AFRICAN SCHOLARS AND SAINTS: THEIR LIVES AND TIMES: September 2017

SIDI MUHAMMAD ANAN OF GHANA “AKA” USTAZ (TEACHER)

{The man who was blessed with the Mastery of Arabic language and the Memorization of the entire Quran after a handshake from Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse}

Story Narrated by: Sidi Ibrahim Ahmed Dimson

(Chapter 20: Year of Sorrow)

"Alhamdulillah...I name you TEACHER (USTAZ), Muhammad Anan."

~ Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse

1.0 INTRODUCTION

There was a man name Muhammad Anan "teacher". He was the most knowledgable man I've ever met. He is the one that was given Mastery of the Arabic language and Memorization of entire Quran with one handshake from Shaykh Ibrahim, when he met him in kotoka international airport in Ghana.

Teacher was my first teacher. He was an Arif with amazing gifts and he is the man that introduced my dad to Shaykh Ibrahim back in the late 40's. Teacher was a "strange" aesthetic:-) he was a walking miracle.

2.0 USTADH MUHAMMAD ANAN

My life-long Teacher, Muhammad Anan, who everyone simply called "Teacher", passed away.

He is one of the three men I mentioned in an earlier post regarding the men that stepped in when my beloved father died.

Teacher was in essence like a Grandfather to me and all of my siblings.

He is the man that first introduced my father to Shaykh Ibrahim Niass in the 40's!

He had moved to the United States in the late 80's and lived with my older sister in Brooklyn.

He was the first real "Sufi" that I had the honor to be close to. I use the word "Sufi" for him because of his strict adherence to the Sharia, his complete realization of the Haqiqa, his asceticism and his utter holiness!

This guy was amazing. I would visit him several times every week in his closet-sized, book-filled bedroom in the basement of my sisters home.

He was tall, lanky, extremely handsome and always wore all white clothing.

I would sit with him for hours as he made me tea and fed me crackers. He would tell me about the Messenger of Allah, the Awliya and our beloved Tijani Shaykhs.

He never failed to mesmerize me each time. He would make my spiritual aspirations excel at those meetings in his room. He would make me "see" the glory of God and his magnificent works. If I had any problems, he would always solve them for me with the permission of God from the Holy Quran.

He was the greatest "spiritual Doctor" I've ever met. But I will not do him justice without fully recounting to y'all the reason why he was given the nickname of "Teacher" by no other than Shaykh Ibrahim Niass himself.

The story I am going to tell you now has been told to me by Shaykh Hassan Cisse himself, by Khalifa Alhaj Abdulahi Niass and his khadim Ali, by my Father Ahmed Dimson, by my Quran teacher Malam Mudaris and by countless others. Most importantly, it was told to me by Teacher himself. All of the great Tijani Ulema Alive today can attest to the truth of this account. ALL OF THEM.

Teacher started off as a catholic priest in Ghana, west Africa. He was an extreme intellectual that was coming up quickly in the ranks of young catholic priests in Ghana. He was so pious and intelligent that he was sent as a special envoy by the Vatican to the middle-east to learn about Islam, so that he could return to Ghana and effectively refute the growing Islamic threat. His mission was to learn and return to convert young Muslims to Catholicism.

He traveled to Saudi and arab gulf states to learn about Islam. But his original intention was to learn about Islam and fight Muslims with that knowledge.

Teacher traveled for a year throughout the Mid-East and returned to Ghana newly converted Muslim...Allahu Akbar!

He was the laughing-stock of his neighborhood and a source of jokes at his job as an administrator at Accras International Airport!

He told me that all he knew were Surah Al-Fatiha and how to greet with the salaams. He barely knew how to pray and was embarrassed to approach the local Muslims because of his former hostile relations with them before converting. So he had a small pamphlet and studied it when in his office at work or at home.

One day as he sat in his office working, a colleague came to him and informed him jokingly that one of his "people" had arrived from Senegal and did not speak English or any of the Ghanian languages and was simply sitting in the arrivals hall.

Teacher snapped at his colleague for "bothering" him about such a thing and to go bother someone else. His colleague laughed and said..." He is clearly a Muslim because he has the Muslim clothes on and a Turban on his head". Teacher slammed the door in his colleague's face and continued to work.

