MUST READ
The last journey of Shaykh-l-Islam,
Alhadji Ibrahim Niass took place
in the year June 1975 corresponding to
Jumada thani of the. year 1395
AH.
He informed his household that he
wanted to travel briefly abroad to
London. At that time he was 75 years
old, and had a pending surgery
which he felt was time for him to attend
to.
Apart from that, the travel will give him
opportunity to enjoy the
cooler London weather.
So he instructed Kabir Faye, his regular
travel companion to pack the
essential travel utilities. Kabir Faye who
had been used to carrying
along the Shaykh’s main kanash (bound
volumes of prayer formulae),
which normally make the baggages
heavy since he may not know which of
these documents may be called for, by
shaykh.
However, on this occasion, his master,
seeing him piling up the travel
luggage remarked: “Oh Kabir Faye! Were
you to realize what heavier
loads or burden you will be charged with
on our return journey, you
will need no one to tell you not to labour
yourself with any heavy
load in this our impending journey”!
This kind of remarks coming from
shaykh-l-Islam had a lasting impact
on his soul, hence he cut short the size of
luggage he initially
intended to carry.
As was usual, many of his other sons and
mureeds wanted to go with
him, but shaykh declined their offer on
the excuse that the voyage was
short one.
To many of his elder children and
mukadams, he sent them on errands to
many part of the Africa continent.
However some very few escorted him up
to Dakar before embarking on their trip.
His son Shaykh Amad Tijani stayed with
him for three days in Dakar and
his father (Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse)
discussed many important matters
with him.
They then set out, just Shaykh Ibrahim
Niass and Kabir Faye.
On reaching Dakar, he gave some
awraad (litanies) to Kabir and granted
him idhni/permission three days
khalwah (seclusion to chant the
supreme names of Allah in the manner
prescribed by shaykh).
He had many people who paid him
ziyaraah. Ziyaarah connotes visit to
men of Allah in order to benefit from
their presence, and seek
spiritual benovelence.
THE LAST JOURNEY OF SHAYKH
IBRAHIM NIASSE (rta) Part 2
{FROM DAKAR TO THE LONDON
HOSPITAL}
By: Sidi Omar Thiam
via: https://m.facebook.com/story.php ?
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At the conclusion of the special prayer,
Shaykh boarded a flight to
London, disembarking at the heathrow
Airport, terminal 1 in london.
He was immediately conveyed straight to
St. Thomas Hospital, the
destination of his travel. Prior to leaving
home, necessary
arrangements had been finalized for
admission into the hospital.
When the Head of State of the Republic
of Ghana; His Exellency Dr.
Nkrumah got message from Shaykh,
someone to whom he was well
acquainted, he sent his own personal
physician, Doctor Maltin.
When the doctor heard of Shaykh’s
aliments, he recommended a
specialist physician in London and
assured Shaykh of his expertise and
the high vote of confidence he had in his
professional acumen as a
surgical doctor.
Hence, necessary contacts were ensured
and admission formalities made
prior to setting out. This was why shaykh
was taken straight to the
said hospital.
By the beginning of the second phase of
the journey, Kabir Faye had
long sitting sessions with Shaykh, who
was telling him many matters
unknown to him and which started
sending feelings to him that his
master is gradually bidding the world
farewell.
Otherwise, how could Shaykh be talking
about the reality of death and
after life?
This was despite his being in a very good
state of health and engaging
himself in his normal daily prayer
routine.
Two days before the death, he was
scheduled for the minor surgery, he
asked Kabir Faye to connect him to one
of his students living in
Tunisia by name Omar bin Khattab
popularly called Khattab Sokhna.
He overheard their conversations as
Shaykh asked him to sit by his
side. After the greeting formalities
Shaykh reminded the man about a
question he asked many years ago, when
he was young.
Then Khattab asked him if he was ever
going to die one day, to which
Shaykh replied in the affirmative but
that the time was not yet due
for that. Khattab said he remembered.
Shaykh then went further to say: now is
the time for that promise of
Allah and that was why he called him,
but that he will like the man to
come and visit him in London, in
addition, he should get him an
elephant’s tooth which he wants to
present as a gift to his doctor.
