30/07/2025
THE LAST JOURNEY OF SHAYKH IBRAHIM NIASSE (RTA) - PART 3
{THE NIGERIAN VISITORS AND THE FINAL PREPARATIONS}
Authored by: Ambassador Usman Ahmad Tijani Ibrahim Niasse
Translated & Compiled by: Sayyidah Bilqis Bolajoko Grillo
Uba Waru was a gentleman of a noble origin. His father Alhaaj Ibrahim Waru and mother Seyyidah Aisha Shettima known as Hajiah Baba, came from a rich Islamic background.
At an early age, Uba Waru got to know Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse and he immediately 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 (selfless service) and hadiyahs (generosity) to the family of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse on regular basis. Annually, he used to send sixty people on Hajj and Umrah trips to Makkah.
His close association with Shaykh earned him his blessings to the point of marrying one of Shaykh's grand-daughter. 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 Nigerian 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 information about the days of flight availability to Senegal from London. He came back with the information 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/Visitation to Shaykh. So they sent Mudi Salga and two other people. They came promptly and visited Shaykh. After their usual ziyaarah they left.
“Around this time…Shaikh’s the core ideological adversary in Nigeria (Alhaji Abubakar Gumi) had alleged that Shaikh Ibrahim composed a poem of repentance to renounce his Tijani sufi membership. So..Shaikh Sanni Awwal and some others were delegated by the Nigerian disciples of Shaikh Ibrahim for clarification. Hence, the Shaikh replied with a letter titled Risalatu tawbah (Epistle of Repentance)".
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 that week, necessary preparations were made for the noon prayer after which Kabir Faye was instructed to read some long awraads (litanies) 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(farewell) 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 al-kalin 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 Muhammad (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 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 Ayat al-Kurisiyy after Suratul Fatiah on the first rakah and to recite laqad 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 8a.m, Kabir Faye was told to lend in setting him on his bed to take a rest.
