BASHIR MOHAMMED takes a careful look at the life and times of a Kano-based business mogul, Shiekh Isiyaku Rabiu, who transited the earth fortnight ago, in a London hospital, after a brief illness
Life worth living Anyone conversant with the life and times of the renowned Kano based business mogul, Shiekh Isiyaku Rabiu, would come to grip with the fact that the late Islamic scholar had lived a life worth living on earth and his name as well as enviable niche he had carved for himself would remain indelible on the sand of time. Quranic dynasty Having created a Quranic dynasty for himself and became fully enmeshed in the business of Islamic scholarship, the late business icon and scholar had departed to the great beyond after reeling in the ropes of an excruciating illness which led to his eventual demise.
During his life time, the late Shiekh Isiyaku Rabiu , was known to have properly and judiciously used his influence and status to work for Islam, taking into cognizance the fact that supporting Quranic and Islamiyya schools and building mosques, would be the best way to prove to his creator that he was fully grateful for the stupendous wealth given to him by God.
Death announced At the time the news of his death was communicated to the people of the state by members of his extended family, the situation of the ancient city took a dismal turn with people wearing grim faces knowing that a colossus is gone, leaving a vacuum very difficult to fi ll.
Given the fact that the late Rabiu had died in a London hospital, his remains would not be flown to Kano without the usual protocol of releasing the corpse of an important figure of his ilk, tens of thousands of his admirers were kept in suspense as to when the corpse would be brought, till the time when it was flown to Kano, the day he was buried, penultimate Friday. Emotional frenzy The burial rites were performed in high degree of emotional frenzy, knowing that the late Islamic scholar and philanthropist would never be sighted again, but took solace in the fact that his good attributes on earth , would for eternity live after him.
His charming popularity and acceptability came to the fore, at the time his remains were committed to mother earth with tears running down the cheeks of tens of thousands of muslim faithful who converged on the Isiyaku Rabiu Jumuat mosque, located at Goron-Dutse quarters in Kano.
The remains of the late revered Islamic Scholar and business magnate were flown to Kano from the United Kingdome and arrived Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, at exactly 7am penultimate Friday and quickly conveyed to the deceased residence for members of his familly to pay their last respect to the man they considered as a great pillar and genesis of their being.
Funeral prayer The funeral prayer which was presided over by the Chief Imam of the Shiekh Isiyaku Rabiu Jumuat mosque, Shiekh Tijjani Sise was attended by hordes of eminent personalities from all walks of life which included; representative of the President, , ministers Imams, traditional rulers, Islamic scholars within the African Sub-region and tens of thousands of various Islamic sects in Kano and other parts of the country.
As the funeral prayer, popularly known as Janaza elicited an unprecedented crowd which was well over one million people, the corpse of the revered Islamic scholar and business magnate could not be sighted by onlookers, as it was ordered Feature to remain in the ambulance vehicle that brought it to the praying ground while people were ordered to remain on their respective queues for commotion to be avoided. Roll call of dignitaries Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, governors of Jigawa, Niger and Katsina as well as the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the Chief of Army Staff , General Yusuf Tukur Buratai were in the front of the bier conveying the deceased corpse, alongside of the deceased family, leading and heading to the burial site, situated inside the deceased residence.
However, the wives of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari and that of the Vice President, Mrs Yemi Osinbajo, in company of retinue of wives of respective eminent personalities and top government functionaries were in the deceased residence at the time the funeral prayer was being conducted, as a mark of respect to the man widely acknowledged as a great pillar and unrivalled epitome of Islamic scholarship and propagation.
Tributes In his tribute, governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje described the late Islamic icon and business magnate as an indisputable champion of Quranic scholarship, who used his wealth and influence to work for Islam at the most turbulent times.
According to him, the late Islamic scholar was a man of exceptional courage, ingenuity and gravitas who by dint of commitment, hard work and sacrifice reached the pinnacle of excellence and great honour which will never be forgotten. Man of exceptional treasure Speaking in the same vein, a renowned Islamic scholar in Kano,Shiekh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa said the entire Muslim Ummah had lost a man of exceptional treasure whose contribution to Islam cannot be quantified adding that his death has created an unfathomable vacuum that would be difficult to fill in the near future.
Great colossus In their separate tributes, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, described the deceased as a great colossus who during his earthly sojourn, contributed his widow’s mite to the development of Islamic scholarship and propagation. However the question on the lips of pundits interviewed by this reporter is; who would take the gauntlet in sustaining the legacy of his philanthropist gesture, high generosity and, and immense Islamic scholarship?
According to a renowned pundit, Alhaji Anas Abba Dala, the dynasty created and sustained by the Islamic scholar would forever remain formidable and vibrant, in the face of the indisputable fact that he had adequately trained a retinue of Quranic scholars which cut across his disciples and family members, who had proven their mettle in the manner they were couched by him. Vacuum in islamic scholarship He said even though his demise had created a great vacuum in the parlance of Islamic scholarship, those who had successfully graduated from the centre of Islamic scholarship he had single-handedly established and situated in an effervescent corner of his residence , would undoubtedly be consoled by the sterling legacy he had left on ground.
On the parlance of business which made him to reach the highest of highs, he had also noted to have trained and inject succour into the business empires of notable business tycoons, who had benefitted enough from his affluence to become affluent.
In the words of a renowned business tycoon the late Isiyaku Rabiu was instrumental to the success story of many business tycoons, who after collecting their take-off grant in form of loan from him failed to settle their debts and still allowed to forge ahead and supported by him devoid of taking any action on them. The late Islamic scholar and business magnate, would forever remain a symbol of great inspiration, temerity, courage industrious and selflessness in the minds of the younger generation and the generation yet unborn, having crossed the Rubicon of the challenges associated with the struggle of reaching the apogee of fame, honour and greatness.
