Aminu Abba Ibrahim: Adieu my humble son in-law

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un” was all I could utter, and rightly, that is what is required of any true Muslim to say upon the receipt of the news of a death. I simply went blank, with no single feeling, not even a feeling of numbness. What brought my senses back were the non-stop calls from my husband’s phone and mine too, then it downed on me that my son in-law, my humble Aminu Abba Ibrahim is dead. May Almighty Allah rest his gentle soul rest in perfect peace, Amin.
It was on a Friday early in the morning, 12th of Rabi’ul Awwal 1434 (equivalent to 24th January 2013) that my husband received the shocking news of this tragedy. My husband was too attentive, almost stone-like when he was on the phone. Then I heard him say ‘she is inside’. ‘Ok’, I thought, that must be relating to me, may be one of my close relations is seriously ill, had an accident or is even dead. I never ever envisaged that the daunting trial was on my baby daughter who had barely married three years ago, has just had her baby and had written her final year paper.
I was just empty. All the wits I had gathered in my over 50 years of experience disappeared. How was I going to break the news to her when all preparations, packing etc, have been completed? More devastating was that we were expecting him the following day to pick her and their small baby for their home at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja! The rest is a long story.
When the news was finally broken to her – she also uttered Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un – then the shahada, and then she asked me “why mama? What did he do?’’ By then my heart sank, as if it had been ripped open, and a massive weight pressed on it. Well, wondered what could he have done, nothing.  Aminu was just an honest civil servant, a promising young man, with no prominent role or position of influence that would warrant his elimination to allow “things to move” so why was he murdered? As she broke down to cry, she kept calling her baby’s name! That is mother’s instinct for you! She had set her pain aside, and was first feeling the pain of loss of a father to her child (May Allah’s Baraka remain with the baby). I understood perfectly as a mother, for the first stab of pain I felt was for my daughter too, then my grandchild. I could not cry then or days later, for I prepared to be strong for me and the entire family. Besides, I was overwhelmed by the thought of an assassin so close to my life, while there is completely no reason to attract such unthinkable act to my family. Well, Allah is Alimun Hakeem (All Knower and all Wise).
The journey to Potiskum for his burial was the most strange. I did not know where we were as everything totally looked strange to me. Not even the journey 25 years ago for my father’s funeral was this strange – perhaps because my father died at old age, peacefully on his bed beside my mother. Aminu was not privileged to have that, for he was gunned down by unknown men? women? or who knows ? on Thursday night after the Ishah (night) prayers. He had fasted as usual, a prophetic tradition due to his love for Allah and prophet Muhammad (SAW). We learnt he had spent the whole day at home, and had only gone to their family house to pay the daily homage after the Asr (evening ) prayers. He had barely broken his fast with a bite of banana, “what Aminu loved most” my daughter says, and a sip of water when he typically walked down steadily and gently to the mosque which is a stone throw from his house to say his Maghrib prayers. He had remained in the mosque to be closer to Allah and unknowingly prepare to answer Allah’s call, as he engaged in intense du’a while he waited for the time to observe Ishah prayer before retiring peacefully to his home. Indeed to his home, as Insha Allah he is in Allah’s perfect peace and favour, for he was murdered in cold-blood just a few steps away from the mosques after the Ishah payers as we later learnt. His soul Insha Allah has been lifted, accompanied with the sweet aroma of heavenly perfume where the gates of Al-Jannah laid open for his gentle soul. For the accursed murderers, let them deal with the verse from the Qur’an which says — “Whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is hell to abide therein, and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him Quran 4: 93 for no justice outside the Creator’s justice can do justice to this unjust act.
Aminu was gentle and kind to the core. He carried out his business in life with simplicity and immense patience. Yet he strove so hard to help himself and others no matter how small. More admiringly he has never had a fighting mate even from his childhood. He was not keen on argument, least of all quarrels with anyone. He just loved peace and was peaceful. May Almighty Allah (SWT) continue to bestow all His mercies upon you, Aminu till we meet in Allah’s Jannah. It does not matter whether you left us yesterday or many years, you will forever remain in our thought and prayers till we meet to part no more. We remain grateful to Allah for his countless blessing on the family, the love and support of well wishers, friends and relatives cannot be quantified, may Allah reward you all bountifully.
Mrs. Ibrahim writes from Maiduguri, Borno State. 08039687092