ABŪ SUFYĀN AL-ALMA'EE: PAINFUL LOSS OF A YOUNG SCHOLAR

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori 

The pain of the loss of our noble brother and Ustadh, Sheikh Luqman Solih Al-Alma'ee رحمه الله is glaring in us. It was hard to sleep well. His thoughts kept coming to mind. We can't pretend to be fine but we believe Allāh knows the best for him and us. He owns life and He takes it anytime He wishes and no one can question His decisions. To Him we belong and to Him is our return. 

I have been following his page (IAH College) for some years and I usually look forward to his contributions on issues. I never knew we are from the same community until I accompanied my brother and friend, Bar. Adetola-Kazeem on a courtesy visit to Sheikh Dr. AbdulFattah Sarumi حفظه الله. During that visit, we had to discuss the situation of the Ummah and the need for gentleness in da'wah. His name was mentioned and we all acknowledged his contributions to the spread of the Sunnah through social media in a balanced manner. That was when Sheikh told me he was a son of the Murdeer of the famous Arabic center behind my family house (Popo Igbonna) popularly known as "Gada Saraki" around Okelele area, Sheikh Saalih. That was the Arabic school attended by many of our Arabic teachers in my area. May Allāh bless them all.

I was very happy to know he was from my area because we need more of his likes. He was one of the few "Ahlus Sunnah" scholars in our community. With his death now, we have lost a golden son and a young promising scholar. May Allāh substitute him with many of his likes and those who would be better than him. 

Unfortunately, the most painful thing to me when I got to know of his death yesterday was the fact that I never had the opportunity of meeting him one on one because most of his activities were in Lagos State. I hardly knew whenever he came around. This is why we need to do more in visiting ourselves for the sake of Allāh without any delay. We don't own our lives. I would have loved to meet him, hug and encourage him on his efforts even if it was going to be once. But that is how Allāh want it to be. May Allāh make it easy for us to meet in Al-jannah 

Allāh has undoubtedly blessed Abu Sufyān رحمه الله with knowledge and understanding of the religion. His social media page is full of benefits. He was a teacher of Arabic and Islamic Studies with great zeal to impart knowledge on the younger generations. He was also blessed with beautiful presentation. He used to say whatever he knew with wisdom, humility and calmness. He was a defender of the Sunnah and a refuter of people of bid'ah with calmness. He used to control his emotions when refuting a bidah or any evil he notices in the Muslim community. None of the people who he had refuted in the past can claim he was mannerless or abusive in his approach. We have indeed lost an ambassador of Sunnah.  Indeed, the death of righteous scholars is a darkness to the world. 

Only Allāh knows His true servants but in his presentations, what I used to notice is sincerity (ikhlās). He was a noble flag-bearer of the Sunnah in our society. This is not to praise or over-praise him. It is just to mention a few things we know about him with the hope that Allāh rates him with them and raises His rank before Him. One thing that no one can deny is that he used his knowledge to propagate pristine Islām with clarity as Allāh said in Sūratu Yūsuf:

قُلْ هٰذِهٖ سَبِيْلِيْۤ اَدْعُوْۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ ۗ عَلٰى بَصِيْرَةٍ اَنَاۡ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِيْ ۗ وَسُبْحٰنَ اللّٰهِ وَمَاۤ اَنَاۡ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ

"Say, This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him.[Surah Yūsuf: 108]

This verse of the Qur'ān is one of the yardsticks to know the true callers to Allāh's path. They call people to Allāh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and not to themselves. They do not seek fame or worldly rewards with their knowledge. They do not seek to be praised. Despite his young age, our brother, Abu Sufyān has put forth before Allāh the goodness that he was able to afford. We pray Allāh سبحانه وتعالى accept them from him. May Allāh forgive and have mercy on him. 

This is a great lesson for all of us too. We should not think we still have time. There is no time, death can come anytime. Let us keep doing whatever we can do in terms of ibādah and purify our intentions from time to time. Allāh says:

يٰۤاَ يُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَلْتَـنْظُرْ نَـفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ ۚ وَا تَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ۗ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ خَبِيْرٌ بِۢمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ

O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow - and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (QS. Al-Hashr: Verse 18)