Minutes later, Teacher's supervisor came to him in his office and repeated what the colleague had said about the "strange and Quiet Muslim man sitting in the arrivals hall".

The supervisor suggested teacher go try to see what his fellow brother in faith was waiting for and if he was lost or something. Teacher moaned and groaned and protested to his boss that he didn't see how he could be of any help! He was actually quite embarrassed. But his boss insisted.

Teacher relented and began to walk towards the arrivals hall and the strange visitor. As he approached, he realized that there were actually 3 men there together. He immediately spotted the one that seemed to be the leader, with the turban on.

As he approached the man....

Teacher...." I began to get a strange feeling of fear and anxiety. This man made me nervous. As I approached him he was sitting there with his head down. I stopped a few steps in front of him and all I knew to say was Salaamualaikum.....

Shaykh Ibrahim Niass..... Lifting his head to look directly at Teacher and said...."Wa'Alaikum Salaaaaaaaam"

Shaykh Ibrahim Extended his hand and teacher grabbed it for a shake. Shaykh Ibrahim simply held on to teachers hand as he elongated the Salaaaaaam....

When the Shaykh released the hand of Teacher, Shaykh smiled at Teacher and began to talk to him in ARABIC!!

Shaykh..."What is your name?"

Teacher...."Anan ..... Muhammad Anan."

Shaykh...."Alhamdulilah, I name you TEACHER (USTAZ), Muhammad Anan. Allah has answered my prayer and now you have Arabic language. Also I pray he give you Quran completely. Please take me to my students here in Ghana and be my interpreter."

Teacher..." No problem. Please tell me your name...."

Shaykh......."Ibrahim Niass"

Teacher....."Ok, please wait for me here until I return. I must tell my boss that I'm escorting you."

That was it.

Allah had made Teacher fluent in Arabic and had made him a Hafiz-Quran in less than a minute.

From then on, he traveled with Shaykh Ibrahim and traveled as a lecturer and teacher to the middle-east on behalf of Shaykh.

Ustadz Barhama Diop famously said about Teacher after watching him talk about Islam on Egyptian television interview..."Allah has made a stone speak words, through the prayer of Shaykh Ibrahim!"

Teacher was responsible for my fathers and countless others introduction to Islam and Shaykh Ibrahim Niass.

He trained people in Adab towards the Shaykh and he remained one of the "miracles" of God that was given to us as a proof of Allah's greatness and his favor towards Shaykh Ibrahim.

Many of you reading this are probably completely lost lol. Don't worry, perhaps you'll get it one day.

For those of you that find it unbelievable to believe that a person can be gifted with a language as well as memorization of the entire Quran in an instant, I will respond as Shaykh Hassan responded to someone regarding this miracle..." It is more amazing for a person to become a believer in an instant after being a Kafir. This has happened countless times throughout our history. "

Losing Teacher was the first blow that year......

Soon after that, I was indicted by the Feds. The highs and lows of life were getting more and more extreme.

I was on a roller-coaster ride that would not end.......

3.0 FAMOUS (BUT ALTERED) PICTURE OF BAYE NIASS

Its been almost a year since I created the contest on behalf of Fayda Books, for anyone to present the full picture of Baye Niass sitting with hands raised in picture. I explained that the pictures full contents had been altered or hidden from everyone for over 50 years.

Alhamdulilah, here is the original photograph that was taken by my father Ahmed Dimson, over 50 years ago when Baye came to Ghana for a visit. There is a miracle associated with this picture and I would like to recount it as told to me by my Father and my "Teacher" who is the man that was hidden, in the pic.

So, Baye Niass had arrived in Ghana to visit his Murids (students). There were tens of thousands of people awaiting his arrival at the airport.

When his airplane landed, people went into a frenzy. They were about to be in the presence of the man that represented what it means to be a Khalifa of Allah....an inheritor of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW).... a man that had brought millions of people from all corners of the earth into the direct presence and experiential knowledge of God Himself. This was the incomprehensible Gawth and Qutb, Shaykh al-Islam Alhajj Ibrahim Niass!

As he departed the airplane, the crowd went wild! They began chanting Allahs name in unison...Laillahaillalah.....Laillahaillalah......Laillahaillalah.......

The site of his beautiful face brought people to tears. Muslims and Non-muslims were all in awe. His presence emanated pure Ubudiyya (Servanthood to Allah). His gaze over the crowd of thousands was one of amazement. His face shown the confusion and love that a lover experiences when he has first seen his beloved after a long absence.

