On
Tuesday 23rd of Shawwal/1433AH (11th /09/2012 CE), my dear beloved and caring
father- Alhaji Ali Ibrahim Pantami (or Alhaji Ali Kwadon), ‘Baba’ as fondly
called by his children, passed on at the Federal Medical centre, Gombe, after
an illness which started in the month of Ramadhan. He died around Zuhr time
(1:00pm) and his funeral prayer was observed by 5:00pm at the Federal medical
centre Jumu’ah Masjid, in which enormous crowd of people attended including our
renowned religious scholars and respected personalities. Similarly, Shaykh
Dahiru and many others admitted that, they were so impressed with the large
number of attendance and crowd. He was subsequently buried at the new Gombe
cemetery indirectly opposite to the Federal College of Education (Technical)
Gombe. My only statement at this critical time of trial is the prophetic
reminder to a person who looses his dear one, in which he (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 not my initial plan to write this tribute, but I was spiritually motivated
to document it as a result of some reasons which include how visitors
sincerely, but emotionally praised his virtues and mentioned good things about
him. In line with this, there was a day; some of the companions were together
with the Prophet (SAW) when some people passed with a funeral. Some people
praised the dead person with encomiums. The Prophet instantly (SAW) said: “It
is his right”. After a while, another funeral was passed with, and the same
people made ugly comments about the second deceased. The Prophet (SAW)
subsequently said, “It is his right”. The companions demanded more
clarification. Then the Prophet said that, in the case of the first dead person,
it is his right to enter Paradise, and in the case of the second dead person,
Hellfire is his right”. The Prophet (PBUH) amazingly said, “You are Allah’s
witnesses on earth” (Agreed upon by Bukhari & Muslim).
The
elating and inspiring message from this prophetic reminder is that, it is
highly commendable to articulate, broadcast and amplify the virtues, qualities
and credits of a dead person. And as extensively demonstrated and displayed by
the Prophet in the prophetic reminder, amplifying and voicing out the qualities
of the dead person contribute to his success in the hereafter. And for the
younger ones, it will serve as a role model for symbolisation and emulation as
it was said by Bn Mas’ud (RA): “Symbolise those who died, because the living
person has no guarantee over calamity and affliction”.
I
wish to mention some virtues and qualities of my beloved and dear father as
mentioned by his associates, friends and well-wishers during their condolence
visit and which I aptly witnessed them in my living with him throughout my
life. And this is only our testimony, but judgement belongs to Allah alone.
First,
truthfulness: he had been a man of truth by his words and actions. He always
tried to be truthful in any decision he takes in his life. A close associate of
his for over 50 years, Alhaji Mamman Dankade said, whenever we see a truth and
intended to convey it to others and found it difficult because of its
bitterness, we turned back to him- Alhaji Ali Pantami and requested him to
convey it, and he always did it without fear or favour. He stood by the truth
and justice even against himself or his children. He used to say, “Nafadi
gaskiya na mutu dalilinta yafi na fadi karya narayu a duniya” meaning “to speak
the truth and die because of it, is more pleased to me than to speak lie and
live in this world”. By Allah I will not recall a single time, he lied to
anybody including his spouse(s) and children.
Second,
congregational prayers: during the condolence visit at home, some of his bosom
friends, including their “mu’azzin” testified that, “since the establishment of
their Masjid in 1990, he does not recall a single prayer that was observed
while Alhaji Ali Pantami was not in the first row (Assafful-Auwal) of the
prayer” as long as was in the town safe and sound. The “mu’azzin” of the Masjid
added that, for a very long time he had considered Alhaji Ali Pantami as his
watch for indicating times of obligatory prayers, for him to stand up and call
the prayer. In addition to that, his neighbour, Alhaji Ibrahim Bura emphasised
that, “not only in one Masjid, but in this entire neighbourhood, his passing-by
was always indicating to us a beginning time for obligatory prayers.” More
interestingly, until his death, he always humbled himself in prayers and
observed supererogatory prayers before and after the obligatory congregational
ones. He mostly, if not always remained in the Masjid between Magrib and Isha
prayers.
Third,
voluntary prayers in the night: it is an open secret to all who lived with him
in the same home or compound that, he used to wake up in the night by 2:00am
worshipping till Subhi (Morning Prayer). Our brothers have unanimously agreed
that, none of them has ever recalled a night that had passed without him waking
up by 2:00am and observed voluntary and supererogatory prayers. He spent most
of his time in observing prayers, supplications and reciting portions of the
Glorious Qur’an. It was our tradition, when we lived at home that, if anyone of
us wanted to wake up in the night for prayers, assignment, reading in
preparation for examination or any serious issue. We would only give him the
exact time, and by Allah he used to wake each and everyone at his requested
time. We have unanimously not remembered a single day that he failed to wake us
up according to our requests.