Khattab confimed that he will
immediately be on his way to him. The
operation was carried on the d-day and
it was successful. A couple of
days later, Khattab came and he spent a
whole day in Shaykh’s company.
At the meeting, Shaykh re-iterated that
all soul must die and told
Omar the day of the week and the time
(of his passing away).
He also gave him many useful
admonitions which lasted a whole day.
After his meeting with Shaykh, he felt he
could not wait further to
see how the promise of Allah will come
to pass over Shaykh, hence with
a heavy heart, asked for idhni to go.
At that period of time, Hassan Cisse, a
young student in one education
center in London, also made it a point of
duty to his grandfather
daily spending long hours with him in
the company of Kabir Faye and
retiring home at night to come back the
following day.
Also, during the same week, one of the
close khaadim of Shaykh in
Nigeria in the person of Alhadji Uba
Waru dreamt and saw Shaykh who
said he needed an elephant tooth to give
as present.
THE LAST JOURNEY OF SHAYKH
IBRAHIM NIASS (rta) Part 3
{The Nigerian Visitors and the Final
Preparations}
via: https://m.facebook.com/story.php ?
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Uba Waru was a gentleman of a noble
origin. His father Alhaaj Ibrahim
Waru and mother Seyyidah Aisha
Shettima known as Hadja Baba came
from
rich Islamic background.
At an early age, Uba Waru got to know
shaykh Ibrahim and immadiately
fell in love with him, vowing to be his
khaadim throughout his entire
life.
As a wealthy but humble personality, he
was known for his selfless
khidmah and hadiyahs to the family of
Shaykh on regular basis.
Annually he used to send sixty people on
Hajj and Umra trips to
Makkah.
His close association with Shaykh earned
him his blessings to the
point of marrying one of Shaykh’s
granddaughter. After many years, his
daughter also got married to one of
Shaykh’s grandson.
His devotion to khidmah of Shaykh was
such that he was always in close
touch with him, and receiving many
written messages from Shaykh.
Uba Waru was already aware that
Shaykh had travelled a few weeks back
to London.
So, on waking up, he linked up with
London and told Shaykh on the
telephone of his dream in order to get
his idhni (permission) before
coming over to London.
Shaykh gave him the go ahead and
confirmed that he truly need the
elephant’s tooth. Shaykh further
instructed him to come in the company
of his son, Shaykh Ahmad Tijani who
was then in Lagos, Nigeria, having
been sent on some assignments the week
his father was leaving Dakar.
Alhaji Uba Waru, went to Lagos from his
home in Kano and informed
Shaykh Tijani who immediately
arranged his travel papers for a flight
that will move from Lagos via Addis
Ababa to Amsterdam, London.
However, at the last moment, there were
problems of documentations
with the Nigeria immigration which
made Alhaji Ubu Waru to travel
alone to London. When he got to Shaykh,
he asked where is Shaykh
Tijani?
Alhaji Uba Waru explained the
immigration impediments to which
Shaykh-l-Islam remarked;
“WHAT A GOOD THING THAT HE WAS
UNABLE TO COME! FOR HAD HE COME
WITH
YOU? YOU WOULD HAVE LOST PEOPLE
INSTEAD OF ONE!”
Thereafter Shaykh collected the
elephant’s tooth and prayed for him,
also talking to him for hours on end.
During the third week, the
Master had daily sessions with all the
four people: Kabir Faye, Hassan
Cisse, Uba Waru and Umar bin Khattab
Sokhna.
He asked Khattab to go and enquire at
the airport the flight schedules
for the coming week, so as to get
imformation about the days of flight
availability to Senegal from London. He
came back that the British
Airways flights will run twice a week the
first day being Monday and
the second, mid-week. Shaykh asked him
to go and make a booking for
coming Monday.
In addition, Uba Waru who was happy at
seeing Shaykh in good health
and spirits and obviously unaware of the
haal/condition of Shaykh.
Kabir Faye and Uba Waru called the
Ulamas of Kano to send
representative to London on ziyaara to
Shaykh. So they sent Muhdi
Zalga and two other people. They came
promptly and visited Shaykh.