He was, for his followers, the most perfect personification of the Messenger of God on earth. The vicegerant of our Grand Shaykh, the Qutbul Makhtum, Shaykh Ahmed Tijani (RA).

The contigent of his senior Muqaddams from each tribe in Ghana were waiting for him at the foot of the airplane, also there was the President of the country, Kwame Nkrumah.

Despite him being the famous President and freedom fighter for all of Africa, his presence there was completely overshadowed by the presence of Baye. He was a lover of Baye and had to be among the people that were receiving him. My father was with his group (Ga tribe), they were the smallest group there. Ga people had only really begun to embrace Islam in large numbers, since the advent of the Tijani Fayda at the hands of Shaykh Ibrahim. Our tribe were more commonly of the christain faith and animist beliefs. Islam was foreign to them, but Baye Niass had begun to penetrate their hearts by guiding them into the presence of Allah and annihilation in the love of the Prophet of God (SAW). The Hausa tribe and Dagomba tribe had the largest delegation and were the most ardent and longest standing peoples in Tariqa Tijaniyya in Ghana and Nigeria.

Anyway, everyone wanted to meet the Shaykh at the foot of the stairs because he would immediately raise his hands to supplicate Allah with them and then engage them with salutations and hugs. The Ga tribes leader and senior Muqaddam was a man named Ibrahim Amatey. Shaykh Ibrahim smiled at him, shook his hand and looked over to my father and said....."Ahmed, Salaamualaikum. Where is Teacher?" My father could not look Shaykh directly in the face out of respect, but he just smiled because Shaykh had merely said his name lol! He smiled and responded..."Wa alaykum Salaam Shehu, teacher is late and could not get through the security gate to come on the tarmac" Shaykh Ibrahim replied...'Ok, tell him to come to me in the house, I'll be staying at Ibrahim (Amatey) house.

My father immediately rushed off to go find Teacher and inform him that their Shaykh was requesting his presence. It took hours until my dad could find Teacher. Teacher was sitting on a bench outside of the airport in tears.

My dad asked him what was wrong and he told my dad..."I failed Ahmed!....My Shaykh came and I could not properly receive him" My Father smiled and told him what Shaykh had said and Teacher immediatel regained his happiness and energy and they hailed a taxi to take them to the residence that Shaykh was staying at. When they got there it was utter chaos outside of the house in the streets and surrounding neighborhoods.

The throngs of people had tripled since the airport and it was absolute Mayhem. Teacher and my dad were in the struggle of their lives to try to get through to see Shaykh Ibrahim. They kept trying to explain to security officers who they were but that did not matter. People were trying to get a glimpse of Shaykh...everyone was!

With much perseverance and much fighting lol, they finally made it to the door of the residence....MORE RESISTANCE! The people combined with security were in a struggle to cram through the doors.Teacher pulled my father out of the scuffle and told him to follow him around to a side entrance that nobody knew about. The house was that of their leader Ibrahim Amatey, so they knew the premises well. They snuck through an entrance and started making their way to the main quarters were the Shaykh would be sitting with dignitaries and senior Muqaddams. The house was packed with people as they quietly moved through the halls.

All of a sudden it became quiet and someone yelled out that Shaykh was about to make Dua.....Teacher was pulling my father by the hand to try to make it into the area were Shaykh was, so as to 'catch' the supplication. The anouncer was saying Ameen...Ameen....Ameen...Ameen.....

By the time they could make it to the space were Shaykh was, it was over!!! Another heart-break!!!! And to add insult to injury, the security officers around that part of the house refused to let them into that particular room and began beating teacher. They were within a few feet of Shaykh but were being held back. My father pulled out his camera and snapped one quick picture. Shaykh noticed the camera flash and looked directly at my dad and said in a loud voice....."AHMED WERE IS USTADZ?) My dad pointed behind him to were the guards had Teacher hemmed up at" Shaykh Ibrahim stood up and said..."LET MY SONS THROUGH!"....my dad said it was like the red sea opening for Prophet Musa lol!!!! They walked over to Shaykh, bloody, bruised and battered.

