– Incident sad, shocking, says Gov AbdulRazaq
– Emir of Ilorin, IEDPU mourn
Hundreds of Muslim faithful in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on Sunday defied the early morning rainfall as they trooped out of their homes to observe janazah (funeral prayers) for late Islamic scholar, Sheikh AbdulGaniy Aboto.
Muslim News had reported on Saturday the death of Sheikh Aboto, who along with two of his students were involved in a fatal accident. Their car was said to have been found inside the river at Abattoir Bridge, Sobi, Akerebiata Area, Ilorin on Friday.
The State Governor, Mal. AbdurRahman AbdulRazaq was among hundreds of sympathisers who defied the rain to attend the burial prayer led by Imam Yakub Aliagan at the Okekere-Ilorin residence of the founder of Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria, late Sheikh Mohammed Kamaldeen Al-Adabiyy, on Sunday.
In his condolence message, Governor AbdulRazaq described as shocking and sad the deaths of Aboto al-Adaby and some other yet-to-be-identified persons in an auto crash reportedly in the early hours of Friday.
“We received with shock and sadness the deaths of the popular Islamic cleric Sheikh Aboto and a few others whose identities are not yet known. As faithful, we accept the judgment of our Creator. We beseech Him to grant the scholar and others involved al-jannah firdaus,” the governor said in a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.
“This, indeed, is one sad news too many. The death of Sheikh Abdulganiy Aboto is a huge loss for the Muslim community and to Ilorin as a whole. He was known for his vast knowledge and great efforts in the propagation of Islamic message in the simplest form possible for his audience.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Ilorin Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the families of the late Sheikh and the others, and the entire Adabiyyah family worldwide. It is our prayer that Allah will grant comfort to all the bereaved families,” he added.
Also, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, expressed sadness over the death of Sheikh Aboto.
Sulu-Gambari described Aboto’s demise as unfortunate and regrettable, stressing that his death has left another vacuum in the da’wah activities in the Ilorin emirate and beyond.
The Emir, in his condolence message signed by his spokesman, Mal. Abdulazeez Arowona, said the news of the scholar’s death together with his companion came to him as a rude shock.
He recalled the roles played by late Sheikh Aboto in promoting morality, good conducts as well the fear of God among the general public with reference to the holy Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), adding that: “His sermons were unique, highly intellectual and deeply heart-touching.”
In its own message, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) described the demise of Aboto as a great and irreparable loss not only to the people of Ilorin emirate but also that of the entire Muslim ummah.
The National President of the union, Alh. Aliyu Otta-Uthman, in a statement signed on his behalf by the union’s Publicity Secretary, Mal. Nurudeen Ibrahim, described the deceased scholar as a meticulous teacher, superlative preacher and remarkable community leader who served Islam and humanity with utmost dedication.
He added that Sheikh Aboto was a man with a unique style of preaching and a member of the class of clerics who were always conscious and focussed on their responsibilities to the society, saying that Sheikh Aboto worked so hard at illuminating innumerable number of Muslims in his brilliant career that spanned more than three decades of active Islamic propagation.
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