Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory - An Erudite Intelligentsia At Glance | AgegePulse Magazine

 

By Nurudeen Ibrahim 

I have always found it interesting to write about Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory just as it pleases me to write about his father Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory. When people ask me tell me about Sheikh Habeeb El-Ilory or who is Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory, it pleases me to quickly respond provided the one inquiring is ready to listen to the truth. Below I have written something concise about  this erudite and highly talented scholar of Islam.

Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory is a prominent personality and Islamic scholar in South-West, Nigeria. 

Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory is a profound and highly informed scholar. He is talented in the field of scholarship and an erudite intelligentsia. He is the son of that giant of knowledge celebrated throughout West Africa, Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory. Just like his father, Sheikh Habeebullah is a very talented and highly informed scholar about both local as well as global 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 if not the whole of 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 Habeebullah El-Ilory is a scholar of contemporary Islamic Jurisprudence. He is vast in Tafseer of the Holy Qur'an, Arabic interpretation and history. He is very 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.

Sheikh Habeebullah is well known for his criticism on the Salafi ideologies as well as scrutiny on many issues. Due to his positions which may differ with other scholars on certain issues, some people have considered him as a controversial scholar while some other people refer to him as a Shi‘a Scholar or a Shi‘a sponsored scholar. At the same time, Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory is also considered as a pro-Sufi scholar which is evident in many of his sayings. However, the same Sheikh has criticized the views and positions of the Shi‘a as well as corrupt Sufis in many of his lectures. Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory has been on the scholarship throne of his late father, Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory, since about 22 years now.

At Al-Azhar University Cairo 

In 1986, Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory embarked on a journey to the prestigious Al-Azhar University for a course for Imams and scholars. He was conferred with the title Fadeelat-ush-Sheikh.

Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory 

Succession to Sheikh Adam After the death of Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory on the 3rd of May, 1992, Sheikh Habeebullah 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.5 The Emir of Ilorin was among the eminent personalities who pledged allegiance with Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory as the successor of Sheikh Adam Abdullah El-Ilory in 1997. By way of this, Sheikh Habeebullah 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 Habeebullah El-Ilory continued the Ramadan Tafseer (Qur’an Exegesis) of Markaz as well as the Friday Sermon (khutbah). Some Contributions Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory introduced a lot of developments at Markaz which are still ongoing one of which is the Annual Cultural Week where scholars are invited for paper presentations on important issues facing the Muslim of Nigeria in particular and the Muslim world in general. 

Literary Works of Sheikh Habeebullah 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 two popular books. However, he is more known for writing articles and papers. Averagely in a year, he writes beteren 40 yo 50 papers a year upon which many researchers depend. 

Sheikh Habeebullah 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: Ahmiyyat-ul-Lughatil ''Arabiyya wa Makaanatuha al-'Alamiyya- The Importance of Arabic Language and its Position in the World.

International Conferences 

Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory has participated in several conferences within and outside Nigeria. These contributed to his vast exposure and rational thinking.

Position on Extremism 

Sheikh Habeebullah El-Ilory is very intolerant on extremism and fanaticism. His lectures are usually focussed on countering extremism and fanaticism. One of the reasons the extremists are bent on criticising him which is not unexpected.

Ideological Moderation

The position of Sheikh Habeebullah 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 Habeebullah El-Ilory has been given the title of THE DEFENDER OF ISLAM by the IRFAN CENTRE for Research and Human Development. 

In 2010, Sheikh Habeebullah 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).

SOME POSITIONS  OF  SHEIKH  HABEEBULLAH ADAM ABDULLAH ELILORY 

Some  of the  positions  of Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah ElIlory which are also maintained by many more scholars across the world are  given below: 

1. The  problem  of Moon Sighting  as  regards  the  commencement  and  termination of  Ramadan should be  solved by modern sciences  and technology  in addition to  astronomical  calculation. 

2. The  use  of face  veil  (niqab) by women is  not  compulsory. 

3. Good Music  is  permissible  in Islam. 

4. Prophet  Isa  (Jesus  Christ) is  dead and not  coming  back. 

5. There  are  some  errors  in Saheeh Al-Bukhari . 

6. Women leadership  in politics  is  permissible  in Islam.

We pray that Allah in His Infinite Mercy should continue to strengthen, protect and bless Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah El-Ilory and all those around him.

