Deep Sorrow as Top Clerics, Sheikh Abayawo and Shaykh Raji, Die, Photo Emerges
- Sheikh Abdul Kareem Raji, the Grand Khalifa of Tijaniyah in Osun state, southwest Nigeria, is no more
- The Grand Khalifa of Tijaniyah in Kwara state, Shaykh Abubakar Siddeeq Agbade Abayawo, passed away
- Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state reacted to the sad losses as several Muslims mourn
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance in Nigeria.
Osogbo, Osun state - The Grand Khalifa of Tijaniyah in Osun state, Sheikh Abdul Kareem Raji, and the Grand Khalifa of Tijaniyah in Kwara state, Shaykh Abubakar Siddeeq Agbade Abayawo, are dead.
Legit.ng gathered that Sheikh Abayawo, also the founder of Medfat Nasrul 'Ilmi Worldwide, died on Wednesday, September 24.
Source: Twitter
In a statement signed by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to Ademola Adeleke, the Osun state governor expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the two eminent Islamic scholars. The statement was obtained by Legit.ng on Friday, September 26.
In a condolence message, Governor Adeleke described their demise as a great loss to the Tijaniyah order, the Muslim Ummah, and Nigeria. He noted that both clerics devoted their lives to the service of God, the guidance of the faithful, and the promotion of peace and unity among Nigerians.
The governor said:
“Sheikh Abdul Kareem Raji and Shaykh Abubakar Siddeeq Agbade Abayawo were pillars of Islamic scholarship and spiritual direction.
“Their leadership strengthened the Tijaniyah order and inspired generations of believers to live lives of faith, devotion, and moral uprightness. Their passing is a painful loss to Ede, Kwara, and Nigeria as a whole.”
Adeleke mourns Sheikhs Abayawo, Raji
Governor Adeleke commiserated with the Muslim Ummah in Ede and Osun state over the death of Sheikh Abdul Kareem Raji, describing him as a source of spiritual guidance whose absence will be deeply felt across Osun and beyond.
Furthermore, he extended condolences to the governor of Kwara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Muslims in the state, and the Tijaniyah faithful nationwide over the passing of Shaykh Abayawo, noting that his influence reached far beyond the northcentral state to the entire Nigerian Muslim community.
The statement said:
"On behalf of the government and people of Osun state, Governor Adeleke condoled with the Tijaniyah community, the families of the deceased clerics, and all their followers across Nigeria."
The governor prayed:
“I pray Almighty Allah forgive their shortcomings, grant them Al-Jannah Firdaus, and give their families and the Tijaniyah faithful the fortitude to bear these painful losses."
Adeleke mourns Ruth Elton
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Adeleke mourned the death of Nigeria’s oldest missionary, Ruth Elton.
Elton, a British-born Nigerian missionary, passed away aged 91.
Elton arrived in Nigeria in 1937 with her father, Granville, and dedicated over eight decades of her life to Christian ministry and grassroots development.
Source: Legit.ng
