Razaq Bamidele
Early this year, on Thursday, February 27, 2020, the bubbling town of Igbaye in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State was agog when the news of the passing on of the oldest man and Islamic scholar, Pa (Alhaji) Lawal Abefe Okunlola Owolabi, hit the town like thunderbolt.
Pa Owolabi, unarguably the oldest person in the community before his death, according to family record, lived up to 123 years, having been reportedly born in 1897 to his late parents, Pa Gbadamosi and Asanatu Owolabi.
Nicknamed ‘Baba Alalukurani,’ (Quranic Knowledge Master), because of his mastery of the divine scripture, the deceased, according to one of his children, Alhaji Idris Oloyede Owolabi, was in a local Quranic school in Inisha, also in Osun State for 22 years between 1920 and 1942.
Earlier, the younger Owolabi, who is a Director in the Lagos State Ministry of Education, revealed that his father had attended Omo Ofe Primary School, Ilesha, Osun State in 1918.
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“Baba was one of the pioneer pupils of the school that year,” he informed.
Having become a sound Arabic scholar, Pa Owolabi started teaching and training the younger ones the way of Allah through his local Quranic centre in Igbaye and some of his students rose to become highly cerebral scholars both in the western and Islamic education across the world.
“As he was acquiring his Quranic education, Baba was also learning a trade that would make him self-reliant and economically independent in life. He learnt tailoring and later had a shop in the heart of the central market of Igbaye, his native town. And because of his prowess in the art of tailoring, his clients cut across the strata of who was who in the community and beyond.
“So, his objective of learning the trade paid off well as Baba was one of the few people around in his time that were financially buoyant and economic viable. He engaged in the trade for a very long time. Even, till today, his sewing machine still serves as a piece of artefact in our house,” the younger Owolabi informed with excitement.
According to him, there was no dull moment for his father during his life time, stating that, as he was ply his trade in his shop at the market, his farms are not suffering because, “he would lead us his children to the farm early in the morning before retiring to the market later in the day. In fact, he taught us how to be hard working.”
Expectedly, as an Islamic cleric, in 1966, after being among the respected scholars in his town and beyond, Baba went to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to performed Hajj, the last pillar of Islam. He was later turbaned the Imam Ratibi of Temidire Mosque located along the town’s Community High School road.
On the secret of his father’s longevity, the younger Owolabi mentioned, among other things, hard work, self-discipline, faith in good, contentment, good food, sound sleep, clean mind and love for humanity.
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“As an Islamic scholar of repute, Baba married only two wives, Sifawu Arinpe (the late) and the surviving Rabiat Abeo, at a period that those who were not as buoyant economically as he was, were marrying up to four wives. He was generous to a fault and he was his children’s best friend. He was our number one confidant.
“There was nothing under the sun we could not discuss with Baba. And he used to bring his vast knowledge and experience to bear in our lives through his fatherly disposition towards us.
“Our mothers used to describe him as the best thing that could happen to any woman as a husband,” Owolabi revealed.
Concluding, Owolabi said, “he is a father in a million to everybody, a good husband, unequal children’s guardian and gentle, accommodating and a compassionate personality,” regretting however that, “though he was old enough to go and rest, we nonetheless have lost a best friend and confidant.
“May the almighty Allah rest his soul and grant him Aljanatul-Fridaus,” he prayed with an emotion laden tone.
While celebrating the passing on of the oldest cleric in the town, the Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Sheikh Abubakar Alabi said, “though Baba left us as an old man, we missed him and we would continue to miss him for his constant words of advice and voice of wisdom.”
The Chief Mufasir (Quranic Interpreter) of the Muslim Community, Sheikh Abdur-Razaq Odewale, who was delegated by the Chief Imam to lead the Janazat (funeral) prayer on the deceased lamented that, “Baba left us when his fountain of knowledge, unrivalled experience and fatherly protection were most needed.”
He, however, thanked the Almighty Allah for a life well spent, saying, “it is not how far but how well,” just as he quickly added that, “Baba’s life was both far and well.”
Another resident of the community, who was recently turbaned the Akogun Adini of the Muslim Community, and Agesinga of Temidire Mosque, Chief (Alhaji) Jimoh Osu Olatola, said, “Baba was my father, mentor, role model and upright religious leader.”
According to him, the whole town and beyond are already missing the man whose life had been serving as mirror to the rest of us, adding, “his life style was worthy of emulation.”
The deceased surviving wife, Madam Rabiat Abeo Owolabi, in her brief comment said, “the whole day can never be enough to talk about my loving husband, who, after the almighty Allah, my Creator, served as everything to me,” saying, “though we were his wives, we relate to him as father.”
Pa (Alhaji) Lawal Abefe Okunlola Owolabi was survived by children, great grandchildren and great/great grandchildren.
