2nd December, 2020
By Nimot Adetola Sulaimon
The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr Rahman Ishola has described the late Imam of the State House Mosques, Alhaji Ismail Adejare Tijani as a pious, hardworking, disciplined, humble and trustworthy clergy during his lifetime.
He gave the description on Wednesday while paying tribute to the late Imam during a Special prayer session organised by the Board in collaboration with the League of Ulamau (Board Islamic Clerics) and Hajj guides.
It would be recalled that late Imam TIijani died last week Friday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja, after involving in petrol tanker accident at Shagamu along the Ijebu-Ore-Benin Express road. He has since being buried according to Islamic rites.
According to the press statement released by Taofeek Lawal of LASMPWB, the session was held at the Shamsi Adisa Thomas (SAT) Mosque, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
Mr Ishola recalled that the late Imam contributed immensely to the growth of Islam, the State House Mosques, as well as the annual Hajj exercise, embarked upon by the Board, saying that he has left behind a legacy worthy of emulation by many others.
While giving an account of their good old days,Ishola said that Alhaji Ismail was not born with a silver-spoon but struggled on his own to achieve greatness.
Late Imam was a person that everyone who came across him, usually felt his presence because he was always ready to render assistance with his little God-given wealth and at the expense of his life.
Ishola affirmed that he knew the late Adejare during their University days and later became colleagues in the Lagos State Public Service. He stressed that since then, Imam had been a very good and reliable partner who has never harboured ill-feelings against anyone or engaged in enmity with anybody.
“I will personally miss him because he was a man who stood by the truth always without minding whose ox is gored. May Almighty Allah in His infinite mercies admit him into the garden of bliss, Ameen”.
Mr Ishola used the opportunity of the occasion to urge other members of the League of Ulamaus (clerics) and Hajj guides to show love and fear God in their dealings with one another while carrying out the spiritual and herculean tasks of guiding the intending pilgrims on the exercise of the Hajj rites both in Nigeria and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In his contribution, the Director of Operations, Mr Kamal Zubair, appealed to the clerics to always follow laid down protocols for the dissemination of information within the system. He said, “the idea of going directly to the office of the Hon. Commissioner, Special Adviser to the Governor on Islamic Religious Affairs or Head of Operations for information concerning Hajj exercise without recourse to their Chairman is inappropriate”. He advised that whatever information they needed should be sought directly from their Chairman.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Ulamau, Alhaji Muhsin Ajagbemokeferi thanked God for the late Imam for a life well spent. He also expressed the appreciation of his members to the Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; Hon. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi; SA to the Governor, Alh. Ahmed Abdullahi Jebe and the Board Secretary, Mr Rahman Ishola for the opportunities usually given to them during the Hajj exercise.