Patience and Kindness: A Tribute to Our Beloved Father

By Dr. Umar Ahmad (Baba Saraki) 

Let me start by a prophetic statement in which He, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) says: “It is for Allah what He takes, and what He gives; and everything before His sight has a limited and specific period”.

It was on Monday, the 12th of April 2004, equivalent to the 21st of Safar, 1425AH – the islamic calender that my beloved and ever caring father – Malam Ahmad Muhammad Lamido ( also known as Maina Ahmadu – a Prince from Misau Emirate, an immediate grandson of Sarkin Misau Usmanu) died at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi after a brief illness. He died around 4:13am on a Monday, and his funeral prayer was observed at 8:30am according to the Islamic rites. Alhamdulillah, we witness crowds that include many islamic scholars within and around Bauchi metropolis who attended the funeral prayer and accompanied his body to the Old Bauchi Cemetery. Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un – “verily we belong to Allah and verily to him do we return ”.

It was yesterday that one of our elder brothers Alhaji Kabiru Ahmad (Walin Gabas of Misau) called me via phone just to remind us to keep praying for our father as he turns 18 years without us in this contemporary world, and also requested me to write a brief tribute to our late father – may Allah SWT forgive him and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. It is not my wish to state or mention the qualities of our late father in the public domain, I prefer to leave it to those who work and lived with him, and to those who personally knew him well to keep mentioning his great deeds to us and to his grandchildren. I believe that will motivate us to keep doing good things to imitate our father’s great attitude and virtues.

However, it is in line with Islamic teaching and prophetic reminder that I am inspired to mentioned the great qualities of our beloved late father, Malam Ahmad Muhammad Lamido. These qualities and his great deeds were mentioned by his close colleagues at work, close friends and relatives at the time they came for the condolence visit, and even after 18 years from the time of his death – people still made mention of our father’s simple life, generosity, religious and calmness in whatever he does.

Our father’s great attribute was his devotion to frequent congregational prayers as many of his associates testified. He practised his religion consistently and never missed a single congregational prayer. They said, there is never a time for obligatory prayer where you will not find our father in the Masjid waiting for Imam to perform the prayer. I am a living witness to most of what they said, and until now I am still learning some of his virtues from some of his associates, and those who knew him. Allahu Akbar! May Allah forgive our father.

Some scholars of his time say when our father recites the Quran, one would think it is Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hosari (a famous Egyptian Qari – a Quranic reciter who memorised the Quran at the age of 8), recitation in Warsh “an Naafi”, which is why I also love Sheikh Mahmoud (رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ) and his recitation. Our late father committed the entire Quran to his memory at the age of 10, and since then he committed himself to following various Islamic scholars to learn the science of Hadith, and Usul Tafseer until he married. Some people described him as someone who devoted his time to sharing Quranic and Hadith knowledge in a community before he dived into business.

Whenever our father travelled and spent some weeks away from Bauchi or Nigeria, he would purchase foodstuff; such as rice, maize, yam, potato, palm oil and some vegetables just to distribute to our neighbours. He often sacrifices Ram on a weekly basis, mostly on every Friday to distribute to the neighbours, Almajiris and the less privileged people. When Almajiris entered our house when we were young, he would caution us not to send them away. He would often say in Hausa “ku basu abinci in akwai, amma kar ku fadi abinda zai bata musu rai”, meaning – give them the food if there is, but don’t tell them something that will hurt them. When these Almajiris visit our house to fetch water from the Well or fetch from the water tank at that time, our father would personally collect their Kettle to put the water for them. He jokes with them, and interacts with Almajris very well. At times he even requests them to recite for him some verses of the Quran as he so much loves Quranic recitations from “Alaramma” – Quran memoriser.

Our father never plays with voluntary fasting. He seriously committed to observing these voluntary fasts on Monday and Thursdays of every week. I can still recall when he often sent me to his late sister Baba Kande, Asma’u Muhammad Lamido (May Allah forgive her and grant her Jannatul firdaus) who reside behind Emir Palace in Bauchi, to request her to provide “Kunu” (pap) for him as he was fasting. I and some of my brothers frequently go to Baba Kande to collect Kunu for him. Allah knows why he loves her Kunu so well that he cannot fast without taking it.

Another unique attribute of our father was his being patient, truthful and loving his relatives. “Baba Ahmadu Allah yayi maka hakuri” as I heard his late elder brother, Alhaji Sa’adu Muhammad Lamido once mentioned, meaning – Baba Ahmadu God has granted you patience. This is known by many in the family and by his friends. He is the type that doesn’t really talk when he is angry. He smiles at us even if he dislikes our actions, he would politely tell us to desist from what we were doing that isn’t good. If we reported that our sibling did something wrong to us, he would simply say “Kayi hakuri”, meaning – be patient. He would encourage us to learn to live with one another peacefully. Malam Ahmadu as he was addressed by his friends would never support or encourage injustice. He is truthful, and loves being truthful in whatever you say. And as such he would never support us where he even found that we are not at fault when judging between us and some neighbouring children. He inculcates that discipline in us – not to support lies, encourage deception or injustice.

Maina Ahmadu is our great role model who inspired us by his qualities and virtues in our day to day activities. He left-behind twelve children (12) and his wives. I prayed for Allah to forgive him, have mercy on him and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. May Allah give us the fortitude to continue to bear the irreparable loss.