Fourth,
voluntary fasting: he had constantly and consistently been observing voluntary
fasting on Thursdays and Mondays. He used to say “I am more comfortable while
observing voluntary fasting than eating excellent meal”. His neighbours in the
market would eat food on Mondays and Thursdays without inviting him to join
them as all of them knew his tradition. In addition to that, it had become
manifest that, he used to partake in all activities with all “seriousness”,
“excellence” and “consistency”. These are the three words that aptly captured
his tradition in pursuing and performing his actions.
Fifth,
community service: when he actively joined business in the late 70s, as a
regional dealer of brand new Yamaha, he single-handedly initiated the idea of
electrifying Pantami ward and financed the struggle and even the project. I
recall with nostalgia that he had been travelling to Jos/Kaduna for the purpose
until his mission was accomplished. People of Pantami ward and other wards in
Gombe metropolis began to witness and see electricity physically in our family
house, when it was electrified, tested and commissioned. Then later, the
project spread to other wards and communities in the entire ward. This project
was initiated and completed within his resources fisabilil Laah without any
external material gain. His philanthropic activities extremely touched the
lives of many people in the 1970s and early 1980s when he was actively into
business as a merchant. Some of them only came to us during condolence visit at
our family house in Pantami ward and poured their encomiums.
Furthermore,
he laid the foundation of building the pioneer primary school in Pantami ward
(previously known as Malam-kuri Primary school). And after the establishment of
the school, he was unanimously appointed as the chairman of Parents-Teachers
Association (PTA) of the school.
Sixth,
caring and monitoring his family: until his death, he has been a very caring
father who monitors his children regardless of the age they reached or position
they attained worldly or religiously. Even his friends and relatives testified
to his quality of caring not only to his children only, but even to them. He
always encourages you in partaking and pursuing what is good and avoiding what
is evil and harmful. He had always been spending whatever he had in taking care
of his family. To the best of our knowledge, nobody has ever complained to him
about lack of caring in words or in spending what he had for his family. Our
mothers only complained to him about his excess spending (in beneficial
things), not about withholding. His priority in spending and caring had been in
“education”, “health” and “food”.
Seventh,
appreciation and kindness: until his death, he has been appreciative of any
little good you have done to him in kind or in cash. It had been his tradition
to supplicate for you at home for an hour if you gave him a small and meagre
amount of money. In addition to that, I remember he used to tell his family a
gesture of slippers he got from someone since 1961CE while he could afford
millions of them at that time. And even after that person had died, he had
frequently and timely visited the family of the deceased. He easily and
willingly spent two thousand Naira (N2000), in the cause of appreciating a gesture
of only five hundred Naira (N500).
By
Allah, I saw him as a practical demonstration of “Suratul –Muminun” from verse
1-10 0f the Glorious Qur’an. After his death, I have been pondering and making
comparative analysis between his actions and what his associates witnessed with
him with the description of Glorious Qur’an about the qualities of believers
from “Qad’aflahal Muminun up to wal lathina hum ala salawaatihim yu haafizun”.
In the final analysis, I came to realise and believe that he aptly demonstrated
the qualities in words and actions. The last but not the least about my dear
father’s personality, he is a great role model and a source of inspiration. He
was neither a prophet nor an angel; he lived as an ordinary mortal in this
world. And As a result, he was neither infallible nor impeccable. May Allah
forgive his shortcomings, limitations and mistakes and may He have mercy on
him.
I
am extremely grateful and thankful to all those who cared to condole us with
their heartfelt condolence during this period of trial and grief. I am
sincerely grateful to all those who had been trooping to our family house from
far and near. Special thanks go to Shaykh Muhammad Sani Yahya Jingir (National
Chairman of JIBWIS council of ulamah) who in spite of his tight schedule
compelled himself to visit us at our family house in Pantami and many respected
personalities too numerous to mention. Kindly forgive me for that; by Allah you
are always in my supplication for such a great honour and I am most
appreciative and spiritually touched. Respected members of many Google groups.
My friends and associates on my many facebook(s) particularly the one created
and managed by my beloved student, Ibrahim Abu-Fadhima titled as “Sheikh Isa
Ali Pantami”. After posting the breaking news of my father’s death, as at the
time of writing this mail, there are over twelve thousand, seven hundred
(12,700) comments and over three thousand, five hundred (3500) likes. Many
people called on phone from within and outside the country, whilst others sent
text messages or e-mailed me. I am most appreciative and my dear father needs
more supplications from you now and always. My final word to you all is
“Jazaakumul-Laahu khairan”.
Isa
Ali Pantami,
PhD
Candidate (Computing & IT) United Kingdom,
Lecturer,
ATB University, Bauchi, Nigeria.
E-mail:
isapantami@yahoo.com,
26/11/1433H
(12/10/2012G)
