SHAYKH TAJU‘L-ADAB AND THE ZUMRA AL-ADABIYYA MOVEMENT

SHAYKH TAJU‘L-ADAB AND THE ZUMRA AL-ADABIYYA MOVEMENT

MUHAMMAD JUM‘A ALABI (or AL-LABIB) , known as Alfa Taj al-Adab

He was Jum’ah b. Abdul Quadri b, Salih born in Ilorin in 1885. His father was a deputy to the then Imam Fulani. He started his education from his father's compound. Thereafter, he suddenly left his native town seeking for knowledge and did not return until after ten years.

He was the first scholar to introduce syllabus system, prescribed text books periodising in learning in the field of Arabic teaching in Yoruba land.

Among his students are: Shaikh Zakariyya b. Busairi, Yahya Qalansuwi, Muzamilu from Agbaji and Muhammad Kamaludin who later continued the work of his teacher and upgraded the school to a modern taste.

Tajul Adab had many prose and poetry works in Arabic. He had composed didactic poem on sarf (morphology) and his magnum-opus is known as Shagrab or ‘Adid.

He died in 1922. He is mentioned in Lam'hatul baluri of Shaikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory.

By: Ibrahim Sulaiman Al-Gamawi

In the article titled;Brief History of Selected Arabic Poets among the 'Ulamah in Yoruba Land

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In the Picture: Sitting (Shaykh Taju’l-Adab). Standing - from the right; (Shaykh Kamaldeen Muhammad Tukur (youngest), Shaykh Taju’l-Mumin, Shaykh Yusuf Agbaji)

SHAYKH TAJU‘L-ADAB AND THE ADABIYYA GROUP

SHAYKH TAJU‘L-ADAB AND THE ADABIYYA GROUP

MUHAMMAD JUM‘A ALABI (or AL-LABIB), called Taj al-Adab, b. 1885, d. 1923.

{A Celebrated Preacher and Qadiri Sufi, and Founder of the Islamic Movement al-Zumra al-Adabiyya}

Son of the Imam Imale ‘Abd al-Qadir (Ile Masingba, Balogun Ajikobi Ward), he was a celebrated preacher and Qadiri Sufi, and founder of the Islamic movement al-Zumra al-Adabiyya which combined Sufism with educational activities. He seems to have claimed direct inspirational access to Arabic and Islamic knowledge (Ilm Ladunii). He undertook preaching tours all over Yorubaland and was particularly successful in Abeokuta, where he died in 1923.

He had begun to modernize his school in Ilorin shortly before his death, an initiative that was continued by several of his students, Several Islamic movements and education societies in Ilorin and elsewhere in Yorubaland lay claim to Taj al-Adab as their source of legitimation.

Some of his publications/writings are; DURAR AL-MURJAN (Urjuza of 290 verses on Morphology (Sarf)), which begins with “bi’smi ’l-ilahi thumma hamdihi abtadi *** salatuhu salamuhu li-ahmadi”.….. KITAB FI NASIHAT AL-IKHWAN…… KITAB AL-SHAGRAB (A cryptic poem on Adab/Ethics directed against Ibadan scholars who had spurned him), which begins with “‘addid inshad al-arabi *** al-adab al-mu’addabi”…… QASEEDAT RA’IYYA (Verses on arabic grammar/nahw), which begins with “a-laa yaa murid al-‘ilmi wa’l-fiqhi wa’l-hajri *** ta‘allam ‘uluum al-nahwi tarwaa al-manaabira”……. SUBUL AL-NAJAAT (Wa‘z (Admonition) poem)……. TAS’HIL AL-HISAB (Urjuzaa on arithmetic), which begins with “qaala muhammadun huwa ‘l-labiibuu *** ibn al-imaam al-hadarii al-adiibii.”

Excerpts from the Book/Compendium:

Arabic Literature of Africa, Volume 2: The Writings of Central Sudanic Africa (1995)...Compiled by: Prof. John O. Hunwick

(Chapter 11); Ilorin and Nupe in the 19th & 20th Centuries (pgs. 466-471)….by Stefan Reichmuth and Razaq D. Abubakre

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In the Picture: Sitting (Shaykh Taju’l-Adab). Standing - from the right; (Shaykh Kamaldeen Muhammad Tukur (youngest), Shaykh Taju’l-Mumin, Shaykh Yusuf Agbaji)

SHAYKH AHMAD LABEEB MUHAMMAD JAAMIU ALABI (ALFA TAJU L ADAB)

SHAYKH AHMAD LABEEB MUHAMMAD JAAMIU ALABI (ALFA TAJU L ADAB)

By: Mallam Ibrahim Sulaiman Al-Gamawi

In the article titled;
Brief History of Selected Arabic Poets among the 'Ulamah in Yoruba Land

Download Link;
https://www.academia.edu/2345524/BRIEF_HISTORY_OF_SELECTED_ARABIC_POETS_OF_EARLY_YORUBA_ULAMAH

He was Jum’ah b. Abdul Quadri b, Salih born in Ilorin in 1885. His father was a deputy to the then Imam Fulani. He started his education from his father's compound. Thereafter, he suddenly left his native town seeking for knowledge and did not return until after ten years.

