A Scholarly Bond and Lifelong Lessons: Review of Professor Rijiyar Lemo’s Memoir on Life with Sheikh Ja’afar

Originally written in Arabic in 2012 and translated into English by Muhammad Qaddam, Professor Sani Umar Rijiyar Lemo’s memoir (My Shared Lifetime With Timeless Preacher and Exegete of the Revelation: Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam) offers a rich, layered portrait of his enduring friendship and intellectual partnership with the late Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam (may Allah have mercy on him). The work is a historical record, a personal reflection, and a repository of lessons for contemporary scholars. Through vivid recollections and carefully drawn anecdotes, it chronicles the lives of two eminent Nigerian Islamic scholars and the intellectual currents and challenges that shaped their era.

An Enduring Partnership in Scholarship and Da‘wah

The profound relationship between the author and Sheikh Ja’afar lies at the heart of the book, anchored in shared values of knowledge, sincerity, and mutual support. Meeting as young preachers in the 1980s, their collaboration deepened during their studies at the Islamic University of Madinah, where they nurtured an enduring friendship grounded in intellectual exchange and a shared vision for reforming religious teaching in Nigeria.

Portrait of a Scholar Professor Sani’s account presents Sheikh Ja’afar, whom he called Abu Salim, as a man of courage, dignity, God-consciousness, and principled tolerance. His humility allowed him to accept constructive criticism; his warmth extended to both allies and those who differed with him in doctrine. The book’s depiction is not hagiographic, but grounded in personal observation of a scholar deeply committed to his faith and community.

Mastery, Mobility, and the Pursuit of Knowledge From his early years, Sheikh Ja’afar demonstrated an extraordinary devotion to learning. His path took him from Qur’anic studies in Kano and Hadeja to higher education in Madinah, Sokoto, and Sudan. He combined exceptional memorisation skills—praised by Professor Sani as unparalleled—with a passion for Arabic language, poetry, and literature. His victories in national and international Qur’an competitions and proficient interpretations of the Holy book underscore his mastery of tajwid and classical Arabic.

Madinah Years and Intellectual Formation One of the book’s most compelling sections recounts the establishment of a private study circle in Madinah by Sheikh Ja’afar, Professor Sani, and Dr. Ibrahim Jalo. Conducted not for examinations but for intellectual enrichment, the circle became a hub for Nigerian students, a forum for scholarly discipline, and a strategic space for guiding da‘wah efforts in line with developments back home.

Return and Reformist Engagement Although Sheikh Ja’afar’s results qualified him for postgraduate studies in Madinah, the university had not yet introduced master’s or PhD programs in his field (‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān). On returning, he enrolled at Bayero University Kano (BUK), but faced discrimination over doctrinal differences. He later went to Sudan for his master’s degree and began a PhD at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, before his death. In Nigeria, his preaching shifted the Sunnah movement from itinerant street sermons to structured learning, often in partnership with Professor Sani. Together, they tempered doctrinal extremism within Izala ranks, advocated for sustained local teaching over constant travel, and discouraged overt entanglement in political commentary.

Anecdotes of Character Personal portraits, such as an incident with Road Safety officials, enliven the memoir. While teaching at Al-Qalam University in Katsina, the two brothers travelled there weekly for two days (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). One day, they were stopped by road safety officers, leading to a heated exchange with Sheikh Ja’afar, who was driving. Insisting he had done nothing wrong, he refused to apologise. After a long standoff, the matter was settled, only for the officers to be astonished upon learning his identity.

The Young Author and the Scholars’ Debate A passionate intellectual debate erupted in the 1980s between three towering Islamic figures in northern Nigeria – Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, on one hand, and Sheikh Nasiru Kabara and Sheikh Sani Kafinga, on the other (may Allah have mercy on them). Sheikh Gumi had written a book (Aqidatus-Sahīha bi Muwāfaqatish-Sharī‘a), which addressed Sheikh Ahmad al-Tijānī and aspects of the Sufi order. In response, Sheikhs Kabara and Kafinga each wrote books criticising Sheikh Gumi’s work. While still in secondary school, Dr Sani engaged in the theological debates, contributing a reasoned commentary (At-Ta‘ālīqāt al-Mufīda ‘ala al-Aqidatus-Sahīha bi Muwāfaqatish-Sharī‘a) on Gumi’s work. His balanced defence of Ahmad al-Tijānī on certain points attributed to him by Gumi, alongside support for Gumi’s positions against those of Kabara and Kafinga, displayed intellectual courage and a commitment to evidence-based scholarship. Remarkably, Sheikh Gumi welcomed the work, agreeing with its conclusions and offering personal prayers for the young author’s future.

Internal Strains and Political Distance The memoir does not shy away from recounting the internal divisions within the Izala movement during the 1980s and 1990s, noting the principled stance of Sheikh Ja’afar and his circle in prioritising knowledge over factionalism. It also affirms their deliberate distance from partisan politics, even in the face of attempts by politicians to capitalise on their popularity.

Lessons for the Contemporary Scholar Beyond the biographical narrative, the book offers enduring guidance: the relentless pursuit of knowledge; dedication to teaching; avoidance of politicisation; and commitment to thoughtful, written scholarship as a means of preserving and transmitting learning. In an age of performative religiosity on social media, Professor Rijiyar Lemo’s emphasis on calm, substantive engagement recalls the enduring legacy of earlier generations of scholars.

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