Ruhul Adab

Commentary of Imam Hassan Cisse:

In the year 1309 Hijra, Al-Hajj Abdullahi performed the pilgrimage to Mecca and returned through Egypt and the renowned University of Azhar. He continuously devoted his time towards reviving the traditions of the Noble Prophet SAW and fighting against innovations in his hometown Taiba, and his country, Senegal. This led the colonial masters to make life difficult for him. They insisted that he restrict his preaching and surrender his children for western education. To this, Al-Hajj Abdullahi vehemently objected, describing it as an evil plot against Islam. He therefore migrated to Gambia with his family, where he remained for ten years. Within this period, ten of thousands of students migrated to him. In the tenth year of his hijra, he traveled to Fez in Morocco to visit the tomb of Shaykh Ahmad Tijânî, the renowned and celebrated leader of all Saints of Allah. During this journey, he received recognition from the great Sufis of Fez. From them, he obtained certifications and rare collections of Islamic books, including the original copy of the Jawâhir-al-Ma’ânî that was in the custody of Shaykh Ahmad Tijânî for at least sixteen years and later on with his descendants. On his return from the Hijaz, he passed through his country, where he was so well received that the colonial government requested him to settle in Kaolack. He agreed to this request but on condition that he would be allowed to preach and teach the Qur’an, build mosques, and carryout his farming activities. The colonial masters agreed to the conditions. The first thing he did in Kaolack was the building of a mosque, then a living house. This mosque was the first mosque in the whole Kaolack. There are today over fifty mosques.

(To be continued…)