Ramadan: Egunjobi Advises Muslim Faithful To Obey Govt. Directives

AgegePulse Magazine

By KAZEEM AKANDE

Alhaji Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Executive Chairman, Agege Local Government Council, Lagos, has urged Muslim Faithful to adhere to government directives on COVID-19 during the Ramadan period to prevent spread of the pandemic in the state.

Egunjobi gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos.

According to him, Muslim Faithful should adhere strictly to all directives from the government during this Ramadan period to curtail further spread of the virus.

“I am not a nominal Muslim, I practise, but no religion, not even Islam subscribe to suicide or attempted suicide.

“We cannot continue to press the self-destruction button in the name of worshipping God,” he said.

The chairman said the local government had shut down the popular Alhaja Mosque in Agege, to prevent spread of the pandemic among the worshipers and residents as a whole.

Egunjobi said that such action had prevented the possible spread of the virus among the over 300 worshipers in the mosque.

“We recently made the headlines for leading a team of the council officials to shut down a mosque in the area where worshippers defied government’s ban on congregational worship amid the Coronavirus after they viciously attacked officials of the State’s Taskforce on the COVID-19.

“It was an unfortunate incident that if we had let go and failed to rise up to the occasion as a grassroots government, it has dire consequences which would hurt public policy in a great deal.

“It was quite appalling, a clear breach of government’s order, and to add insult to injury they attacked officials of the State’s Taskforce on COVID-19.

“We all know the state government has the capacity to deal with the situation but because mischievous bigots, ethnic jingoists and misguided elements among us may use the moment to fuel crisis.

“So, it required local solution and we stepped into the breach,” he said.

According to him, the council met with Sarkin Hausawa, and other stakeholders before we moved to the place, chased everybody out of the mosque, fumigated it, which I personally did and locked it up.

Egunjobi said that the council was trying to disabuse the mind of the people from erroneous belief that Coronavirus was the sickness of only the rich.

“I do tell those who insist on having religious gatherings and congregational worships that we cannot be more catholic than Pope.

 Pope suspended all religious ceremonies from catholic mass to funeral in Vatican.

“The grand zero of Islam, Saudi Arabia, the authorities called off all year-round lesser hajj, Umrah, suspended congregational prayers of all forms and shapes in all the country’s mosques except the Grand mosque, Haram in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina where there are strict restriction on the number of worshippers while prayer outside the two holy mosques are prohibited,” he said.

He said that before the lockdown, the council had been carrying out aggressive sensitisation across all the nooks and crannies and stakeholders, but the compliance was nothing to write home about.

The chairman said that according to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) there was only one case of Coronavirus victims in Agege, adding that this was not to say that the people were doing the right things.

It was reports that Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has reportedly urged its citizens to look out for the crescent moon on Thursday, April 23 and report their findings to moon sighting committees set up specifically for the purpose.

Hajj climax: Muslim pilgrims climb Mount Arafat

Muslim pilgrims on Monday began ascending Mount Arafat for the climax of the annual hajj which brings together more than two million people from around the world.

A sea of worshippers scaled the rocky hill southeast of the holy city of Mecca for a day of prayers and reflection where Muslims believe Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon.

Some of the pilgrims — men in white seamless garments and women in loose dresses — pushed elderly relatives in wheelchairs on the second day of the hajj, one of the world’s largest annual gatherings.

A hot wind blew across the hill, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy), and the surrounding plain after a downpour late Sunday. Many faithful could be seen sipping from bottles of water.

After sunset, the pilgrims will leave for nearby Muzdalifah where they will gather pebbles to perform the symbolic “stoning of the devil”.

The ritual begins in earnest on Tuesday as Muslims observe the first day of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the hajj.

Muslims traditionally slaughter sheep for the three-day Eid al-Adha, a tribute to the prophet Abraham’s sacrifice of a lamb after God spared Ishmael, his son.
They will consume some of the meat and give the rest to poor people unable to buy food.

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam which every Muslim is required to complete at least once in their lifetime if they are healthy enough and have the means to do so.
(AFP)
Punch
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Sustain selfless service to humanity, Ambode tasks religious bodies

...Religious leaders are significant in the development of the State - Gov. Ambode
...Your policies positively touching lives, PFN tells Gov

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday commended religious leaders for upholding religious tolerance in the State and complementing government efforts in offering essential services to the people in critical areas such free medical care, provision of shelter and assistance to the needy.