He was the first scholar to introduce syllabus system, prescribed text books periodising in learning in the field of Arabic teaching in Yoruba land.

Among his students are: Shaikh Zakariyya b. Busairi, Yahya Qalansuwi, Muzamilu from Agbaji and Muhammad Kamaludin who later continued the work of his teacher and upgraded the school to a modern taste.

Tajul Adab had many prose and poetry works in Arabic. He had composed didactic poem on sarf (morphology) and his magnum-opus is known as Shagrab or ‘Adid.

He died in 1922. He is mentioned in Lam'hatul baluri of Shaikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory.

Additional Facts about Alfa Taju l Adab;

~He was referred to as 'Alfa Agba (Grand Scholar)'

~There are speculations that he died @ 33yrs old (to be confirmed).

~He was an enigmatic mystic, and renowned for numerous miracles.

~After graduation, he gave special names to his students, for example;
*Taju l Mu'min
*Taju l Aarifeen
*Taju d Deen
*Taju s Saaliheen
*Mufti d Deen
*Zaynu d Deen
*Kamaaludeen, etc

~Sheikh Kamaludeen (one of his students) later became the Grand Scholar of Ilorin, and immortalised his teacher's legacy (i.e. Adabiyyah Islamic Institute).

~Alfa Taju later moved out of Ilorin, and was buried at the palace of Ake at Abeokuta, Ogun state.

~Alfa Taju, whom brought the modern system of Islamic education tutored both young and old...day and night (the old men would come at night, so that people don't notice them).

~According to Shaikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, the Islamic sciences were all learnt/taught on sand in the old days. But, Alfa Taju introduced learning on sheet of paper. And that included illustrations with diagrams.

~Alfa Taju teaches to the extent that he coughs out blood (i.e. After long hours of teaching).

~He knew many branches of esoteric and exoteric knowledge, and was brave with it.

~ He belonged to the Uwaysi classification of scholars and sufis. He wasn't known to have any teacher.

~ It is said that Shaykh Abdul-Qadir Al-Jaylani was his teacher (in the ghayb/unseen).


May Allah sanctify their secrets (Qadassa-llahu sirrahum)...Ameen!

SHAYKH MUHAMMAD JAMI'H AL~LABEEB (ALFA TAJU AL~ADAB) of Ilorin

SHAYKH MUHAMMAD JAMI'H AL~LABEEB (ALFA TAJU AL~ADAB) of Ilorin

He was an Absorbed Mystic (Majzoob), Astute Teacher & was one of the Unseen Epithets/Personages amongst Saints (Rijaal Al~Ghaeb.

Alfa Agba was an Uwaysi, that is, having no physical teacher or spiritual guide. It was said that Sheikh Abdul~Qadir Jaelani was his Master & Teacher in Ruuh/Spirit. What an Enigma he was!

He was put to test by all the Ulama of his time & they all agreed to his divine knowledge (Ilm~Laduniyah).

"His real names are: Sheikh Muhammad Jami'hu Labeeb, aka (Alfa) Taju~l~Adab. He also had his own tareeqah under quadriyyah order and (had) ilham (divinely~bestowed knowledge formula) of his own. He wrote books on different courses such as Nahwu and Sarfu (arabic grammar), all in poetry and the one he used to prove himself as the most knowledgable of his time (Adidi). The books aren't less than fifty which can be found in the hands of present Mufti of Ilorin, Sheikh Khidru Salaudeen Apaokagi."~~~Sidi Ustadh Saheed Badmus

"He gave up at the age of 33 'thirty~three 'JALLA' (adad al~jalla {Abjad Number of Magestic attributes}), he was buried in the palace of the Alake of Egba Land, he was also one of the Mentors of Sheik Adam Abdullah Al~Ilory RTA Ajmaheen"~~~Sidi Ustadh Oriola Abiola

Sheikh AbduRaheem Ameenullahi Abata relates this story in the Funeral Lecture video of Sheikh
 Kamal~deen Al~Adaby (not in exactwords):

“Sheikh Taju~deen taught for many hours a day, to the extent that he spits blood after haven spoken too much to students. The young student 'Shaykh Kamal~deen Al Adab' saw his teacher's sufferings/toil and he felt sorry and was crying (out of his love for his teacher), after which Alfa Taju's wife reported the issue. Alfa Taju made enquiry as to why the young kamal was crying, and he said: It’s your toil and labour on us (students), and moreover, I don’t understand the lessons.

The mystico~estatic saintly teacher was very impressed by the sheikh’s love for him, and he told him to come along with him and gave him meat out of his meal and told him he’ll never forget all he learnt.”

