nature will alter and modesty, mercy, kindness, and tranquility will be manifested in them. As for the intrinsic qualities (khaasiyyat) of the Surat ar-Rahmaan; there are many. Among them is what Shaykh al-Faqih Muhammad Bello ibn Abdullahi ibn Umar ibn Yusef ibn SULTAN Muhammad Bello, rahimahu Allah ta`ala said: Whoever writes Surat ar-Rahmaan on the wall of the home; or hangs it on the wall; it will deter and avert vermin from entering the home. Whoever transcribes the entire Surat ar-Rahmaan, mixes it with pure water and drinks it, it will be extremely advantageous for mental capacity, health and well-being. He also said: Whoever transcribes the entire Surat ar-Rahmaan on the LAWH or a pure clean vessel; mixes it with pure water; drinks it, it will purify the toxics of the spleen and bring the spleen back to its balance. Whoever writes the entire Surat ar-Rahmaan and carries it on their person, will be protected from inflammation of the eyes (ophthalmitis). My key teacher, Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin ibn Adam, rahimahu Allah ta`ala once said to me, when I complained about my inability to memorize Qur’an, fiqh and the other beneficial religious sciences: Whoever transcribes the following nine verses from Surat ar-Rahmaan with saffron ink and mixes it with rain water or zemzem water; will enhance his deductive skills, expand his memory, and give them piercing insight into the sciences: * * * * * * * * * * "The Beneficent Allah; taught the Quran. He alone created humanity; taught him clear expression. The sun and the moon follow an exact reckoning. [And the herbs and the trees do prostrate (to Him). And the heaven, He raised it high, and He made the Balance. That you may not be inordinate in respect of the Balance; and keep up the Balance with equity and do not make the Balance deficient. [55:1--9] I tried this formula from my Shaykh, and found it to be as accurate and precise as a laser.

THE SPIRITUAL MAQAAM OF THE SHEHU AS A RESULT OF THE PRAYER UPON THE PROPHET The son-n-law of the Shehu, Gidadu ibn Layma said in his Rawda al-Janaan that when ...the Shehu `, may Allah be pleased with him, when his yearning for Allah and His Messenger Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace became great, he took an oath to adhere to doing the prayer upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace incessantly. He begin at the sitting of the new moon of Rabi` al-Awwal, not speaking to anyone until the sitting of the new moon of Rabi` al-Awwal of the following year. He continued doing that until the appointed time came, then he was divinely attracted into the presence of the master of existence, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said to him: O Uthman! I am your Imam! You will never go astray! On this account the Shehu` composed his Fulani song, whose initial verse began: Umwa’a ardii wa naa’in majjuyaybii Hitaade ghutaami nuun ghirnandinaami Then the master of existence, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to him: I am placing you in the spiritual retreat of al-’Ash`ari, which is fifteen days, but not the spiritual retreat of al-Junayd, which is forty days. Then the master of existence, may Allah bless him and grant him peace gave the Shehu` a specific dhikr and said to him: Do not eat anything during this time except what will allay hunger. Then the Shehu` did as he was commanded until the set period was completed. Then the master of existence, may Allah bless him and grant him peace brought him into the presence of the All Beneficent Lord. Present there were all the Angels of All Beneficent Lord, all the awliyya along with the qutb and master Shaykh Mukhtar al-Kunti. Then Shaykh Abd’l-Qaadir al-Jaylani took the Shehu` by the hand and sat him in front of himself and said: This Shaykh belongs to me. Is was on this occasion that the Shehu` composed his Hausa song, whose initial verse began: Kuufammu dhuwaa gha Muhammadu As-Shaykhu `Abdu ‘l-Qaadiri. Then our Shehu` was given three responsibilities: [1] inviting people to Allah; [2] the divine appointment of khilaafa; and [3] military struggle (jihaad). Then an Angel stood and gazed upon the lands of the East and said: Answer the call of the Inviter to Allah! He then gazed upon the lands of the West and said: Answer the call of the Inviter to Allah! He gazed upon the lands of the North and said: Answer the call of the Inviter to Allah! He then gazed upon the lands of South and said: Answer the call of the Inviter to Allah! The Angel then said: He who denies him will be denied! It was then said to the Shehu`: You have been given the best of the lands of the three ethnic groups: [1] the Fulani; [2] the Blacks; and [ 3] the Tuaregs. The Shehu` said at that: As for inviting the people to Allah, I am able to do that. However, as for the divine authority of khilaafa and military jihaad, I cannot do it except if Allah provides me with someone who can assist me in accomplishing these two responsibilities. Then he was shown his noble son, Muhammad Bello, in front of him wearing vestments of light. The Shehu` was then girded with the Sword of Truth and given his Flag of Victory. At this the Shehu` became exceedingly happy. SOURCE: Rawdat al-Janaan by Gidadu ibn Layma: https://www.academia.edu//Rawdl-Janaan_A_Meadow_of_the_Ga

ON THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH & THE QUESTIONING, PUNISHMENT & BLESSINGS OF THE GRAVE Part 2 By Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid... Every religious creed in the African continent; be it ancient animist beliefs, or the beliefs of African Jews, Christians or Muslims; embrace the idea that death is real and that there is life after death. This after-life begins in the grave, and for those Africans who adhere to the Abrahamic faiths, it continues with the Day of the physical resurrection, judgment and recompense in Hell or Paradise. Thus, the erroneous belief, endorsed by Elijah Muhammad, that there is no life after death, in no way constitutes the belief system of any segment of the African continent; and cannot be considered ‘knowledge of self’. The denial of life after death is the essence of disbelief; and is diametrically opposed to the beliefs of all Africans, be they Muslims, Christians, Jews or that of African animists. One of our African Muslim ancestors, SHEHU Uthman Dan Fodio said in his Usuul ‘d-Deen: The questioning of Munkar and Nakeer for those buried in the graves and others is real and true. What the Shehu, may the mercy of Allah be upon him meant by his words: The questioning of Munkar and Nakeer for those buried in the graves and others is real and true; is that the questioning of the dead who are buried in their graves and those dead and not buried in graves by two Angels named Munkar and Nakeer is real, true and firmly established by the Book, the Sunna and the consensus. It is therefore, obligatory to believe that the first place of halting for the deceased after death is the questioning by the two Angels in the graves. This is regardless if the deceased is in his grave in the earth, unburied, drowned at sea, crucified or burnt by fire; and then his ashes scattered in the winds and his bodily parts completely