Governor Ambode, who said this at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja when he received the leadership of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) led by its President, Dr Felix Omobude on a courtesy visit, said it was on record that in the last two and half years of his administration, there had never been any major religious or ethnic crisis, while religious bodies have also been complementing government, just as he urged them to sustain the selfless service they have been offering to humanity.

He said: “I want to thank you on behalf of our administration. In another two days, our administration will be two and half years and it has been two and half years of sincere religious tolerance in this State. It has never been like this before; we have never had any disagreement between or among the religious groups or even among our people on a tribal note and that also show that God is present in Lagos State.

“Religious leaders are significant in the development of the State and I can say it easily. There are too many things that even our policies do not cover and a strong part of the civil society is our religious bodies because in areas where we cannot give shelter, we cannot give advice and we cannot give comfort, you have always been there.

“There are so many things that the churches are doing that are beyond spiritual. There are churches that are feeding people; they are taking care of health of the people; they are taking care of maternal mortality issues, taking delivery of babies where there are no hospitals and thereby complementing the efforts of government. That in itself deserves to be commended and I must say a big thank you to all our religious bodies. I must also inspire you on. What you are doing is not going unnoticed.

I take note of everything that our churches are doing and I commend you most sincerely from the bottom of our hearts.”

He said as a sign of celebrating and appreciating the religious tolerance in the State, the State Government would uphold and sustain the interfaith parley which started last year, saying this year’s edition will hold in coming weeks.

Besides, Governor Ambode said the modest achievements of his administration were a product of the discipline learnt from religious fellowship, and assured that no stone would be left unturned to make life comfortable for residents.

“We like to touch humanity which is the whole essence of governance and that is why we are here. We will continue to do it. The electorate decided that somebody should come and represent and take care of their interest and that interest we are ready to sustain, we are ready to uphold; it is more about them not about us and I think at the end of the day, this kind of visit gives me inspiration that we are doing it in the right way and I want to assure that we will continue to work for the interest of the people,” he said.

Earlier, Omobude said they were at Lagos House to deepen the relationship existing with government and to identify with Governor Ambode.

He said the PFN leadership is thrilled by what God had been using Governor Ambode to do in the State, saying the massive infrastructural renewal and various policies were having positive impact on the people.

He said the church must not only criticize government officials when they do wrong, but also commend them when they are working in the interest of the people, adding that of a truth, the giant strides of the State Government deserved to be commended.

He also assured that PFN would continue to partner with government at various levels especially on matters relating to development of the country.

Eid -el- Kabir: Ambode urges Muslims to imbibe values of sacrifice, love, unity

AgegePulse Exclusive:

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday called on Muslims in Nigeria to imbibe the values of sacrifice, love and continue to foster unity as they join their counterparts worldwide to celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival.

In his Sallah message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, Governor Ambode said the period of the celebration was a clarion call for Nigerians to imbibe the lessons of the season such as selfless service to God and humanity, sacrifice and sincere commitment to righteous conducts in their private and public life.

He explained that the significance of the season should be beyond the festivities, adding that as Muslims prepare to offer animal sacrifice in the prescribed days of the festival, the real essence was not in the meat or the blood of the animal but to encourage piety, self-discipline and sacrifice.

Governor Ambode therefore called on all Nigerians to exhibit these values for the good of the country and shun any act capable of heating up the polity or causing distrust among various ethnic groups in the country.

“As we celebrate this auspicious occasion, let us renew our faith in our nation and implore the Almighty God to restore to us those values that place high premium on human life, love of neighbour and sharing even as we ventilate our faith in the unity of our dear country”, the Governor said.

“This period requires more patience, fortitude, tolerance, endurance, patriotism and a greater willingness to make personal sacrifices for the good of all,” he said.

The Governor also thanked Lagosians for supporting his administration, assuring that the Government would continue to do its best to serve the people and promote fairness and mutual tolerance among the populace, irrespective of backgrounds.

While wishing all Lagosians, especially adherents of the Islamic faith a happy Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Governor Ambode enjoined Nigerians in other parts of the country to continue to be their brothers’ keeper.