ADIEU U.S.T.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un! We are from Allah, and to Him shall we return. Our time is almost up! Death is moving closer and closer. May Allah receive our lives when He is most pleased with us. Today we mourn a senior brother and professional colleague, a good man ma sha Allah – […]

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un!

We are from Allah, and to Him shall we return.

Our time is almost up! Death is moving closer and closer. May Allah receive our lives when He is most pleased with us.

Today we mourn a senior brother and professional colleague, a good man ma sha Allah – Umar Sa’id Tudunwada, immediate past Managing Director of Radio Kano and, before then, of CTV (now ARTV), Freedom Radio, VOA, Dandal Kura Radio (Maiduguri), Press Secretary to former Kano Governor Kwankwaso, one-time Secretary Kano NUJ and, until his death, a vice president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, among many other sojourns beside.

All who commented about Umar this past week in Kano say one thing – he was an exceedingly good man. Ma sha Allah for this ‘shaida’, this testimony.

In Hausa, there is the concept of ‘Mutumin Kirki’ (or Good Man, Good Person). The colonial and post-colonial era intellectual A.H.M. Kirk-Greene studied Hausa people and culture deeply and broadly, and summarised the concept in his ‘Mutumin Kirki: The Concept of the Good Man in Hausa’. He presented this paper on April 11, 1973 at the Third Annual Hans Wolff Memorial Lecture at Indiana University in the USA, as reported elsewhere by current NOUN VC Prof Abdalla Uba Adamu.

Kirk-Greene identified twelve behavioral characteristics which the Hausa people ascribe to a ‘Mutumin Kirki’ and they are listed here alphabetically: Adalci (sense of justice, fairness); Dattako (maturity); Gaskiya (integrity); Juriya (courage); Kama Sana’a (fending for oneself, not ‘sponging’ or ‘maula’); Kawaici (positive aloofness); Kunya da Kara (modesty, self-deprecation, humility, Pulaku, simplicity); Ladabi da Biyayya (respectful without being condescending, decorous); Mu’amala (good social skills, sociability, friendliness); Rashin Tsegumi (devoid of idle talk, not poking nose in other’s businesses); Rikon Addini (adhering to religious tenets); Zumunta (good filial relationships, community spirit).

I swear by Allah, wallahi, the Umar Sa’id Tudunwada I knew fulfilled all these twelve characteristics of a ‘Mutumin Kirki’, if not more!

Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, taught that three things continue to benefit a believing person even after death – charity which he had given (and which continues to benefit others); beneficial knowledge which he had left behind (authored, taught, trained); and supplication on his behalf by a righteous child. Umar lived and died relatively ‘poor’, so ‘Sadaqa Jariya’ may have been relatively little; but for the second, ‘Ilmun Yuntafa’u Bih’, alhamdu lilLah Umar taught and trained and mentored hundreds of others in journalism, especially broadcasting. As for the third, ‘Walad Salih’, Umar is survived by many children. In sha Allah they will continue to pray for him, as we will.

And the Hausa say ‘Shaidar Mutane Ita Ce Shaidar Allah!’ – (That Allah generally confirms what human witnesses say on and about a fellow human) as this Hadith (once reported here from that ‘Boko and Arabi’ combined Prof. Salisu Shehu, senior academic colleague) of Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace), indicates:

“One day, a group of companions (Sahaba) were sitting with the Prophet, upon whom be peace, when a funeral passed. Some of them made nice comments about the dead person. The Prophet promptly said, ‘Confirmed!’ (Wajabat!). Not long after, another funeral passed and the same people made unsavoury remarks about this second dead person. The Prophet similarly said, ‘Confirmed!’

“The companions asked the Prophet for explanation. He said that in the case of the first person, his entry into Paradise (Jannah) was confirmed by their comments about him, and in the case of the second, Hellfire was confirmed. The Prophet further explained the significance of the comments that people usually make about the dead. ‘You are the witnesses of Allah on earth’, he concluded.

The glaring import of this Hadith is that it is recommended in Islam to extol the virtues of a dead person and broadcast his righteous deeds. And as clearly denoted in the Hadith, mentioning the virtuous character of the dead adds to their records of good deeds and elevates their position in Heaven. Beside the implication as explained, there is also obvious wisdom in doing that. It is the fact that for those of us that are still alive, and especially the young ones among us, such eulogies about good people presents models worthy of emulation, as well as inspiration for self-improvement.

One very revealing testimony I personally heard about Umar was from a student of mine who told me: “Mallam, I supported Abba Gida-Gida (PDP’s Abba Kabir Yusuf) during the last Kano Governorship elections. But at the last minute I voted for Ganduje because I don’t want Umar Sa’id Tudunwada to lose his job.” This was from a student who spent only a few weeks on SIWES (industrial attachment) at Radio Kano where Umar was CEO.

Wajabat! Allahu Akbar!

Good people continue to die (even though, thanks be to God, the bad ones do also die – and may their deaths be hastened). But this page lamented many a good person who passed – Haruna Salihu, Habibu Sani Babura, Muhammad Mursi. Of course, if Allah would leave anyone alive for being ‘good’, we would have met Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace) on earth. Alas!

One additional quality about Umar was that he was ‘strange’ – very strange in this age and time. This ‘strangeness’ is encapsulated in my understanding of the following Hadith of Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace: “Bada al Islamu ghariban, wa sa ya udhu ghariban kama bada`a. Fa tooba lil ghuraba” (Islam began as strange and it will return to being strange as it began; so glad tidings to the ‘strangers’).

 

Umar was strange. He would not accept a bribe, for example – a ‘strange’ character in today’s Nigeria, especially when one is a CEO with capacity to award contracts. Again, Umar would rather resign a ‘lucrative’ position to protect his dignity – as he did as Kwankwaso’s Press Secretary – even if he would end up jobless. Umar WAS strange!

Another good man I know is a good friend of Umar’s, Aminu Sa’ad Beli, one-time Chairman Kano NUJ among other things. Difference is Beli is dyed-in-the-wool politician, including standing for election, unlike Umar who eschewed partisan politics. May Allah elongate Beli’s life, and mine. And yours too.

Good ones are just going. May Allah make me – and you – among the good ones BUT with a quick caveat: jinkiri mai amfani; (may we be among the GOOD and also among the ‘LONG-LASTERS’.

Allah Ya jikanmu!