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)