destroyed; yet Allah will return his spirit, hearing and seeing to him, and then the two Angels will question him about his Lord, his religion and his prophet. Thus, the deceased will enjoy blessing or endure torment based upon the excellence or miscalculation of his answer. Allah ta`ala says: Allah will reinforce those who believe with a well-established word in the life of this world and the Hereafter. In this context, ‘the word in the life of this world’ means in the grave because the deceased is in this world until they are resurrected on the Day of Judgment. The meaning of His words: ‘the Hereafter’, thus means the word reinforced to the believers during the Reckoning. Al-Mawardi transmitted on the authority of al-Bara’ who said: What is meant by ‘the life of this world’ is the questioning in the graves, and by ‘the Hereafter’ it is meant the questioning during the Day of Standing. Thus, death, in the view of the Islamic faith, is not the end. It is the beginning of a new life commiserate with how virtuous or malevolent one’s life was prior to death. The Messenger of Allah, upon him be blessings and peace has also established the questioning of the graves by his words as related in the Saheeh of al-Bukhari on the authority of Anas ibn Malik: (( : )) Indeed, the servant when he is placed in his grave, and his friends depart from him, there comes to him two Angels. They then sit him up and say to him: ‘What did you use to say about that Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’ As for the believer, he will say: ‘I bear witness that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger.’ As for the disbeliever and the hypocrite, he will say: ‘I do not know’. In a narration of the same prophetic tradition by Abu Dawud by way of Abd’l-Wahaab ibn `Ataa’ on the authority of Sa`id who said: Once the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace entered a date palm garden belonging to the Banu ‘n-Najaar. A sound of a voice was heard and he became alarmed and said: (( )) ‘Who are the companions of these graves?’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, they are people who died during the days of ignorance.’ He then said: (( )) ‘Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave and from the tribulation of Dajaal.’ They said: ‘What is that punishment O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘Indeed, when a servant is placed in his grave’ until the end of the narration. In the narration of Ibn Hibban by way of Abu Salma on the authority Abu Hurayra the Messenger of Allah said: (( : )) If the deceased is a Muslim, his prayer will be positioned at his head, his charity will be positioned on his right, his fasting will be positioned on his left, and his doing of good will be positioned at his feet. It will then be said to him: ‘Sit up!’ He will then sit up, and a likeness of the sun sitting in the west will be made for him. In the narration of Ibn Maja from the prophetic tradition of Jaabir ibn Abdallah, the Messenger of Allah said: He will then sit up and wipe his eyes and say: ‘Leave me so I can continue to pray’. It was related in the Sunan of Abu Dawud on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said: (( : : )) He (the Angel) will say: ‘Who is your Lord? What is your religion? What was that man who was sent amongst you?’ The believer will say: ‘My lord is Allah. My religion is al-Islam. The man who was sent was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The disbeliever will say to all three questions: ‘I do not know’. In the narration of Abu Dawud, the Messenger of Allah added: (( : : )) What did you used to worship? If Allah has guided him, he will say: ‘I use to worship Allah.’ Then it will be said to him: ‘What did you use to say about that man?’. In a prophetic tradition of Ahmad from A`isha, the Messenger of Allah said: What was that man who was amongst you? In the prophetic tradition of Asma’ bint Abi Bakr, the Messenger of Allah said: As for the believer or one steeped in certainty, he will say: ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’. In another prophetic tradition as well of Ahmad from Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, the Messenger of Allah said: (( : : )) If he is a believer he will say: ‘I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.’ It will then be said to him: ‘You spoke the truth’. In another tradition from Abu Sa`id al-Khudri related by Ahmad, the Messenger of Allah said: and if he is a disbeliever or hypocrite, where there is some doubt in the narrator. Again, Ahmad related a prophetic tradition from Asma’, that the Messenger of Allah said: If he is a sinner or a disbeliever It was related in the two Saheeh collections from a prophetic tradition of Asma’ also that the Messenger of Allah said: As for the hypocrite or the apostate In a prophetic tradition of Jaabir ibn Abdallah from Abd’r-Razaaq and a prophetic tradition of Abu Hurayra from Ibn Maja, the Messenger of Allah said: As for an evil man At-Tabarani narrated a prophetic tradition from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah said: for if he is from the people of doubt In a prophetic tradition of Anas from al-Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah said: and as for the hypocrite and the disbeliever In the prophetic tradition of Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, the Messenger of Allah said: Then if he was a believer and in the same narration, he said: and if he was a disbeliever In the prophetic tradition of al-Bara’, the Messenger of Allah said: Indeed the disbeliever when he is cut off from this world’s life, in it he also said: then there will come to him Munkar and Nakeer. It is added in the narration of Abu Dawud: For, he will not be questioned about anything other than these two things. Although these different narrations differ in verbal expressions, yet they are joined in the fact that both the disbeliever and the hypocrite will be questioned. In this issue it is followed by those who claim that the questioning will occur for those who claim true faith, regardless if the claim is sincere or false. They take their reliance in that from what was related by Abd’r-Razaaq by way of `Ubayd ibn `Umayr one of the notables among the Tabi`uun that the Messenger of Allah said: (( : )) Indeed, those who will be tested will be two: the believer and the hypocrite. As for the disbeliever, he will not be questioned about Muhammad and will know of him. However, the chain of authority of this prophetic tradition is suspended, and the prophetic traditions narrated regarding the fact that disbelievers will be questioned are well known with many sound paths of transmission. Thus, these are foremost in their acceptability. Narrators such as at-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim were absolutely resolved that disbelievers will be questioned in the grave. However, the jurist differed regarding the infants who did not have the ability to discriminate, while al-Qurtubi verified in his at-Tadhkira that they would be questioned. This is a belief conveyed by the Hanifiyya; while more than one among the Shaafi`iyya verified that they would not be questioned. It is for this reason