By Nurudeen Ibrahim
Sheikh Muhammed Habibullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory, the founder and proprietor of Markaz University College, is a prominent personality and Islamic scholar in South-West, Nigeria.
As a profound and highly informed scholar, he is indeed talented in the field of scholarship and his being an erudite intelligentsia is incontrovertible.
He is the son of that giant of knowledge celebrated throughout West Africa, Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory.
Just like his father, Sheikh Habibullah is a talented and highly informed scholar about both local as well as international Islamic issues. He is a celebrated member of the intelligentsia as mentioned earlier and his Ramadan Tafseer attracts thousands of listeners gathered at the Great Markaz of which no other Tafseer in South West Nigeria attracts such a great number of listeners. Today his Tafseer has a very large number of viewers online because of the knowledge and information he shares.
Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory as a scholar of contemporary Islamic Jurisprudence, he is vast in Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Arabic interpretation and history. He is unique and a rare breed among the scholars of Nigeria today in terms of quality of knowledge and research. He is highly charitable, selfless and apolitical.
BIRTH AND EDUCATION
Sheikh Muhammed Habibullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory was born on the 17th of November, 1958 in Lagos, Nigeria.
He started his Islamic and Arabic education under the tutelage of his father, an erudite and highly respected scholar, Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory.
Sheikh Habibullah was born 6 years after the establishment of Markaz in 1952. He was enrolled for his primary education and later he attended Anwarul Islam Secondary School, Agege, for his secondary education. He also attended Arabic and Islamic Training Centre popularly known as Markaz Agege established by his father and he graduated in flying colours.
Sheikh Habibullah was the first son of his mother and the second eldest son of Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory.
In 1981, Sheikh Habibullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory travelled to Kano where he worked at a Government Training College as a teacher.
While in Kano, with the directives of his father he joined the mentorship of the eminent Sufi Scholar, Sheikh Muhammed Nasir Al-Kabara who was the leader of the Qadiriyya Sufi Order then.
In 1984, Sheikh Muhammed Habibullah returned to Lagos on the request of his father, Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory to join the teaching members of staff of Markaz (Arabic and Islamic Training Centre), Agege.
Sheikh Habibullah then began his job as a teaching staff of Markaz since 1984 where he taught Astronomy (‘ilmul falak), Philosophy (falsafa) and other subjects. He worked together with his father until the demise of the latter on the 3rd of May, 1992.
Sheikh Habibullah is well known for his criticism of the extremist ideologies as well as scrutiny of many issues.
AT AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY CAIRO
In 1986, Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory embarked on a journey to the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo for a course for Imams and scholars. He was conferred with the title Fadeelat-ush-Sheikh and also certified as a profound scholar.
SUCCESSION TO SHEIKH ADAM, HIS FATHER
After the death of Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory on the 3rd of May, 1992, Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory was unanimously appointed by the Muslim Leaders as the official successor (Khaleefa) of Sheikh Adam El-Ilory to take over the position and assume the roles and office of his father in the Muslim Communities across the world. He thereby took over the spiritual leadership of being the Imam at Markaz Mosque and also the intellectual leadership as the Mudir or Director at Markaz School.
The Emir of Ilorin was among the eminent personalities who pledged allegiance with Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory as the supreme successor known as Khaleefa of Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory in 1997.
By way of this, Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory became the official successor (Khalifa or Caliph) of Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory and Imam of the Mosque of Sheikh Adam as well as the Mudir (Director) of Markaz.
Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory continued the Ramadan Tafseer (Qur’an Exegesis) of Markaz as well as the Friday Sermon (khutbah).
CONTRIBUTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory introduced a lot of developments at Markaz which are still ongoing one of which in terms of intellectualism is the Annual Cultural Week where scholars are invited for paper presentations on important issues facing the Muslims of Nigeria in particular and the Muslim world in general.
LITERARY WORKS OF SHEIKH HABIBULLAH EL-ILORY
Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory like his father also contributed to literary works. He is not too known for authoring books aside from his very few popular books. However, he is more known for writing articles and papers. Averagely in a year, he writes between 40 to 50 papers a year upon which many researchers depend.
Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory authored the book ‘At-Tasawwuf al-Islamiy wa Tatbeeqaatuhu fee Naijiriya- Islamic Sufism in Nigeria: An Objective Research on Sufi Practices Among Nigerian Sufis). He also authored the book titled: Al-Islam Huwal Hallul Waheed- Islam is the Only Solution, Zaad Du’aat wal Aimma: Provisions for Preachers and Imams.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory has participated in several conferences within and outside Nigeria. These contributed to his vast exposure and rational thinking.
POSITION ON EXTREMISM
Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory is very intolerant on extremism and fanaticism. His lectures are usually focussed on countering extremism and fanaticism. One of the reasons some people are bent on criticising him which is not unexpected.
IDEOLOGICAL MODERATION
The position of Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory has always been the position of his father Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory which is promotion of Ideological Moderation called Al-Wasatiyya. Al-Wasatiyya or Ideological Moderation is aimed at eliminating ideological indoctrination and extremism incorporated into Islam which has led to unrest in many parts of the world as noticed among the Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria. This is because fanaticism leads to extremism and extremism results into terrorism if not controlled. For this reason, Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory has been given the title THE DEFENDER OF ISLAM by the IRFAN CENTRE for Research and Human Development.
NATIONAL HONOUR BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA
In 2010, Sheikh Habibullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory was honoured by the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with the national title of Officer of the Order of Niger (OON).
Sheikh Habibullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory has also embarked upon a University Project at Markaz which has started with affiliation to the University of Ilorin for the award of Bachelor of Arts in Arabic and Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies. The school is opened to expansion and development with time.
Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory has done a lot in the standardization and development of Markaz including the expansion of the school and provisions of new modern building facilities in addition to the new ultramodern e-Library, clinic and Markaz Prininting Press.
– Nurudeen Ibrahim is the Executive Director of IRFAN CENTRE for Research and Human Development in Nigeria
Sponsored
