A Tribute to Aliyu Tijjani By Saleh Bature
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Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. (Surely we belong to Allah and to him shall we return). I was shocked by the disturbing news of the sudden demise of Aliyu Tijjani, an indigene of Plateau state, and General manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, National Pension Commission (PENCON). TJ died in an Abuja hospital after undergoing an operation. My last encounter with the deceased was during the last ten days of Dhul Hijjah (the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar). We met at the mosque every day of those blessed days.
My last meeting with him was unusual, special, and memorable. We prayed Asr together at Challawa close Mosque, off Limpopo street, Maitama, Abuja. That was on the sanctified day of Arafat, the day before the Muslim feast of Sallah Eid-el Khabir. It was equivalent to 19th July, 2021. Ten minutes after the prayer, only he and I were left in the mosque. I stood up and moved to the Quran shelf, drew one, and sat by his side. He was holding his cell phone. He read the Quran on the phone always.
As I extended my hands towards him, he held it firmly and smiled, his usual smile. Wallahi I can feel the warmth of that auspicious handshake and see the glowing face of late TJ as I write this piece. With my hand in his hand, he said, “haji Saleh.” The usual name he addressed me. I said haji TJ, “what do you need in this world? I notice you come back from the office early and stay long in the mosque every day.” We laughed over it and talked about the usual Nigeria’s seemingly endless problems for about ten minutes and then occupied ourselves with reading the Holy Quran.
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Neither he nor I were aware that death was lurking in the shadow to take him. After about one hour ten minutes, I told TJ that I was expecting a guest at home, so I shook hands with him and bade farewell to him. Little did I know that was our last meeting. He did not respond to the three pieces I shared with him on Whatsapp. It was after his death that I realized he did not even open the message because he was battling with his health on his deathbed.
The death of TJ is grief-stricken and devastating moment, especially for the family and close friends. Certainly, the death of a kind-hearted, altruist, and chummy gentleman as Aliyu Tijjani cannot be easily forgotten.
His death shows us that everything in this world is temporary. Unknowingly, man draws consciously nearer to death every minute he lives in this ephemeral world.
Much as we know and believe that the soul belongs to Allah and it will return to him in due course; still the loss of someone you love is too much to bear.
Sadly, there is nothing man can do about death. It is inevitable. Whoever is alive among us today, sooner or later he will cease to exist because death will strike to sever his soul from the body.
From TJ’s death, I can understand that there is a very thin line between life and death. Unfortunately, most of us are deceived by the illusion that the uninvited visitor will not come knocking at our doors until when we are too old. Death does not respect the age, gender, or social status of its victim.
As we mourn the demise of our brother, Aliyu Tijjani, who sleeps peacefully in his grave (in sha Allah), the honor we can do him is to pray for him. Our departed loving brother is desperately in need of our du’a.
May Allah have mercy on the departed soul of Aliyu Tijjani. May his death be the beginning of peace for him. May his family, neighbors, friends, and colleagues have the strength and the fortitude to bear the sorrow of his demise.
Saleh Ibrahim Bature is an Abuja based social commentator and advocate of dialogue. He can be reached via this [email protected]
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