they say that it is not highly recommended that infants who lack discrimination be given the shahaada. The jurists also differ regarding the Prophets, if they too will be questioned. As for the questioning of the Angels in the Hereafter it is known of anyone who mentioned that. What is apparent in that is that they will not be questioned because questioning is specific for those beings who can be tested. Ibn Abd’l-Barr inclined towards the first opinion (that is to say, that only believers and hypocrites will be questioned) and said: The narratives give evidence that the tribulation is for those connected to the people of the qibla. As for the denying disbeliever he will not be questioned about his religion. The evidence that both disbelievers and Muslims will be questioned is established in the Book and the Sunna. Allah ta`ala says: Allah will reinforce those who believe with a well established word in the life of this world and the Hereafter, and He will lead astray the unjust. It has been related in a narration from at-Tirmidhi, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said: One of the Angels is called Munkar and the other is called Nakeer. The name ‘Munkar’ is from the conjugation of ‘maf`uul’ and takes its etymology from the verb ‘ankara’ (to deny) with the meaning of ‘nakara’ (to be ignorant of), since it refers to something or someone who does not know anyone. The cognomen ‘Nakeer’ is from the conjugation of ‘fa`eel’ with the meaning of being a direct object and takes its etymology from verb ‘nakira’ (to be unknown) with the middle letter inflected with kasra; since it refers to something or someone that no one knows. Both cognomens are the opposite of being known. Thus, they were named with these names because the deceased will not recognize them and nor have any form been seen such as the forms they will take. Al-Haafidh said in his al-Fat’h: Some of the jurists mentioned that the names of the two Angels that question the sinful among the Muslims, the disbelievers and the hypocrites are Munkar and Nakeer; while the names of the two Angels that question the obedient among the believers are Mubashir and Basheer; and Allah knows best. The bottom line is that death is not the end of the story. Life continues after death in the graves where human beings and djinn will be questioned by Angels; and will be punished or blessed in their graves based upon how they lived in this life. And even this is not the end of the story, because there must be a physical resurrection from the sleep of death in the graves so that men and djinn can be judged on the Day of Judgement. O Allah resurrect us a Muslims and gather us under the shade of the banner of the Prophet, upon him be blessings and peace. ______ SOURCES Usuul ‘d-Deen - Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Russian: https://www.academia.edu//The_Matin_text_of_Kitaab_Usuuld- Quut al-Aarifeen fee Sharh `Ala Kitaab Usuul ad-Deen arabic old: https://www.academia.edu//usuuld-deen_by_shehu_uthman_ibn_ Quut al-Aarifeen fee Sharh `Ala Kitaab Usuul ad-Deen English old: https://www.academia.edu//usuuld-deen_in_english_with_comm Quut al-Aarifeen fee Sharh `Ala Kitaab Usuul ‘d-Deen Arabic & English : https://www.academia.edu//quut_al-aarifeen_arabic_and_engl

ON THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH & THE QUESTIONING, PUNISHMENT & BLESSINGS OF THE GRAVE Part 1 By Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid... When I was a young student in the University of Islam, we were taught by Mr. Elijah Muhammad, that death was final and that there was no after-life or life after death. In the Lost-Found Muslim Lesson No. 2 in question and answer 13, Elijah Muhammad said: the dead is never known to return from the grave. All the History of Islam never reveals anything that no man (sic) had ever been able to come back from a physical death. As a young FOI, I was taught this doctrine of rejection of the after-life and was told that this was ‘knowledge of self’. However, when I later studied and examined, the after-life beliefs of our African ancestors; be they Muslim or animist; I discovered an in-depth belief of life after death. The Ife`, Fon, Yoruba, Asantahene, Hausa, Fulani, Mande, Ibo, Sarakolli, Bakongo and other African ethnicities from which our people derive; all believe in life after death and have a complex cosmology and eschatology for what happens after death. It was in African that I learned that real KNOWLEDGE OF SELF, did not correlate with any of the eschatological beliefs taught by Elijah Muhammad. To Africans, death was not a finality, but a continuity that began once a person died. One of Africa’s major religious and social reformers; as well as founder of the most significant African Islamic government, Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio transmitted genuine knowledge of self, regarding death and what happens after death; in his Usuul ‘d-Deen (the Foundation of the Religion), where he said: Death at its appointed time is real and true. The questioning of Munkar and Nakeer for those buried and others is real and true. The punishment of the grave is real and true. The blessing of the grave is real and true. Death at Its Appointed Time The meaning of the words of the Shehu, may the mercy of Allah be upon him that: Death at its appointed time (mawt bi ajli) is real and true (haqq); is that the appointed time of demise of everything besides Allah ta`ala is real, true, and will occur; as it has been established by the Book, the Sunna and the consensus. It is necessary for everything besides Allah ta`ala to experience annihilation and death; and this is regardless whether they be human spirits, intelligible Angels, celestial souls, corporeal bodies, original matter or other then these from among created entities. Allah ta`ala says: * Everything upon it is in annihilation, and there only remains the Countenance of your Lord, the Majestic and Noble. It is thus, obligatory to believe that all of humanity and the remainder of animals, jinn, Angels and others will die, and that no single one of them can die except after the completion of their appointed term which Allah has decreed for it. This is regardless if this death occurs naturally, by murder or by any other means from among the multitudes of causative factors for death. Allah ta`ala says: For when their appointed time comes, the hour cannot be postponed or put forward; which means that the exact moment of the demise and death of all things is well known with Allah `izza wa jalla. The expression ‘ajal ‘l-mawt’ (appointed time) means the moment of death just as the appointed time of Judgment means the moment that the Day of Judgment commences. Thus, everything which has been given a designated time, then that time is its appointed time. The appointed time of humanity is the moment which Allah knows without doubt that life will end in that person. It is a moment in which death cannot be conceivably postponed since what is decreed can never be postponed. It is for this reason that GOD says: the hour cannot be postponed; and it means that the hour of death or demise cannot be put off, nor can it be put off for any time less than an hour; except that