After their usual ziyaarah they left.
However the usual ziyaarah of
Uba Waru and Hassan continued daily
till Friday. On Friday Shaykh
asked Umar to procure tickets for his
return flight taking Hassan
Cisse with him to deliver the tickets
because he was boarding his own
flight that day to Zaire. On Friday of day
that week, necessary
preparations were made for the noon
prayer after which Kabir Faye was
instructed to read some long awraads for
hours as has been the norm
these couple of weeks.
The Master also continued his set of
litanies and by night time, the
two visiting guests left Shaykh as was the
usual practice leaving
behind Kabir Faye once again, alone
with his Master.
That same night, being the end of the
week, the doctor in charge came
to bid Shaykh bye for the weekend to his
residence in Cambridge, since
there was no work on Saturday and his
patient had responded well to
post-surgery care. After exchanging
pleasantries, he left.
When no one except Kabir Faye was
around, Shaykh handed over his best
perfume which he was using called
alkhalin goma (in Hausa dialect) and
also asked Kabir to open their luggage
and pull out a white cloth. He
asked these to be laid on one side of his
ward.
Thereafter, he went into long
explanations on how the Holy Prophet
Muhaddad(pbuh) was bathed when he
departed this world. He also
instructed Kabir Faye to remain close to
him during all his long
conversation.
At Fajr time, they prepared for salat-us-
Subh and Kabir Faye was asked
this time to lead the prayers as Imam
while he, Shaykh will pray
behind him. He told him to recite ayatal-
kurisiyyu after suratul
fatiah on the first rakah and to recite
lakod ja’akum in the like
manner on the second rakah.
After the completion of the prayer, the
necessary awraads(litanies)
were individually made. When it was
getting close to 8 a.m, Kabir Faye
was told to lend in setting him on his bed
to take a rest.
THE LAST JOURNEY OF SHAYKH
IBRAHIM NIASS (rta) Part 4
{THE APPROACHING HOUR}
By: Sidi Omar Thiam
via: https://m.facebook.com/story.php ?
story_fbid=736655346354044&id=
100000287557260&refid=17
Thereafter, Shaykh asked him (Kabir
Faye) to move very close to him in
a manner that he was just at face’
distance. He was asked to recite
some specified awraads. This took him
for a couple of hours untill
around 11 a.m.
Then he was instructed to move yet
closer in a manner that his
master’s breathing which had become
more laboured could fan his own
face and his breathe was actually
entering his nostrils.
He was asked to caress his upper arm in
a manner akin to a mother
petting a child. He could hear clearly the
recitals of his Master and
his voice was audible enough to hear
him reciting the verses in Surah
Yunus chapter 10 verse 23 which went
thus:
“The example of [this] worldly life is but
like rain which We have
sent down from the sky that the plants of
the earth absorb – [those]
from which men and livestock eat –
until, when the earth has taken on
its adornment and is beautified and its
people suppose that they have
capability over it, there comes to it Our
command by night or by day,
and We make it as a harvest, as if it had
not flourished yesterday.
Thus do We explain in detail the signs
for a people who give thought.”
This was heard to this point when his
Master stopped and indicated to
him to reply to his raised affirmation
thus:
LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH, to which he
chorused with his Master:
MUHAMMADU ROSULULLAH; LA ILAHA
ILLA ALLAH, MUHAMMADU
ROSULULLAH, LA
ILAHA ILLA ALLAH, MUHAMMADU
ROSULULLAH!
After this, he heard no further word
emanating from his Master’s lips.
His Master seemed to be asleep but the
arm he was holding was getting
colder. The realization of death dawned
immediately on him.
