Thursday, July 12, 2007

nur az zaman (light of the age)

I wouldn't necessarily insist on all the theological claims below, but I'm glad to support the discussion of such an important Muslim scholar. The following is from Yusuf Yearwood:

Nur az Zaman

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nurazaman/

This yahoo group is dedicated to An-Nur a Zaman (the Light of the age) Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio and the true flag bearers of the Shehu's minhaj (methodology) The Jama'ah of Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio in America. It is mentioned by the great wali (friend) of Allah Shaykh Mukhtar al Kunti "The perfected friends of Allah in this age are three. One is an Arab who resides beyond Syria. His light is the light of La illaha ill Allah. The other is a Fulani in the land of the blacks, Uthman Dan Fodio. His light is the light of the seal of the Messenger of Allah, which was on his left shoulder. As for the last one his light is the light of the heart of the Messenger of Allah" Based on this and many other statments, there is consensus that the great mujadid (renewer) of the 12th Islamic century was Shaykh Uthman dan Fodio.

The Jama'ah of Shehu Uthman dan Fodio in America is directly connected to the broader community of Shehu Uthman through our Sultan, Al Haj AbuBakr ibn Muhammad At-Tahiru (residing in Mayurno, Sudan)the 16th caliph and direct descendent of Shehu Uthman dan Fodio. We are dedicated to reviving the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (sawws) by following the traditions of those great scholars who came before us and by adhering to the minhaj (methodology) of Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio and his community until the advent of Al-Mahdi(Peace be upon him).

This yahoo group is open to all Muslims.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shaykh Uthman dan Fodio's lineage whom I share - I am a fulani - rests in Sokoto, Northern Nigeria. What is this person talking about?

Yusuf Yearwood al Fodiawa said...

Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem.

The bay'ah of the Jama'at of Shehu Uthman dan Fodio is with Sultan al-Hajj Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Tahir ibn Muhammad Bello Maiurno ibn Muhammad Attahir ibn Ahmad Zaruku ibn Abu Bakr Atiku ibn Shehu Uthman Dan Fuduye’.

They are the lineage that made the hijra rather than live under British rule

"Introduction
On March 15, 1903 the armies of the Sokoto Caliphate were defeated at the hands of the British Imperialists. The Caliph (or ruler) of the Sokoto Caliphate at that time was Muhammad Attahiru , who led a mass exodus (hijra) of his loyal supporters and officials on the famous 'hijra to the east' foretold by the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Shehu Uthman Dan Fuduye’. This large movement of Muslims from Hausaland, Segu, Massina and Adamawa journeyed east until they arrived at a military garrison called Burmi on the far-east border of the Empire. There Attahiru and his jama`at (community) put up a valiant fight against the British before he and many of his supporters were martyred on July 27, 1903. Prior to his slaying, he appointed Muhammad Bello Mai Wurno as caliph to lead the mass hijra to the banks of the Blue Nile as foretold by their grandfather, Uthman Dan Fuduye’.
The legal motives behind the hijra of Attahiru is masked in controversy and ambiguity. This is due to the fact that scholars, both Nigerian and British who were contemporary with the period in question, maintained that the Caliph Attahiru fled his responsibilities as leader of the Empire and failed to generate any clear policy regarding the British invasion. These erroneous opinions were the basis used by Gen. Lugard in appointing his new Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad ibn Ali, on March 21, 1903. This image of political irresponsibility on the part of Attahiru has continued to be echoed by many historians since that time, until a very controversial Arabic manuscript was discovered in 1986 in the town of Maiurno, Sudan on the Blue Nile. The letter was written by the then chief judge of Adamawa, Qadi Modibo Abdullahi Bellel. This document has shed much light upon the many obscure events during the 1903 British invasion of the Sokoto Caliphate. Among these obscurities is the question of the legitimacy of the Sultanate of Sokoto. The document also calls to account many of the 'unintentional' historical fallacies spread by historians who did not have access to this controversial letter. As a result, this study will discuss the invasion of the Sokoto Caliphate by the British and the legal responses that the leaders of Sokoto resorted to as a means of maintaining their self-determination. The fact that the letter was composed by one of the members of the judiciary of the caliphate sheds light upon the pivotal role of the qudaa (judiciary) in Islamic government. This study will reveal that: [1] the Risaala of Modibbo Abdullahi (Mudi Abdu) embodied the fundamental policy of the Sokoto Caliphate against British imperialism. [2] The Risaala embraced and complimented the idea of the 'Hour of the Christians' as foretold by the founder of the Caliphate, Shehu Uthman Dan Fuduye’. [3] The concept of the 'hour of the Christians' was a persistent idea that was consciously transmitted through the long history of the Caliphate as a vitalizing and mobilizing force against disintegration, especially during the rule of Attahiru I. And [4] the ideas of the Risaala embodied the fundamental response to the 'Hour of the Christians' and posits the concept of perpetual hijra and jihad, the two main supports in the founding of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1803 by Shehu Uthman Dan Fuduye’.
" taken from Zaman 'n-Nasara by Sheikh Muhammad Shareef

Abu Turab said...

Assalamu alaikum

Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio was THE MAN.

masalama

Anonymous said...

BismillaharRahmanirRahim

Yusuf, Sultan Abu Bakr is no longer living.