the expression ‘hour’ is specified for particular mention because it is the names used to indicate the least of the time, and in this context it is an adverb of time. This is corroborated by His words: or put it forward, i.e. death itself cannot be put forward. This gives evidence that anything which dies or is killed, reaches its death at its appointed time. Thus, nothing in creation can postpone its end, nor can it put it forward, by a nano-second beyond the appointed time (ajal) given by GOD. This proves the futility of the one who commits suicide thinking that he/she is changing or putting forward their appointed time. For, the moment of death, be it self-induced, by accident, homicide or at the hands of another; is a part of the Decree of GOD and was written for that person in a Clear Book before the creation of existence. The Prophet, upon him be blessings and peace has also established death at its appointed time by his words as related in the Saheeh of al-Bukhari on the authority of Usama ibn Zayd regarding the story of the death of the son of Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: (( )) Everything has its designated appointment. This means that everything which is seized by its forelock; or everything which is given; or every breath; or it means something more general than that; all have its appointed end. Thus, the expression ‘appointment’ refers, in an absolute sense, to the last limit of a thing and to the total age of a thing. The meaning of the expression ‘designated’ in the above prophetic tradition is the known decree of that thing or something similar. The expression kullun refers to every living created being or thing; and is a direct reference to human beings. Allah ta`ala says: Every soul will taste of death, and you will only be recompensed fully on the Day of Judgment. [3: 187] Shaykh Abdullahi Dan Fodio explains to us the meaning of these words in his Diya ‘t-Ta’weel Fee Ma`ana t-Tanzeel where he said: Every soul will taste of death because death is inescapable. This is both a promise and a threat to those who accept the truth and to those who deny it. So (Muhammad), do not let those who deny the truth sadden you, because all of creation will return to GOD and be recompensed for its good or evil: and you will only be recompensed fully; with the reward for your actions good or evil: on the Day of Judgment. Thus, the Divine Reward will be for what went before in this world’s life before death came to you; and you will be recompensed as well in the grave for some of your good and bad deeds. This is proof from the Book, the Sunna and the teachings of our African Muslim ancestors that death is real and true; and that this death is only the beginning. Although, there is such a thing a spiritual, moral and mental death; the death being spoken of in these Quranic verses means actual physical death. The reward and recompense for one’s actions and deeds will commence at death and in what comes after it. This is real KNOWLEDGE OF SELF, and it puts the lie to those who believe that death is THE end. Death is not the end, but the beginning of one’s eternal recompense. O Allah make us die a Muslims, and be resurrected as Muslim among the righteous. ______ SOURCES Usuul ‘d-Deen - Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Russian: https://www.academia.edu//The_Matin_text_of_Kitaab_Usuuld- Quut al-Aarifeen fee Sharh `Ala Kitaab Usuul ad-Deen arabic old: https://www.academia.edu//usuuld-deen_by_shehu_uthman_ibn_ Quut al-Aarifeen fee Sharh `Ala Kitaab Usuul ad-Deen English old: https://www.academia.edu//usuuld-deen_in_english_with_comm Quut al-Aarifeen fee Sharh `Ala Kitaab Usuul ‘d-Deen Arabic & English : https://www.academia.edu//quut_al-aarifeen_arabic_and_engl

HELL IS REAL & ITS PHYSICAL TORMENTS ARE TRUE by Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid Some say that hell is a state of mind or a condition; like the ‘hell’ oppress...ed people suffer at the hands of the oppressed; or the ‘hell’ a person creates for themselves due to some destructive addiction or character disfunction. However, the consensus of religious communities that believe in the One Creator, believe that Hell is a real place and will be the destiny of the unrepentant sinner, the criminal and disbelievers. The basic creed in Islam regarding Hell is that it is real; it is already created by Allah but veiled in the world of the unseen; its punishments and torments are physical, psychic and spiritual; and Allah will manifest it from the unseen on the Day of Judgement. The consensus upholds that some people will enter Hell without any reckoning due to the monstrosity of their sins. Allah ta`ala says: "Verily We have prepared the Fire for the unjust!" [18:16] This mean that GOD has prepared an Abode of Divine Punishment, for the disbelievers and the disobedient. It has seven Gates, each one represents a specific division in the Hell. The punishments in Hell are different varieties and divisions. The Hell Fires exist now and will remain, never to be extinguished. The disbelievers and the hypocrites will be in it forever. However, those who die believing in the Divine Unity will not remain in the Fire forever, even if they committed major sins. The longest the monotheist sinners will reside in Hell will be 7000 years. Everyone else among the inmates of Hell will remain their forever. Those who enter Paradise after being tormented in Hell will be known in Paradise as the Jahanamiyyuun. Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio use to teach the people about Hell, its description and terrors by citing a series of Qur’anic verses arranged in a sequence. He did this in order to frighten humanity and djinn to avoid the inward and outward actions that lead to Hell. The Shehu would say: Whoever obeys the commands of Allah and avoids His prohibitions has entered upon the path to Paradise. Whoever fails to obey the commands of Allah or avoid His prohibitions then he has stumbled into the Hell-Fires and have warranted being included among its people. Allah ta`ala says: For them Hell will be the resting place and above them will be calamities. [7:41] Allah ta`ala says: For them from above will be the gloom of the Hell-Fires and beneath them will be gloom. [13:16] Allah ta`ala says: And every obstinate oppressor will be brought to destruction. In front of him is Hell-Fires and he will be made to drink boiling contaminated water. He will be forced to drink it down his throat and death will come to him from every place, but he will not die and in front of him will be a tremendous torment. [14:14-17] Allah ta`ala says: Then for those who disbelieved, garments of fire will be cut out for them. Molten lava will be poured down over their heads, which will cause their entrails to melt and their skins. And for them will be hooked rods made of iron. Each time they seek to get away from it, angrily they will be driven back into it and it will be said to them, ‘Taste the torment of roasting!’