Knelt in front of him in tears and were silent. Teacher said..."Shehu welcome" Then teacher began to cry profusely. The site of my fathers teacher crying in such a way caused him to begin crying as well. Shaykh Ibrahim said, 'dont worry, Allah has accepted your struggle and will fullfill your desire' He Smiled and got up to take a rest in the next room.

My father and Teacher stayed for some time, totally tired but somewhat satisfied and finally left.

Shaykh stayed in Ghana for some days and left.

My father only managed to take the one picture of Shaykh the entire time he was there. A few days later, he went to get the film developed.

When the picture came out, it had Shaykh Ibrahim making supplication with Teacher behind him also supplicating! Only the two of them in the whole picture. It was a miracle and confirmation of what Shaykh had said about Allah accepting his struggle to simply make supplication with his Shaykh. His desire was thus truly proven to be fulfilled.

This picture has been obscured and folded, to remove teacher from the picture for a very long time. So, anytime this picture is posted anywhere, youll only see Shaykh Ibrahim in it and the right top corner folded. Alhamdulilah, today, the story and picture have come back to us as a sign and help to increase us in Faith in Allah, Love for his Prophet (SAW) love for our Shaykh, Alhajj Ibrahim Niass and belief that Allah accepts our struggles for his sake and will always fulfill our purely good desires.

Below are some pictures of Shaykh Ibrahim with Teacher and My father in them. Another is a picture of Shaykh Ibrahims 1st Khalifa Alhajj Abdullahi Niass. Finally, some pictures of Teacher taken in the 90s by my dad.

Teacher is buried in Accra, next to 2 other Amazing Murids of Shaykh Ibrahim, they are Shaykh Jibril Madaha (One of the greatest and favorite Hausa Poets of Shaykh) and Maalam Idrisu Sufi (One of the greatest ascetics and Murids of Shaykh)

Please repost this picture and let it become widespread!

May Allah bless us all to truly know him......

May Allah Give us Allah.

Ibrahim Ahmed Dimson.

SUFI BOOKS BY/ON SHAYKH IBRAHIM NIASSE AND THE TIJANI TARIQA (AVAILABLE FOR SALE)

1. Vessel of Spiritual Flood, Translation of Goran Faydah by Shaykh Balarabe Haroon Jega - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

2. Rihlat Konakriyah (A trip to Conakry), Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse - (Translated by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

3. Shariah and Haqeeqah: In the Light of the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

4. The Icon of Mystics: Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kawlakhy (Compiled by Khalifah Awwal Baba Taofiq)

5. Dala'ilu l khairat of Shaikh Sulaiman Jazuli (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)

6. Hizbu Sayfi & Hizbul Mughni (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)

7. Hizbul Bahri (Arabic text, Translation, Transliteration by Imam Marooph Raji)

8. Kano Conferences (Majlis Kano) and the khutba titled (Hadiqat al-Anwar fii ma ihtawa alayhi qawaaid al-Islam minal hikam wal asrar) - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

9. Katsina and Kaduna Conferences (Jadhbul ahbab ila hadrat Rabbil arbab) and Mecca Conference - (Translated by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

10. A Brief Biography of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibrahim Niasse (Compiled by Sayyidah Bilqis Grillo)

11. Risalat at-Tawbah (Epistle of Repentance) of Shaykh Ibrahim Niyass al-Kawlakhi" – (Translation & Commentary by Dr. Razzaq Solagberu)

12. Islamic Law of Inheritance, by Sayyid Ali ibn Abubakar al-Muthanna ibn Abdullah Niasse (Translated by Dr. Sulaiman Shittu)

13. Muassasah Nasr al-'ilm Int. (AAII) Magazines No. 13, 14 & 15 (with Articles like Outline of Life of Sufi Heros & Heroines like Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse, Shaikh Abdus-Salam Oniwiridi Pakata, Shaikh Muhammad Bello Eleha, Shaikh Ahmad Rufa'i Nda Salati, and others...this magazines also features other interesting Articles).

14. Numerous “English” Sufism & Tijaniyyah Tariqah E-books/Journals/Articles (soft copies - to be sent via email)

15. Numerous “Arabic” Sufism & Tijaniyyah Tariqah E-books/Journals/Articles (soft copies - to be sent via email)

To order for copies (of books), contact;

Email:
smilebak2004@gmail.com

Call/Whatsapp:
+2348034656467

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Isma'eel Bakare
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