His Master was no longer breathing: he
had quietly slipped out of this
world and returned to the Mercy of His
Lord. He immediately took a pen
and paper and looked at the time on the
clock. He then wrote as
follows:
“The Praise is due unto Allah Surely it is
from Allah we come and unto
Him shall we be returned. Our Master,
the harbinger of the Faydah,
Shaykh Ibrahim Niass died in London on
the 16th of Rajab 1395AH
corresponding to the 26th of July, 1975 A
D at 12.03 p.m in St Thomas
Hospital in Simeon’s Ward. His room
number is 2632. There was no one
present with him at this critical period
except his only permanent
companion Muhammad Kabir Faye”
THE LAST JOURNEY OF SHAYKH
IBRAHIM NIASS (rta) Part 5
{PREPARATION FOR JANAZAH BATH}
By: Omar Thiam
via: https://m.facebook.com/story.php ?
story_fbid=737310116288567&id=
100000287557260&refid=17
Immediately, Kabir Faye went about the
bathing process for his
Master’s body. He wrapped him in the
prescribed white cloth and
applied his perfume.
He tidied him up and not long thereafter,
the
doctor who was not expected came in.
Kabir Faye was surprised as to his
coming since he was not expected
until Monday. He replied that the
affection which had developed in his
patient as well as feeling of restlessness
which he had over-night
made him anxious to want to see his
loving patient.
This was what prompted him to come.
Kabir Faye then gave him the news
of his passage out of this world barely an
hour ago. The doctor did
his own cross-examinations in order to
satisfy himself of the status
quo. After this, he informed him of the
need to prepare necessary
documentations to facilitate the return
flight against Monday the 28th
of July as has already been booked.
To this end, he wanted to take the late
patient’s pictures. Kabir Faye
said he was not sure his master will like
any picture of him to be
taken in that state. This was because,
When he was alive, he never
loved taking pictures but since his fans
and lovers were always doing
so, he may have no option than to
accede to the doctor’s request.
He re-iterated however that had it been
his Master was alive, he would
have requested for his express
permission. So, the doctor made an
attempt at taking the pictures only to
realize at the third attempt
that the picture was showing blank;
nothing showed.
So he had to ask for Kabir Faye’s picture
to be taken in place of his
Master, in order to facilitate
documentations.
THE LAST JOURNEY OF SHAYKH
IBRAHIM NIASS (rta) Part 6
{Last Phase}
By: Sidi Omar Thiam
via: https://m.facebook.com/story.php ?
story_fbid=745412078811704&id=
100000287557260&refid=48
DEATH NOTIFICATION TO UBA WARU
AND HASSAN CISSE
All these while, no sign of either Uba
Waru or Hassan Cisse were
noticed. So he (Kabir Faye) sent word
that Uba Waru should be summoned
to the hospital. When he came around 2
o’clock, he explained that he
had to attend a court session as a
witness in a case involving Hassan
Cisse and his wife in order to ensure due
settlement of the disputes
on hand.
Kabir Faye broke the news of the
passing-away of their Master and
asked Uba Waru to go and look for
Hassan so that he too will be aware.
This, Uba Waru did and Hassan came
after some time.
DEATH NOTIFICATION TO THE PUBLIC
From the three, messages were wired
across the people all over
Nigeria, Senegal and London. There was
nothing left, except
preparation for boarding arrangements
on the British Airways flight
already scheduled for Monday.
This was how Shaykh Ibrahim was flown
home by them. In Nigeria, at the
time news of Shaykh’s death reached the
people, Seyyid Aliu Cisse was
in Yola, Nigeria. He was immediately
informed and summoned by Shaykh
Tijani to come to Lagos.
In Lagos, Alhaji Ramalan, a close student
of Shaykh along with a few
of his colleagues arranged a chartered
flight to convey them on the
corpse of Shaykh from London in Dakar.
From this point, other thousand of lovers
all converged in Dakar on
the solemn drive back to the city of
Kaolack for immediate burial the
sameday.
At Madina Kaolack, amidst the teaming
mass of people, the
Qutb(Spiritual Pole/Axis) and Gawth
(Succour) was laid to rest in his
rawdah just a few metres from his
mosque, a place which had become
popular for the unprecedented number
of visitors of numbering millions
from all over the world and who
thronged the place, in order to pay
their respects to the Saahibul Faydah
(Catalyst of the Spiritual
Flood), who came and gave all to drink
from his sea of love and
generosity.
From Allah we come from and to Him
we shall return (Innaa lillahi wa
Innaa ilayhi Raaji’uun).
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