. [22:19-22] Allah ta`ala says: Is that better entertainment or the tree of Zaqqum? Verily I have made it as a temptation for the unjust. Verily, it is the tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-Fires. The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils. Then, they will eat from it and fill their bellies with it. Then after that they will be given molten lava to drink so that it becomes like a broth. Then after that their destiny will be the flaming fire of Hell-Fires. Verily, they found their fathers on the wrong path, so they too hastened in their footsteps! [37:62-70] Allah ta`ala says: Verily the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinners. Like boiling oil, it will boil in the bellies, like the bubbling of molten lava. [44:43-46] It will be said to the Angels: Seize him and drag him into the midst of the Hell-Fires. Then pour from over his head the torment of molten lava. [44: 47-48] Allah ta`ala says: Seize him and fetter him, then throw him in the blazing Fire. Then fasten him with a chain which seventy cubits! [60:30-32] Allah ta`ala says: Then let them taste it - molten lava and puss from dirty wounds. And other punishments of similar kind paired. [37:57-58] Allah ta`ala says: When iron collars will be rounded over their necks and with chains they will be dragged along in the molten lava and then they will be roasted in the Fire. [40:71-72] Allah ta`ala says: Verily with Me are fetters and a raging Fire. And food that chokes and a painful punishment. [73:12-13] Each of these verses establish that Hell is real and is the evilest of destinies. Qadi Iyad said in his as-Shifa that whoever denies the realities of Hell, or claims that its punishments and torments are not true; or that they mean something other than what they say; or that these are metaphors or metonymy in rhetoric has become an apostate to Islam. Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio would recite the above Quranic verses and then give the tafsir of their meaning in order to frighten and intimidate men and djinn to be fearful of the Wrath of GOD. Sometimes in order to drive home the reality of Hell, the Shehu would mention the dialogue of the people of the Hell-Fire as it is mentioned in the prophetic tradition related by al-Bayhaqi: that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said, Verily there will be five supplications for the people of Hell-Fires. Allah ta`ala will respond to four of their supplications. When they make the fifth supplication they will not be allowed to speak thereafter forever. They will say: ‘Our Lord You caused us to die twice and You gave us life twice. You alone know our sins. Is there in way out of this!?’ [40:11] Allah ta`ala will respond: ‘This is because when Allah alone was called upon you denied Him and when associates were made with Him you believed in them. For the final judgment belongs to Allah the Exalted the Great.’ [40:12] Then they will say: ‘Our Lord we have seen and we have heard. Return us so that we can do righteous deeds. Indeed we are people of certainty. [32:12] Allah ta`ala will respond: ‘Then taste that which you used to forget of the meeting with this Day of yours. Verily I have forgotten you. And taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do.’ [32:14] Then they will say: ‘Our Lord postpone us for a short time so that we can answer Your call and follow the messengers.’ [14:44] Allah ta`ala will respond: ‘Were you not among those who swore from before that you would never die!?’ [14:44] Then they will say: ‘Our Lord take us out of it, so that we can do good deeds other than what we used to do.’ [35:37] Then Allah ta`ala will respond: ‘Did I not prolong your lives so that whoever would receive admonition could receive it!? And warners came to you, so taste the punishment! For the unjust there are no helpers!’ [35:37] Then they will say: ‘Our Lord our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people in error.’ [23:106] Allah ta`ala will respond: ‘Be silent in it! And do not speak!’ [23:108] For then they will never thereafter speak again. In his Infaq al-Maysuur, Sultan Muhammad Bello said that there are many other dialogues of the people of the Fire. Among them are those mentioned in the prophetic tradition related by Ibn al-Mubaarik, who said: ‘It has reached me that the people of the Hell-Fires will seek redemption with the custodian of Hell. Allah ta`ala says: Those in the Hell-Fire will say to the custodians of Hell: ‘Supplicate to your Lord that He may alleviate from us a day from the punishment. [40:49] The custodians will answer them: Did there not come to you your messengers with clear messages? They will say: ‘Indeed!’ They will say: ‘Go on and supplicate for the supplication of the disbelievers is only in error. [40:50] When they seek relief with the custodians of Hell-Fires, they will call to Malik (the warden of Hell), and he will be furious sitting in the center of Hell upon an axle around which the Angels of punishment (zabaniyya) revolve. There Malik is able to see the furthest part of Hell in the same manner as the nearest part. The people will say: O Malik! Seek our needs with your Lord! And they will beg him for death. He will remain silent refusing to answer their request for eighty years. A year in Hell will be three hundred and sixty-five days. A month in Hell will be thirty days. And a day in Hell will be like a thousand years of your reckoning. Then after eighty years (876,000,000 of our years!) he will show regard for them saying: Verily you will reside therein. [43:47] When they hear what he says they will then seek relief as they did before. Some of them will say to others. O you there! Perhaps He will alleviate from us the punishment and affliction the way it was alleviated before. So let us adhere to patience. For perhaps patience will benefit us in the same manner that the people of obedience were patient with obedience to Allah. Thus, patience benefited them when they were patient. Thus, they will all agree to remain steadfast with the punishment. They will be patient until their patience goes for a long time. They will then have regret and call out: It is the same whether we show remorse or show patience. There will be no escape. [14:21] Meaning there will be no escape from it to safety. Then Iblis will say to them: Verily Allah promised you a promise of truth and I made a promise to you. However, I went against my promise. I had no authority over you except that I invited you. You in turn answered my invitation. Therefore, do not blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannot answer your screams nor will you be able to answer my screams. Verily I deny what deities you used to associate before with Him. [14:22] For when they hear what he says, they will detest themselves. He will say to them: Verily Allah’s detestation is greater than our detestation of ourselves. They will say to Allah: ‘Twice have You caused us to die and twice have You caused us to live. Now we confess our sins. Is there any way for us to get out? [40:10] He will say in answer to them: This is because when Allah alone was called upon they denied Him and believed in partners besides Him. For the Final Judgment it with Allah the Exalted the Great. [40:12] This will be the first dialogue. Then they will call out a second time: Our Lord take us out so that we can do good, then we will have certainty. [32:12] Then Allah