By Musa Tanimu Nasidi.
In the early hours of Saturday,20th August 2016 (17 Zulqidah,1437 AH), Malam Yahaya Hafizi’s as is fondly call by his students, passed away at his Madabo residence after a protracted illnesses and was laid to rest this morning.
His friends, including prominent scholars, Khadis, both serving and retired Judges of High Court , thousands of other mourners, some of whom had known him for decades, traveled long distances to attend the funeral prayer and burial of this Islamic scholar.
Imams, Khalifas and his former students and his family members; all devastated and in shock where not left out as they all attended the funeral prayers of the late Hafizi.
Late Yahaya Hafizi is a famous Islamic cleric (Hafizul’quran), patriotic Qur’anic reciter, philanthropy, voice of the voiceless and defender of defenseless.
He always concerned with what effect generality of our people, the deceased sponsored more orphans and children than his biological children.
In early 70s, Malam Yahaya Hafizi was responsible for sponsoring children to Maiduguri where the memorized the entire holy quran.
Hafizi is a pioneer of Qur’anic recitation and memorization which now become competitive amongst the youths of Lokoja and beyond.
The deceased Will be remembered among those who laboured for modern Qur’anic schools that reciters and memorizers of the holy Qur’an are prance on it.
Hafizi’s most blessed legacy was also his boldest move. In the mid 90’s– with the support of his teaming student established the Makaratan tajweed or synthesis and memorization of Holy Qur’an at his residence mosque.
One of the eldest grandson of late Shariff Muhammad Zagina, Sharif Musa Kawu Zangina in his tribute to Late Yahaya Hafizi recalled an event in the early 50’s.
He explained that he knew the deceased through his late grandfather, late zangina; I was born in 1937 and my grandfather, (Zangina),died on the 29th August 1966,he said
Sheriff Musa zangina said
“I recalled when Malam Yahaya was introduced to our grandfather by Late Alh Inuwa Ndagana; Late Abbas Garba, Late Alh Sule Danladi and myself were seated in the front of Malam sharu, when Late Inuwa Ndagana entered alongside Malam Yahaya he was introduced to sharu as a new alarama and where he stay.
According to Musa,as a culture of Malam Shiru, he asked Malam Yahaya to recite from some verses from the holy Qur’an, which the later did eloquently and immediately Sharu directed Alh Inuwa Ndagana that he should accommodate the “stranger in his residence”,that was how both late sharu Muhammad Zangina and Alh Inuwa Ndagana gave their daughters in marriage to Late Malam Yayahay Hafizi”, he said
Alh Sharif Musa further explained how the deceased was named “Yahaya HAFIZI; “it was during Lokoja annual Maulid (Maulidin Gareje)in the early 60’s Musa said “we accompanied Sharu, he was invited to open the Maulid with recitation from the holy Qur’an and he directed the then unknown Malam Yahaya to recite, with his melodious voice, the young stranger took everybody by surprise with sequence and melodious voice “
After the completion of the recitation “Late Sheikh Shuiabu Kechi named him HAFIZI, the name he bears until he meet His creator today”, he said.
Musa described the death of Malam Yahaya as a great lost not only to his families, but to the entire Muslim ummah.
He pray Allah to grand the families and the entire Muslim ummah the fortitude to bear the irreparable lost.
Malam Ibrahim Daura led the funeral prayers on the remains the late Islamic cleric as bequest (will) by the deceased according to the family source.
Before the funeral prayers, Malam Daura urged Muslims to fear Allah and adhered to the teaching of the holy prophet (saw), “here is Alrama facing our creator,I want to use this opportunity to call on any one here to please come out before we perform the funeral pray: that if Malam is indebted to,please you let us know, and if he offend you please forgive him”, he plead.
“I am dumbfounded,” said Alh Hashim Alhassan Rimi, a former member of kogi state House of Assembly and confidant of the deceased;
“I am so sorry to hear that and want to extend my deepest sympathy to his wife, his family, and his the entire Muslims ummah.”
Alh Lawal Yahaya Hafizi, a staff of National Board for Technical Education, Kaduna and the eldest son of the deceased in tribute to his father said;
“My late father taught me about authenticity, integrity, family, forgiveness, ingenuity, conflict resolution, pragmatism and nearly every other virtue that Islam personifies and that today I as a husband, father and human being strive to achieve”, he explained.
Late Hafizi did not possess university degrees but he was anointed with an astonishing gift for preaching and teaching the holy Qur’an in manner that went straight to your heart and mind.
Speaking in a telephone interview with this reporter, Alaramah, Yusuf Mahmud Barkun, from Rano Local Government of Kano state and a childhood friend of late Hafizi described the death of his bossom fried as devastating and a great lost.
The deceased according Malam Yusuf Mahmud, started his Quranic education (Makaratan Tsagaya) at Ringim, in the present Jigawa state.
“We having been childhood friends of the same age,I was with him in Maiduguri between 1959 – 60, I left maiduguri on the of 20th October 1960,while Yahaya continued his search for knowledge ” he said
He described late Hafizi as humane, hardworking and generous in given;
I was in Lokoja three months ago to see him,May Allah grant him Aljanat Firdausi ” he prayed.
In the decade that I regularly attended Ramadan tafsir presided over by Late Sheikh Ibrahim Najirgi, where Yahaya Hafizi was the Alarama Malam Abubakar Isah a 75 years old man explained ” I rarely witnessed a day where his melodious voice did not prompt someone to step forward to reconcile with God.”
Yahaya Hafizi Voice when reciting the holy Qur’an remains golden even at older age,so also his preaching was a compassionate, aromatic one that neither condemned people nor compromised the incorrect teaching and message of the holy (sunnah.)prophet Muhammad (saw)
Yahaya Hazifi was laid to rest on Saturday morning at the historic unguwan kura muslimsc cemetery.
Finally, May Allah in His infinite mercy make Al-janantu Firdausi as his final destination.
Ameen.
I wrote this piece exactly 8 years ago.
