The Meadows of Paradise
This text, the Rawdat ‘l-Janaan of Waziri Uthman Gidadu ibn Muhammad Layma is one of many text which were composed regarding the miracles of Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye`. It was composed five months after the death of the Shehu, on the 20th of Dhu’l-Hijja, 1232 A.H. (October 29, 1817 C.E.). Many of the contemporaries of the Shehu` and the generations after them composed works regarding his miracles.
His brother Shaykh Abdullahi, recounted in his Tazyeen al-Waraqaat as well as other works, the miracle Allah ta`ala manifested protecting the Shehu` against a musket at the point blank range. This was narrated during the life time of the Shehu.
His son Muhammad Bello also recounted during the life time of his father in his Infaq al-Maysuur: “Allah our Master blessed us with establishing the jihaad in these lands of the Blacks by means of His blessings. He assisted us with His forces and made us strong by means of His victory, until we witnessed the authority of His overwhelming dominion and the strength of His vanquishing of His enemies. We witnessed the assistance which only Allah gives to His protected friends (awliyya). We saw with our own eyes the most astonishing and extraordinary miracles which He gives to His protected and intimate friends – which would increase the believers in faith and throw the disbelievers down in humiliation, defeat and loss.”
Muhammad Mu`allahyede ibn Abd’l-Qaadir ibn Mustafa said in his Nabdatha al-Yaseera: “Realize first that miracles are two kinds. The first are those miraculous with respect to the awliyya by which Allah specifies for them over others. These type of miracles include exponential direct knowledge of Allah, and uprightness in following the Sunna in every issue from the issues of worship and religious custom. The second kind of miracle are the actual breaking of normative creational laws, like cutting across the earth, walking on water, flying, controlling the jinn as one wills, the immediate answering of supplications, and being disclosed to matters of the Unseen from the past or future. It is these kinds of miracles which are given to the awliyya as tokens of honor from Allah ta`ala. However when these kinds of miracles are provided to others, it is a form of enticement. We ask Allah ta`al a for well being. Unfortunately, many of the common people think that these enticements are the core of saintliness.”
The scholars are agreed that it was by means of the above mentioned character traits that Allah provided the Shehu` with his many dazzling miracles which our Waziri Uthman Gidadu ibn Muhammad Layma enumerated in this wonderful text, the Rawdat’l-Janaan.
In these times the Muslims and oppressed people all over the world need to have faith in the miraculous abilities which Allah ta`ala grants to His awliyya,those ‘super empowered individuals’ who have broken the low norms and evil habits of the soul, until Allah ta`ala breaks the normative laws of creation as an honor of distinction to them.
The Sankore` Institute of Islamic African Studies International is honored to present this work by Waziri Uthman Gidadu ibn Muhammad Layma recounting the dazzling miracles which lay at the foundation of the founder of the greatest government that ever existed in the history of Africa – Shehu` Uthman ibn Fuduye`, may Allah engulf him in His mercy, ennoble his secret and provide us with his baraka by the rank of our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Amen “
Shaykh Muhammad Shareef
