By Olumide T. Agunbiade
Barely a year after a child
was reportedly born with a copy of the Holy
Quran in Lagos and another born with an Islamic rosary,
(Tesbah) in Sagamu, Ogun State. Last Tuesday, another amazing event occurred at
Owode Onirin, Ikorodu, Lagos; as images of some clerics who died decades ago
were believed to have made sudden appearances on the walls of Dawiz Central
Mosque in the area.
Thousands of people and
passers-by storm the mosque to have a glimpse.The images were identified
as that of late Sheikh Ahmada Tijani, (Algeria) Sheikh Ibraheem Niass,
(Senegal) Sheikh Jamiu Bulala (Nigeria).
Although the images were not
clear, but those who saw it earlier, said the images were clearer on Tuesday
when they were first noticed.
According to Eye-witness:
“The images were noticed on Tuesday September 3, on the walls of the mosque
which was constructed a few months ago and owned by Sheikh Musa Alegbeleye.”
It was gathered that four
months ago, the image of Sheikh Jamiu Bulala Islamic Cleric, who had died two
decades ago appeared first faintly to the consternation of Muslim faithful and
they decided never to make it public to creat any doubt.
The strange occurence has
turned the serene Owode Onirin area into a Makkah of sorts as people thronged
the area not only to see but to also offer some prayers. Right inside the
mosque, people were seen holding bottles/satchets of water muttering prayers
and shouting Allahu Akbar (God is great). Some were even seen bowing to the
image.
Efforts to speak with
the founder of the group and leader of the mosque, Sheikh Alegbeleye, was
futile, as we were told he was sleeping after observing several vigil prayers.
Speaking on the development
and an eye-witness, the President of Islamic
society of Nigeria, Lagos State Mukadam Alhaji Samodu
Onikoyi confirmed the appearance of the images. “We started noticing a very
faint image which came with intermittent brightness on the inside wall of the
mosque which were replica of the portrait of Sheikh Ibrahim Niass, Sheikh Jamiu
Bulala and Sheikh Ahmaa Tijani engraved on the walls of the building.”
How it Happened: “A member
of the mosque Alhaja Idayatu Idera Afolabi first noticed it and she rushed out
to inform everybody and when we saw it, we decided to cover it, because we
thought if we announce it, people will think it is ruse that one is trying to
play on their intelligence. But when I also saw it, I was greatly
terrified, wondering how such thing could have happened”.
“My thought was that the
image would eventually disappeared but on the second day, it brightened more
and started showing on all sides of the building which made us to still cover
it untill it became public“.
An eye-witness also
disclosed that attempt was made by some individuals to wash off the images but
to no avail; adding that the more they try to rub it off, the more the images
become clearer.
For me, that image is not
real and it’s an evil imagination. Because the Bible says Jesus will come down
with the Holy Saints and Prophet at the last day. And I will advice those
clerics to stop deceiving people because I don’t understand what that means and
I have not seen such before.
This is unbelievable,
although as a Christian, I’m not trying to say this is evil but to them they
believe; it’s a sign of end time and some of them said it is stated in the
Koran. So, I cannot judge, only God knows the truth about it. All I can say is
that we are all serving the living God, there should not be anything like the
Muslims are idol worshipers but to me this is a sign of end time. So, people
should mend their ways.
Also, one Mrs Idayatu
Afolabi said: “When we saw that the image, it was a strange thing, I told my
husband to inform those that know better than us, it was then we called on the
Imam who told us not to announce it until now that the images decided to
brighten up on the wall of the mosque building “.
The shout of “Allahu Akbar”
(God is Great) rented the air as hundreds of people continue to find their ways
to the the Mosque in Owode Onirin to have a glimpse
Shaykh Tijani was born in
1735 in Aïn Madhi, a small village in western-central Algeria. An orphan at the
age of 15, and applied himself to his studies. Having learned the Quran by
heart at age seven, he studied the fundamentals of Maliki jurisprudence and
other texts. For nearly 50 years Shaykh Tijani was the main active propagator
of the doctrine of Toriqah.
Shaykh Tijani his passed on
Thursday 22 September 1815. After he performed the Subh prayer, he laid down on
his right side while he asked for a glass of
water then he returned to his bed and died. Even in the
coffin, people were rushing and trying hard to hold his coffin and it was a
scene full of
deep emotions where tears and sorrows constituted the landmark of this great
funeral. Shaykh Tijani was buried in his blessed Zawiya. He is followed today
by over 300 million disciples world-over.
Sheikh Ibrahim Niass
(1900–1975) Born in 1900 in the village of Taïba Niassène between the
Senegalese city of Kaolack and the border of Gambia, the main representative of
the Tijaniya- Sufi Order, often referred to as Tariqat al-Tijjaniyyaa.
During his youth, Sheykh Ibrahim relocated with his father to the city of
Kaolack, where they established the zwiya (religious center) of Lewna Ñaseen.
Shaykh Ibrahim’s role as
principal Imam of the Medina Baay mosque has been carried out by the Cisse
family. While serving as Medina Baay’s Imam, he took his teachings to the
United States, United Kingdom and many other western countries. He was regarded
as Leader of Tariqa al-Tijaniyya after the late Ah,ada Tijani. He died in
August, 2008.
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