Lagos — The rather expansive main bowl of the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos literally shrank last Sunday afternoon, becoming grossly inadequate for the streams of Muslim faithful that thronged the old Parade Ground for the Fidau prayer for the late founder of Ithad Ansarul Faedat Tijaniyyah of Nigeria, Mukadam Muhammadul- L - Awwal (a.k.a. Baba l'Oshodi).

Probably underestimating the expected crowd, the organisers only prepared a section of the parade ground for the event. But as throngs and throngs of people spilled into the TBS ground, not even the three giant canopies provided could shelter the crowd, most of whom have now taken shelter on the adjoining terraces. And as Hadji Babs-Olorunkemi, Publisher of the now rested The Diplomat magazine told newsmen, "TBS has never seen such a large crowd in recent times".

The late Mukadam Muhammadul-L-Awwal died on January 31 at the age of 83.

In deed, it was a roll call of who-is-who in Nigerian Muslim community: clerics, preachers, traditional rulers, professionals, members of the academia and especially Islamic scholars who will probably miss the late Cleric's erudition the most, The international community was also well represented by the Ambassadors of Morocco and Egypt in Nigeria. A condolence letter from King Hassan of Morocco was read to the hearing of all at the occasion.

In his opening address, Sheikh Muhammad Rabiu Abdul-Malik, the spiritual leader of Lutfitullahi Society of Nigeria and one of the closest disciples of the late Tijaniyyah leader described the late cleric as a quintessence of virtue, piety, humility and a reliable family man. Sheikh Rabiu then urged the faithful to accord the late Cleric's successor, Kalifa Sheikh Muhammad Isiaq Muhammadul Awwal the same cooperation and support so that the society would continue to blossom.

The guest lecturer at the occasion, Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Al-Ilory described the death of the late Tijaniyyah leader as a great loss to Nigerian Muslims, the Imams, and the Tijaniyyah Society worldwide.

He however urged the Muslims to take solace in the fact that the cleric died a pious man and had made his mark in the sands of time.

Born on April 13, 1926 in Omupo, Kwara State the late cleric began his Quranic education in 1933 and travelled as far as Kano and Senegal in search of Islamic knowledge in those days when it required some measure of doggedness and commitment to be able to venture out of one's birth place. This was because of the restrictive mode of transportation then. It was on one of such journeys to Senegal in 1952 that he met the Grand Khalifa of Islam, Sheikh Ibrahim Niyass, who conferred on him the post of Mukadam.

He performed his first hajj obligation to Mecca and Medina in 1958. His experience during that hajj operation made him, on return to Nigeria, to decide to establish a Hadj Travels Agency, which operated for 21 years between 1958 and 1979.

In 1945, he established the Khoudamul Islam Society of Nigeria in conjunction with some of his contemporaries. Today, the Arabic and Islamic Institute being run by the society has been affiliated to Lagos State University to offer Diploma courses in Arabic and Islamic Studies.

Sheikh Muhammadul- L-Awwal's life was entirely devoted to the propagation of Islam and spreading of the doctrines of the Tijaniyyah sect. He wrote many books on Islamic literature and jurisprudence.