ta`ala will answer them: If I had desired, I would have given every soul its guidance, however the word is true from Me that I will fill the Hell-Fires with the Jinn and mankind all together. So therefore, taste what you used to overlook of the meeting with this Day of yours. I have overlooked you. So taste the punishment of eternity due to what you used to do. [32:13-14] Then they will call out a third time: Our Lord postpone us for a short time so that we can respond to Your call and follow the messengers. [14:44] Then Allah ta`ala will answer them: Did you not swear before that you would not come to an end. You resided in the homes of those who were unjust to themselves and it became clear to you how I dealt with them and I threw similarities for you. They plotted their plots, but their plots were with Allah, even had their plots were as big as the mountains. [14:44-46] Then they will call out a fourth time: Our Lord take us out so that we can do good deeds other than what we used to do. [35:37] Then Allah ta`ala will answer them: Did I not prolong your lives? But you did not take heed from the reminder when there came to you the Warner. So taste the punishment. There can be no helper for the unjust. [35:37] Then they will reside therein as long as Allah wills, He will then call out to them: Were not My signs recited to you, yet you were among those who denied them. [23:105] When they will hear His address, they will say to themselves: Now our Lord will show us mercy! They will say at that time: Our Lord our wretchedness overcame us and we were a people in error. Our Lord take us out of it, for if You were to return us, indeed we were among the unjust. [23:106-107] Allah ta`ala will say at that point: Be silent and do not speak! [23:108] At that point all hope and answering of supplication will be cut off from them. Then they will encounter one another and spit in each other’s faces. Then they will be covered and shut in. For this reason, Allah ta`ala says: This is Day they will not be allowed to speak, nor will permission be given - so that they might give excuses. [37:75-76] Allah ta`ala tells in His Infallible Book; that the mouths of the people of Hell will be sealed and their hands, feet, eyes, ears, feet, private parts and heart will testify against them as to what they used to do. One of the most profound works on the description of Hell was composed in Hausa poetic verse by the daughter of Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio, Jaji Nana Asmau which she called "Fear This'. This work is the scariest most horrifying depiction of Hell based upon a true dream (ruta saadiq) which she had. We seek refuge with Allah ta`ala from the punishment of Hell; and O Allah give us good in this life and good in the Hereafter and save us from the punishment of Hell. O Allah send blessings upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and Companions, with a prayer that redeems us from the pains of death, the punishment of the grave, from the reckoning on the Day of Judgment and from the eternal punishment of Hell. SOURCE: https://siiasi.org/digital-archive/sultan-muhammad-bello// https://siiasi.org//Chapter-17-On-What-the-Shehu-Mentioned

THE ORIGIN & MEANING OF ‘AFRICA’ & A DESIGNATION OF ITS BOUNDARIES by Hei Xuanfeng It is important when discussing the region of ‘Africa’ in general, that we fi...rst examine the origin and meaning of the term ‘Africa’, in order to get a sense of who and what we are talking about. In examining this widely used referent it is also important to examine its etymology through our own historical perspective and through the mind of those outside us. In this approach we can get a broader historical picture on the etymology of the name AFRICA and an etymology of the process of ‘naming’ itself. The question that always arises, is do we the People of this Great Continent OWN the name AFRICA. Allah wiling I will attempt to answer this question making sure that every assertion I make, that I provide my readers with a named source and reference. In addition I will not cite a single European source, but most of my referents will be MUSLIM; well because I am. I do this, as a scholar/warrior setting the stage/field and placing the bar for any person who wants to contest what I will assert and prove in this treatise. So, let’s see if we AFRICAN people OWN the name AFRICA; or was it given to us by another people Immediately, in the Islamic sources the term ‘Africa’ (ifriqiyya) is identified with a geographical region on the African continent. Both Yaqut al-Hamawi in his Mu'jam al-Buldaan (the Encyclopedia of Countries), and our brother, the erudite Hassan al-Wazaan (Leo Africanus) in his Wasaf Ifriqiyya (Description of Africa) said that the cognomen ‘Africa’ or ‘ifriqiyya’ as it is named in Arabic, was originally a referent to the northern region of the continent known today as Tunis, and was known in ancient times as ‘Carthage’ or ‘Qartaagena’, from which the term ‘cartography’ (map making) originates. The idea being, I suspect. that in order to get to Carthage, you had to have a map. However all people knew that it was a referent to a region in present day Africa. So, geographically, we Africans did OWN the name - AFRICA. There are many interpolations of the name ‘Africa’ by the scholars and earlier geographers. Some of the first interpolations were that the name was taken from ‘Ifriqish’ the name of one of the descendents of Hem ibn Nuuh, who was the first to settle in the region and after whom the region was named, the land of Kemet. So, if Iriqish, after whom the northern region of Africa was named was a descendent of Hem the founder of the great Kemet Black African Nilotic kingdom; then yes we Africans did OWN the name - AFRICA because it was the name of one of our ancestors the first of the rulers of the Nilotic kingdoms. According to Abu’l-Qaasim Abd’r-Rahman ibn Abdallah ibn Abd’l-Hakam in his Futuuh Ifriqiyya wa’l-Andalus (the Victories over North Africa and the Iberian Peninsular), as well as Abu `Ubaydallah ibn Abd’l-Aziz al-Bakri in his al-Masaalik wa’l-Mamaalik (The Book of Roads and Kingdoms) said that this Ifriqish was the son of Abraha bin ar-Raa’ish who rose up in war against the Assyrians in Asia Minor. He was eventually vanquished and he fled with his armies westward until he reached the region of Carthage, whose people he fought and defeated and then constructed a city there named after himself called ‘Ifriqiyya’. Now, this narrative depicts Ifriqish as a foreigner, but that does not rule out that he was indeed among those Black nations which were driven out of Asia Minor with the southern advancement of the Indo-Aryan nations into the region. So again, in this narrative, there is the strong possibility that Ifriqish was Black and established a new kingdom after whom the region became known. I believe that this also establishes that we Africans OWN the name AFRICA. A second interpolation advanced by Isma`il Ra’fat in his at-Tibyaan Fee Takhteet ‘l-Buldaan (The Clarification of the Mapping of the Regions), is that the name ‘Africa’ came from the Latin word ‘separatus’ (in Arabic ‘fareeq’) because the continent was a land mass separated from Europe and parts