By Abdussamad Ahmad Yusuf
Shaykh Dahiru Bauchi is an institution. He’s also, the bridge between the 20th and 21st century Islamic marketplace in Nigeria’s Islam intellectual history. A very historic milestone! He is a symbol of Islam, who has entirely, devoted his life to the service of Islam. There is no man in Nigeria today, whose name is as sonorous as Islam, like Shaykh Tahir Usman Bauchi. Because, he is that single person, immediately his name is called, it’s the Islam, Qur’an, tafsir or Tariqa Tijjaniyya will follow. Who’s blessed that a blessing?
Shehu bagan the famous Kaduna tafsir in the 1970s. Roughly 50 years today. Fifty, in the service of teaching the words of Allah. Before then, he was an itenerant preacher. He has been at the center of Islam in Nigeria for as long as that period, and, still counting even at hundered.
Shehu has not written books, with the pssible exception of Gaskiya ta bayyana. However, his contribution to advancing theology, Sufism, tafsir and suluk as fields of Islam in Nigeria is as indelible as many who had written severally, including those scholars of his calibre. He’s truely in the league of the Sufi saints who’d believed: true knowledge is buried in the chest of men. His tafsir sessions demonstrated this, followed by of his disciples, and children: offering Qur’an exegesis by heart.
In tafsir to cite another different instance to show his magnificence, Shaykh is nothing short of Tafsir- al Jalalayn that the Hausaland is known to have widely embraced, in terms of fame and impact amongst students of ulum-al-Qur’an and tafsir, exegesis. Shehu is the living Jalalayn by fame and name and impact!
Bauchi has produced too numerous to mention scholars; from his direct disciples to admirers-from-afar, who will keep his philosophy and teachings alive, and will continue to shape Islam and muslim thought in the Nigeria’s public discourse within the academia, community or traditional system of learning.
Shaykh Tahir’s footing has its waves including outside Nigeria. It is to the Niger republic, Cameroon, Tchad, Benin, Ghana, Togo, United States and the United Kingdom.
What is a blessed life, if not that of Shaykh Tahir Usman Bauchi, radhiyalLahu Ta’ala anhu?
Ahmad wrote in from Abuja, he can be reached through Abdussamadahmad69@gmail.com
