Late Sheikh Tureta
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday described the death of Islamic scholar, Abubakar Abdullahi Tureta, as a major depletion of the forest of knowledge and “a defoliation of a big branch on the tree of learning whose contributions to Islam are immeasurable”.
The Islamic scholar and teacher, Sheikh Abubakar Tureta died on Sunday night at the age of 74 after battling with injuries he sustained in an accident three years ago.
Buhari, in a Condolence message by his Special Assistant on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu described Sheik Tureta as a man of remarkable erudition and character who spent his life promoting peaceful co-existence among people of different faiths.
He said the deceased, who lived an incredibly humble life, would be long remembered for “staying above controversy throughout his impressive life of scholarship, abhorring divisive statements.”
According to him, the best tribute Tureta’s followers, fans and students owed him was to live by his good examples.
Buhari, however, prayed Allah to forgive his gentle soul, reward his virtuous deeds with paradise and comfort his family in their moment of grief.
Buhari spoke just as the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) expressed its condolence over the passing away of the late Islamic scholar, who died at Garkuwa Hospital, Kaduna, on Monday, at the age of 74.
The MURIC, in a statement issued by its Director Professor Ishaq Akintola, in Lagos, on Tuesday, said he was deeply saddened by Shaykh Tureta’s death.
It then rose from its sad moment to commiserate with the Governor and people of Kaduna State over the loss it described as irreplaceable.
“Our hearts are heavy with grief today but we take solace in the Islamic fatalistic philosophy of death. We condole with the family on the occasion of this huge loss. We urge his children, particularly the eldest son, Justice Salisu Abubakar Tureta, to continue from where the Shaykh stopped,” Prof. Akintola said in the MURIC statement.
In the meantime, the Muslim rights group has prayed “that Almighty Allah forgives our dear Shaykh. May divine mercy be showered on him from the day he entered the grave till the Day of Resurrection.”