of Asia by the Mediterranean and Red seas respectively. The lands described as being separated (fareeq) from Europe and Asia Minor is the same land mass known today as Africa. A third interpolation put forward by Muhammad Abd’l-Fataah Ibrahim in his Ifriqiyya Min as-Senegal Ila Bahr Juba, (Africa: From Senegal to Equatorial Juba) is that the term ‘Africa’ comes from Greek origin, where the letter ‘A’ is a negative particle meaning ‘not’ and the phrase ‘frica’ means ‘cold’; which means it was a land which was devoid of cold. In comparison to Greece and all the lands north of it into Europe it is a land that is devoid of cold ( a’ frica). The fourth interpolation of the cognomen ‘Africa’ was advanced by both Hussayn Mu’nis in his Fat’h’l`Arab Li’l-Maghrib (The Victory of the Arabs Over the Westernlands), and Sa`d Zaghlul Abd’l-Hamid in his Tarikh al-Maghrib’l-`Arabi (The History of the Western Arabs), is that the Romans used to utilize the phrase ‘Afer’ (and ‘Afri’ in the plural) to refer to the remote regions beyond Carthage when it was conquered by them in 146 C.E., thus the region became known as ‘Ifriqiyya’. So, in the case the Africa does not refer to Carthage or north Africa, but to the lands of the Sahara and the lands beyond it. This is a designation of present day Africa. Because most historians of the Middle East took their sources for early north African history from the Roman and Greek sources, the cognomen ‘Ifriqiyya’ became applicable to that region. To the Romans the name ‘Africa’ was applied to the entire region including those regions south of Carthage beyond the Sahara desert. My friend and colleague Dr. Abd’l-Baqi Muhammad Kabiru said in his Tarikh ad-Duwal’l-Islamiyya Fee Gharab al-Ifriqiyya Fee Qarin `Ashara al-Hijriyya (the History of the Islamic Governments of West Africa During the 10th Century of the Hijra), that the cognomen Africa became a name commonly used in the European sources to refer to the continent and later the referents North Africa, South Africa, East Africa, West Africa and eventually Central Africa became in general use as the continent came under European control in the 19th century. So we have the name Africa being traced back to Ifriqish the son of Hem the son of Prophet Noah; Hem being the original ancestors of the Nilotic Kingdom of Kemet. We have the name Africa referring to its separation from Europe and Asia Minor; and as a reference to it being a land devoid of cold and frigid temperatures. All of these diverse interpolations of the name Africa does however, point directly to our blessed continent as a whole. However, because of the close ties between the `Arabs to the east of Africa in the Hijaz and the Africans of Abyssinia, many of the early Muslim historians were not pigeonholed by the definitions given to the continent by the Roman and Coptic historical sources, as we will demonstrate. There we will discuss the second cognomen used to refer to AFRICA the Bilad as-Sudan (the Land of the Blacks). www.siiasi.org

AMIR ‘L-MU’MINEEN ABU BAKR ATIKU IBN SHEHU DAN FODIO 1837-1842 Saahib Asraari as-Shehu (The Keeper of the Mystical Secrets of the Shehu) by Shaykh Muhammad Sh...areef bin Farid Abu Bakr Atiku ibn SHEHU Uthman Dan Fodio was the second Caliph of the Sokoto polity. He was born in Degel, in the year 1782, about ten years after his father, the SHEHU began calling people to Allah. Bawa Dan Gwarzo was the ruler of the Gobir Hausa kingdom at the time; and thus Atiku at a young age witnessed the empowerment which the Muslim communities achieved as a result of the reform initiated by his father. Atiku was the second child of the four children of Shehu’s third wife, Hawwa, the daughter of Shaykh Adam ibn Muhammad Agh, one of the leading scholars among the Tedmekhet of Hausaland. Sultan Muhammad Bello was the oldest of these four siblings. The others were Fatima (the wife of the chief military commander, Ali Jeddo), Hanna (the wife of military commander Muhammad Namoda), Maryum and Sawda, both who died young. The fact that Hawwa was the daughter of a scholar from among the baydaan (the ‘whites’), explains the very reddish complexion of all her children. Among the distinctive qualities of Abu Bakr Atiku, was that from a young age, he was the personal servant of his father; and would attend to him during the first part of the nights. He was usually the last person with his father in his teaching quarters and would lock the door of the Shehu’s classroom after he would retire to his sleeping quarters. It was during these times that the SHEHU would transmit to his son Abu Bakr Atiku varieties of mystical secrets. 1 Among Abu Bakr Atiku’s distinctive qualities is that he used complete the night prayers with his father in his home in Sokoto. On some occasions the Shehu would allow his son Abu Bakr Atiku, to lead the last witr prayer of the night. Again, this afforded Abu Bakr Atiku quality time with the SHEHU in order to receive mystical secrets. 2 Seven days after the death of Sultan Muhammad Bello in 1837, the oath of allegiance was given to his younger brother Abu Bakr Atiku in the town of Wurno. 3 This occurred during the sacred month of Sha`baan. He rose and began to command the good and forbid evil. During his rule, he completely frustrated the hopes of the people of corruption and evil by stridently detaining, punishing and fighting them persistently. He struggled in jihad in the way of Allah and was one of the leaders of the military during the reign of his brother. He fought against the disbelievers of Gobir, as well as against those who broke their covenant with government established by his father. 4 Like Bello, Abu Bakr was very learned in the Islamic sciences and had been actively involved in the consolidation of the Caliphate before his appointment. During the early stages of the Caliphate, Abu Bakr was stationed at a military garrison in the south-east called Bakura and ruled the region called Zamfara. It was in this way that Abu Bakr received many years of experience and training in the art of governance. 5 Perhaps, the most important distinction that Sultan Abu Bakr Atiku had which set him apart from the other children of the SHEHU, is that he was among the ten companions of the SHEHU who were given the good news of Paradise. Like the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who gave the good news to ten of his Companions that they would be from the People of Paradise; similarly, the SHEHU announced to ten of his companions and disciples that they were from the People of Paradise and the perfected Awliyya. Abu Bakr Atiku was among these ten. The rest were: [2] the sage Abdullahi Faruwu [3] the sage Uthman Jubba also known as Uthman Addukhaaka [4] the sage Mallam Ishaq [5] the sage Uthman Diallo [6] the sage Mallam Umar [7] the sage Muhammad ibn Ghura [8] the Quran reciter Muhammad Yero Ladan Neeju [9] the sage Muhammad Nabir Ninsawwa All ten of these sages were counted among the perfected awliyya of the SHEHU’ time and were fortunate enough to be counted among the ten people guaranteed Paradise from among the disciples of the SHEHU. 6 Among the known distinctions of Abu Bakr Atiku is that from the time he was a young man, he became known as the keeper of the secrets (saahib ;s-sirr) of his father, the SHEHU. 