Sheikh Tajudeen Al~Adaby was an Imam of Great Mystics from all over the world in the Mystico~Divine realm, and he once told the young ‘kamaal’ to make ablution and he took him to that Mosque in the mystico~divine realm, and the boy was astounded to see Saints/Awliyyaa of different races and
 backgrounds there.

Imam Tajudeen stepped forward (as the Imam/Leader of the group of saints), and told sheikh Kamaal to stay beside him to pray. After the prayer session, the Imam said: My people, this is the boy I have been mentioning to you (all). He made each and everyone of them to pray for him. Sheikh Kamaal was reported to have said: “Alfa Agba mu mi lo ibi tii tii kirun, osi ko mi bii tii kii (Alfa Agba/Grand Shaykh {Taju al~Adab} took me to where he prays {in the divine realms of the most high}, and he taught me how he prays there)”. Alfa Agba also once said that if he successfully takes someone to the midst of the saints (i.e. in
 their prayer place), that person automatically becomes one of them.

It was also said that when Alfa Taju wanted to pass on (he was in his 30s then), he was on his death bed and Sheikh Kamaal sat beside him. The Grand Sheikh kept stirring at the other side and also at this side (where his boy kamaal was). Alfa Agba said (narrating what he was seeing):

Here is the River of Kaothar (in Paradise) and my wives presented to me. And nothing else is stopping me from moving ahead except the fact that, I know Kamaal will have many enemies. He kept inquiring
 (spiritually) whether the boy was going to be victorious, and when he got the information as to the
 CERTAINTY OF VICTORY, he bid them farewell and passed on-------via: Sheikh Abdul~Ganiyy
 Aboto’s Funeral Lecture video of Sheikh Kamal~deen Al~Adaby (not {all} in exactwords).

Sheikh AbduRaheem Ameenullahi Abata also stated that: Alfa Agba told sheikh Kamaal to hold on to
 Suratul An’aam, verses one to three, and that he shouldn’t stop reciting it till he leaves the surface of the Earth. The Prophet related that 70,000 Angels descended with Angel Gabriel when he was coming
 with these three verses.

Out of my numerical enthusiasm&eagerness to learn, when I heard the above statement by
 Alfa Agba, I started to make numerical investigation&found out that the three verses had 165 arabic alphabets exactly&that is the numerical value of LAA ILAHA ILA LLAH.

That interpretes the fact that Surat al An’aam, verses 1 to 3 is a very strong khutba and exegesis of Laa ilaha illaa llah (for those that are Raasikh fii~l~Ilm {May Allah make us like them}).

That now gave me more proofs to the ones I had before that Alfa Agba (Sheikh Taaju Al~Adab) was
 indeed an Imaam/Epithet of Gnostics (Taaju~l~Aarifeen).

May Allah grant us the baraka of Pristine Saints and Sincere worshipers of God, Ameen!

INTERCESSORY GRANTS OF PRISTINE SAINTS: THE CASE OF ALFA TAJU AL~ADAB WITH HIS DECEASED WIFE

There's no iota of doubt about the fact that genuine saints have intercessory grants from Allah.

What comes to the mind afterward is how to know the real saints and whether he/she has truly been granted intercessory power or not.

It's worthy of note that the Prophet confirmed the intercessory grant of Uways al~Qarni (Seeking Allah's forgiveness for Caliphs Ali and Umar; Seeking Allah's forgiveness for the Ummah at large; and Seeking Allah's fogiveness for the people of his town Qaran in Yemen).

Indeed, Uways was a Qutb (Spiritual Pole/Axis/Pillar) of Qaran and of the Muslim Ummah in general.

The little i have gathered about Alfa Taju has been reported in my previous post in PRISTINE SUFISM (facebook.com/groups/pristinesufism).

Alfa Taju was an itinerant teacher and preacher. He was once on his missionary journey, and his wife passed on. Before he returned, they had buried his wife.

When he returned, he enquired where the grave was, and he was informed, afterwhich he asked for lamp and left for the grave spot.

It took long before Alfa returned from the grave site and he was sweating profusely.

On his return, he said: "Onaa fee dii fun die nii. Awa ni kaa kiliya onaa fun (She had a little itch on her way. And we decided to clear the road for her)"...

Allahu Akbar!!!

via: Sheikh AbduRaheem Ameenullahi Abata narrated this story in the Funeral Lecture video of Sheikh Kamal~deen Al~Adaby.

This source is very reliable, as Sheikh AbdurRaheem Abata was the choicest of the students of Sheikh Kamaludeen Al~Adaby, and Sheikh Kamaldeen was also the choicest of Sheikh Taju al~Adab's students.

More over, Sheikh AbduRaheem's father was a very close student of Sheikh Taju al~Adab, whom followed the Sheikh wherever he went.

This can be classified under the vast topic of Karaamat al~Awliyyaa (Miracles of Saints).

The real awliyya don't do it for show, it comes naturally as a result of situation of things and their spiritual positions with Allah.

May Allah illuminate their graves with Light upon Light, Ameen!!!