Alhaji Abdul Waheed Aina_The Jewels in his crown

Burial celebration takes different forms and turns in different parts of the world. In some, it is a call for sombre reflection, and in others, burial is a call for huge celebrations. Whereas some celebrations take a low-key scale, others go unending, literally speaking. Prolonged celebrations are more common for a departed soul that is blessed with successful offspring. The burial announcements for such individuals would describe them as having led “a life well-spent”. A common denominator that qualifies one for having led a well-spent life – as in the above example – is usually the display of wealth and affluence by the children of the deceased during his burial. This is popular and mostly extolled in some climes. However, this is not the only true story.

Equally valid and equally well extolled in the hearts of the God-conscious are the somewhat more sombre passing of heroes and truly successful individuals like Alhaji Abdul Waheed Aina, who departed this world on the 25th August 2021. His is truly a story of a life well spent. I have no plans to go into his many awe-inspiring life stories that I have the direct privilege of the experience. Staying with the theme of leading a life well spent, I shall only focus on how he has indeed led a well-spent life and hoping that this inspires someone to show some love to the girl child. I shall focus on the beautiful teachings of our beloved master Muhammad (saw). According to several narrations, a man to whom a girl child is born and supports the child to maturity has lived a well-spent life. According to the Holy Prophet (saw), such an individual has earned for himself a guaranteed lofty place in paradise. This submission is apt and timely – I hope – at a time when certain misdemeanours are fuelling misconceptions around the world about how Islam defines and treats female folks.

I am constantly wondering – I bet you are too – about how anyone who treats any life with reckless abandon, relegates fellow beings and throws the basic rule of love for others in the bin can claim to be Islamic? But, of course, we know that the only thing Islamic about these behaviours is in the naming, which, unfortunately, is mostly a matter of convenience. Convenient for the actors on stage and the playwright because it distracts the audience from the actual narratives, which are in the duo’s best interests to remain obscured. Convenient for the audience, too, because they would instead prefer that blue pill over the red one that will set them on a journey of discoveries – which may remove a blindfold they would rather keep on. What is more, it fits into ongoing narratives that tag anything that comes from specific sectors of society Islamic especially when it sells the story better, faster. What can be more convenient than calling a dog a bad name, especially when the goal is to get rid of it? However, this is not the focus here, now.

To the informed, the Holy Prophet of Islam – Muhammad (saw) remains the only individual who has committed more than anyone else in the history of humankind to the cause of liberating women and the girl children. All students of history know that in the 7th century, (Arab) women hardly had any right, including the right to life. Muhammad (saw) made it his life goal to establish women’s equality to men before God. He championed women’s rights, including the right to own property (against being owned as property), right to inheritance, marriage rights, and the right to choose the terms of a marriage proposal and even to initiate divorce. However, again, this is not the focus here, now.

The focus is on how upholding the rights of female folks and particularly respecting and protecting the girl child's honour, and dignity is a valid testimony of leading a life well spent. There are indeed many narrations on the Holy Prophet’s (saw) beautiful teachings on respecting and protecting the dignity of the girl child. Among the most popular ones are those by (1) Abdullah ibn Abbas, (2) Jabir ibn Abdullah, (3) Aisha, (4) Uqbah ibn Aamir and (5) Anas (may Allah be pleased with them all). In the narration, according to Abdullah ibn Abbas, for instance, anyone who has a single female child and does not bury her alive (as is the tradition of the Arabs before Islam), nor slight her will be admitted into paradise. The number of female children that qualifies one for this lofty place ranges from one, as seen in the above narration by Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra), to two, as narrated by Aisha (ra) and Anas (ra) and three according to Jabir ibn Abdullah (ra) and Uqbah ibn Aamir (ra).

In all these narrations, showing love to the girl child and raising her and inculcating in her piety and socially acceptable behaviour is a valid testimony of having led a well-spent life. What is more, doing such qualifies one for a lofty place – in one of the narrations – close to the Holy Prophet (saw) like the index finger is close to the middle finger.

The eye that will serve its owner till old age will most likely not ooze built-up oil and mucus in infancy. A valid testimony of a well-spent life can be seen in riches and the affluence of one’s offspring. Similarly, a man who has led a well-spent life can be recognised in the number of jewels in his crown. Alhaji Abdul Waheed Aina is a man who led a well-spent life. Going by the earlier narrations, he – with the support of a loving and caring wife – successfully raised six daughters who are worthy jewels in his crown today. For those who are keeping count, six is two in three places. They have raised six pious, well-educated, successful, well-mannered, socially well-adjusted jewels of inestimable values who are presently leading industries and contributing positive change and serving humanity in various spheres of endeavour.

Furthermore, drawing from the same spring and wisdom vouchsafed to them by their parents, these six jewels are raising pro-social and pious children in their respective families. By loving and raising these six daughters, Alhaji Abdul Waheed and his ever-supportive, pious, and loving wife have built for themselves crowns that are not only of immense temporal values; they have polished jewels that will beautify their crowns and be the keys to their lofty stations in paradise. Even equally important, these jewels will shine bright in long and fruitful lives. They will expand their parents’ territories by raising equally priceless jewels that will adorn their respective parents' crowns even till eternity.

While dedicating this piece to Alhaji Abdul Waheed Aina and all lovers of the girl child, it is hoped that the piece will be a wake-up call to all those who have been fortunate enough to be blessed with daughters to appreciate how immensely blessed and fortunate they are and go to work on the path to attaining the best of both worlds.

I pray that the soul departed rest in bliss, and may the jewels that he has polished continue to shine, to continue to adorn his crown and continue to beam their light on the path of others. Blessed indeed is the end of the faithful.

Abayomi Ibrahim Motajo,

Father, lover of the girl child