7 It was transmitted by many reliable sources that the SHEHU informed his son Abu Bakr Atiku of 115 varieties of mystical secrets, especially during the years between 1807 to 1815. 8 It is well known to the public that he disclosed 15 of these mystical secrets and the other one hundred is said to have died with him. However, it is a well kept secret that Abu Bakr Atiku disclosed one hundred of these mystical secrets and held his tongue regarding 15 of them because their disclosure can only be at the hands of the Seal of the Muhammadan awliyya, Imam al-Mahdi. 9 Among these secrets which Shehu Uthman Dan Fuduye’ imparted to him were the mystery of how Allah established the Sokoto Caliphate; the secrets of the times, its kingdoms and rulers; and the secrets of the length and duration of the Sokoto Caliphate and the signs of its downfall.10 Abu Bakr Atiku was famous during his rule of commanding the good, forbidding evil and for frustrating the corrupt people of his time. In war he was extremely exacting and he was rigorous in executing legal punishments and imprisonment. Thus, Caliph Abu Bakr Atiku was well informed of his father's prophecies concerning the 'hour of the Christians' and the blameworthy traits which would befall the government leading up to the British invasion. Perhaps one of the most important of the 15 secrets that Amir’l-Mumineen Abu Bakr Atiku did narrate was the secret regarding the ‘Hijra to the East’, which delineates in detail what the Shehu foretold many years earlier in a book he called ar-Risaalat In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful, may Allah bless our master Muhammad, his family and Companions and give them peace. This is the letter of Amir’l-Mu’mineen Abu Bakr, may Allah be merciful to him.It is from us to you with greetings and peace. To continue: My brothers you should know that most of the people of the jama`at who were contemporary with our father, the Shehu were preoccupied with this world’s life from asking him about some of the secret affairs of the future, which was imperative for them to ask him about. Heedlessness seduced them from that until the Shehu passed away, may Allah be pleased with him. As a result, the people of the government regretted his when he passed away. There were those who were contemporary with my brother, the Amir’l-Mu’mineen Muhammad Bello. They too were heedless from questioning him. They were preoccupied with their allotted share of this world’s life from the religious issues and they procrastinated from asking about these hidden secrets until he too passed away, may Allah be merciful to him. They also regretted just as the first generation regretted. Then there are those now in these times who are contemporary with me. Similarly, heedlessness and hard heartedness has prevented them from questioning me about these things until they too will regret when I am gone. However, they are unawares that no one will take my place who can inform them about what was taken from the Shehu directly or by mutual council, except from those who took from those who took from the Shehu. Nevertheless, I will inform them of at least one thing, which our Shehu informed us of. It is that the people of the ribaat towns, who are firmly established there, will journey, either in person or by means of their descendants, to the Nile River and to the lands of the Hijaz. They are the true remnant of the affair of the Shehu and from them will emerge his light and baraka. They are those who will gather with the Imam al-Mahdi and give the oath of allegiance to him. With them will be the flags of the Shehu and they will have a momentous station with Allah. As for those who abandon the people of the ribaat, turning back to their original place, they will not be counted among them. This is because they were content to turn on their heels. Similarly, those who remain among these provincial villages here, they will not reach the Nile River. Rather, most of them will head in the direction of the land of the people of the West. They will reside there among the disbelievers until the one-eyed Masih ad-Dajjal comes out against them. We seek refuge with Allah from his evil. Amen. Peace 11 From the above letter Atiku narrates the prophecy of the demise of the Sokoto Caliphate in the west and the reemergence of the authority, baraka and light in the East along the banks of the Nile River and in the two sacred places in Mecca and Medina. Atiku describes the materialism and worldly concerns which will be characteristic of the Jama`at when that time of the hijra is near. What is significant is that he narrates that the Shehu foretold that only those members of the Jama`at that were residing in the many ribat of Sokoto would make the hijra, but those who resided in the towns and cities which fought against the Shehu would be led astray and eventually head in the direction of the west and become subjugated by the west and this will persist until the appearance of the Dajjal. Although his rule was very short, he never allowed a year to go by without being at the head of an army whose objectives were to protect the frontiers of the state or to extend the authority of the Caliphate into regions where the rule of Islam had not yet reached. In a short reign of five years he personally led 13 military campaigns. In the last campaign against Tsibiri in the autumn of 1842, Atiku was wounded and he died on the way back from and expedition in a place called Katura on Thursday. 12 He was the first of the Caliphs to die fighting in the way of Allah. He lived to be 60 years old and he ruled for only 5 years and 3 months. 13 In spite of the relative security that existed under Atiku, there is no doubt that his knowledge of the mystical secrets of his father, the Shehu, enabled him and his officials to be on the watch for those signs that would preclude the coming of the Hour of the European Christians, (Zaman ‘n-Nasaara)! SOURCES: Zaman an-Nasaara (The Hour of the Christians): https://www.academia.edu//Zaman_n_Nasaara_-_The_Hour_of_th Rawdat al-Afkaar: https://www.academia.edu//rawdatl-afkaar_by_Shaykh_Abdl-Qa FOOTNOTES: 1. Author Unknown, Khalifat Abu Bakr al-Ateequ, unpublished manuscript in possession of author; folio 3. 2. Ibid. 3. Waziri Junayd ibn Muhammad al-Bukhari, Dabt'l-Multqataat, unpublished manuscript in possession of author; folio 79. 4. Khalifat Abu Bakr al-Ateequ; folio 1 5. Murray Last, The Sokoto Caliphate, (Longman, London), 1977 pp.43-44. 6. Author Unknown, al-Ashiratu al-Mubashiratu Bi’l-Jannati, unpublished manuscript in possession of author; folio 1. 7. Ibid. 8. Shaykh Umar ibn Ahmad Zaruuqu of Maiurno, one of the griots (oral historians) of the Shehu’s community in Maiurno, Sudan. 9. Shaykh al-Mahdi ibn Muhammad At-Tahir ibn Muhammad Bello Maiwurno, one of the sages from the descendants of Sultan Abu Bakr Atiku in Maiurno, Sudan. 10. A.H.M. Kirk-Greene, Adamawa: Past and Present, Oxford: Oxford Press, 1958, p. 24. 11. Abu Bakr Atiku, Risaalat al-Hijra, unpublished manuscript in possession of author. 12. Waziri Junayd, Dabt, folio 80. 13. Ibid.

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