By: Imam Mashood Dagbo
Death is a natural part of life, which means a transitional journey to the afterlife. It is an inevitable fate for all living beings as Allah says in Qur’an 21:35, thus: “Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned”. The verse highlighted two major lessons; inevitability of death that every soul will experience death, regardless of their background or circumstances, and that life is a test, with both good and bad experiences, designed to assess an individual’s character and faith. Ultimately, everyone will return to Allah for judgment through the passage of death. While the death itself taught three major lessons; to believe that every individual will be held accountable for their deeds on the Day of Judgment (Qur’an 39:68, 101:6-9); to be ascertained that there’s an afterlife (from intermediate life “hayyat barzahiyyat” to the Day of Resurrection), which is described as a place where individuals will be rewarded or punished based on their actions in this life (Qur’an 39:68 & 101:6-9); and to serve as a reminder of human humility and the transience of life. On this note, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) reported to have said: “The grave is either one of the gardens of Paradise or one of the pits of Hell” (Sunan an-Nasa’i, 1930). The Hadith indicated that a dead person would start to reap his deeds immediately he dies, it is either that his grave turns to be a paradise where he would enjoy or turns hell fire, where he would start to be tormented, and the experiences in both states last till the Day of Recompense. It is noteworthy that scholars such as Imam Al-Ghazali; an islamic philosopher, encouraged us to always remember and prepare for death and for the consequences of our actions afterlife.
It is not news that Nigeria in recent times lost some eminent personalities, such as HRH, Oba DhikiruLlaah Kayide Adetona, Awujale of Ijebuland, the most long serving traditional ruler in Nigerian history who ruled for 65 years; His Eminence Alhaji Aminullah Dantata, a business tycoon; HRH, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, 43rd
Olubadan of Ibadan Land and prominently; former President of Nigeria, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari died on 13th July, 2025 in London Clinic and was brought back to Nigeria for the burial on 15th July, 2025 in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State.
Paying tribute to the late Buhari in this piece as I did in my previous episode by correcting the hurling of abuse in him after death either through cartooning, mimicking or cursing, etc., is not of ordinary but to establish the respect adorned by Allah on His creatures’ lives and importance attached to the deceased by Sharia’h to the extent of staying away from abusing the dead and to only be honoured by the their good deeds, except if there is a legal excuse to mention their excesses. While this piece is also in the same direction, draws our attention to the simplicity of his burial despite his eminent societal status, accorded him, not only in Nigeria, but in the world at large. Therein, lessons to be learnt.
The late General and President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari ruled this country in two capacities as military Head of State along with late General Tunde Idiagbon and as Civil President between 2015-2023. In both regimes, he demonstrated some rare qualities, not limited to the following:
- Integrity & Discipline: He showed a sense of discipline and integrity as essential qualities for effective leadership and he remained committed to his values and principles, even in the face of challenges and criticism.
- Dedication: Buhari’s leadership style was characterized by dedication and a lack of pretension. He was unapologetically himself, and this earned him respect from many Nigerians and outsiders
- Stewardship: Buhari understood leadership as a form of stewardship, respecting institutions and established processes. This approach helped maintain stability during his administration.
- Humility: Despite holding high offices, the late Buhari remained humble and grounded. His simplicity and frugality were notable aspects of his personality.
- Resilience: Buhari demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, including health challenges and criticism.
- Patriotism: His love for Nigeria and commitment to national development drove his actions and decisions
- Balancing Bold Policies with Everyday Realities: Buhari’s economic strategies, such as the border closure and forex restrictions, had both positive and negative impacts. This highlighted the importance of considering the everyday realities of citizens when implementing policies.
- Legacy is Built Over a Lifetime: Buhari’s life shows that a legacy is not built overnight but through decades of service, failures, and perseverance.
Having served eight years of two terms in office as President of Nigeria in agony of health, he bade life goodbye leaving his families, relatives and Nigeria behind, his legacy remained evergreen, though no human has ever ruled, even his immediate family without shortcomings. More importantly, his simple burial devoid of politics taught us lessons of life, among which are:
- His body was simply buried in a simple grave under the tree where he used to relax
- No siren disturbing the public, other than normal ambulance, despite his status
- No killing of hundreds of cows, despite being a cow farmer
- No canopies set in thousands
- No chairs arranged in thousands
- No decoration on the grave
- No exchange of gifts to the family
- No food in different intercontinentals served
- No exoltic drinks served
- No souvenirs serves
- No political arrangement, other than state burial allowed
- No musicians displayed
- No family affluence displayed
- Humility from beginning to the end
Indeed, the simplicity of the burial arrangement reflects late Buhari’s known humility and preference for modest ceremonies. Despite his significant role in Nigerian history as both a military ruler and a democratically elected president, the family and government chose to honor his wishes for a humble farewell. This is a lesson from lessons of his life to learn. May Allah (SWT), be pleased with his soul and all other departed Muslim souls and welcome them to the best abodes in al-Jannah al-Firdaws.
Prayer:
Please O Allah! As we have rounded up the sacred month of Muharram 1447AH in good faith, health, wealth and abundance, accept all our acts of worship we put before You in the month and make our living impactful in your mercy, please.
O Allah! With the blessings you accorded the sacred month of Muharram, forgive the soul of our departed brothers and sisters in Islam including my father, my teachers, my in-laws, friends and families. I also ask you to direct our leaders right to be kind and lenient with the followers in order to take us away from languishing in hardship and corruption.
O Allah! feed us, protect us from indulging in Your prohibition and deliver us safely to Your Care. O Allah, avert us the test of trials, protect us and members of our families from evils of Shaytan and governance, greedy hoarders and protect Muslims from all worrying lands. O Allah; pardon us and bestow paradise on us, save all Muslims from the calamities of our time and restore to the world and Nigeria in particular, back to normal from insecurity, hunger, banditry, kidnapping, war and other social evils rampaging the world. Amin
Jumua’h Mubarakah
@ Imam Yusuf Mashood Dagbo, Chief Imam, GGDSS Central Mosque, Okesuna, Ilorin,Kwara State & Director, YUMAD Consults, specializes in educational consultancy, Cultural Orientation, Marriage Counselling, Event Organization, Public Presentation etc. Contact: dagbomashood@gmail.com (08035215264) (30th Muharram, 1447AH/25th July, 2025CE