A TRIBUTE TO HAMDALAH SHITTA ABOLORE

Tuesday 14-Apr-2020, 9:08AM / 14497


Written by: AbdulGaniyy Olawale Abu Abdillah (Al-Ghinaa) - A Husband in Sorrow 

Bismillahi Ar- Rahmaani Ar-Raheem. 


I believe many of you have heard about her death but do you really know her? 

Who was Al-Athariyyah? Who was Ummu Abdillah? Who was Hamdalah? Do you know whom have I have lost?

May Allah have mercy on her and may He grant her Aljannatul firidaws without any form of questioning. Aameen.

Her Names:

She was Hamdalah Shitta Damilola Abolore Temitope Ajoke. Her kunyah was Ummu Abdillah Al-athariyyah.

Her Creed:

Alhamdulillah, she was not just a Muslimah but a very devoted one and she was indeed a Salafiyyah , who died upon the Manhaj of our pious predecessors.

 Alhamdulillaah. 

She studied books of aqeedah, tawheed, Qur'aan, Hadeeth and many other books of knowledge.

Alhamdulillah,  she was a student of learning till her time ended. 

She was not just a Muslimah by birth but a practicing and highly devoted sister.  Wallaahi, though I was her husband but in terms of some knowledge and understanding, especially in putting knowledge to practice, Allaah granted her more than He granted me. In fact, all our personal shuyuukh can testify to that, especially when talking about the language of Arabic. That was her gift from Allah and I accept totally what Allaah has done because I know that was how Allah wanted it, Walhamdulillah. 

Her Marriage:

I can't thank Allah enough for giving me such a wonderful woman! The first day I met her was at SLT in Unilorin, when brother Shamsudeen linked me up with her.

I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness that day, guess why? - the questions she asked me and the manners with which she conversed with me. She asked about my aqeedah, manhaj, Quran, level in madrasah, dressing and other religiously related questions.

Walhamdulillah.

On the same spot, she called her parents and informed them that she just met a mallam now and Inshaa Allaah he would come and visit them in Lagos soon.

Subhanallah! After hearing this, my heartbeat became so fast and I was filled with inspiration. I said to myself, "is this a joke?"

She then directed me to Dr. Ajijolakewu (the Imaam of Sanrab Masjid) for questioning and recommendation.

I went to meet the Imam and I can still recall what transpired that day till date. He also questioned me on my aqeedah and plans for Islamic knowledge. He added that the sister was a knowledge enthusiast and he cannot recommend anybody for her except a fellow keen lover of knowledge. That was when I began to taste the love of knowledge and I promised him that. 

Walhamdulillah. 

After that, I gathered a little sum of money and travelled to meet her parents in Lagos. It was successful as they asked me questions without paying much attention to my financial capability.

What a noble family! They prayed and I asked them about our nikaah date,  that was how some issues came up, alhamdulillah with the work of her Ustaadh (Abu Khadeejah As-Sanady) and Dr. Ajijolakewu, we did our Aqdu on the 13th of October 2018. I can't continue from here without thanking Abu Yunuus (Lawyer), her brother, for his inestimable efforts and other members of this noble family of hers.

May Allah grant them the fortitude to bear her loss. Aameen.

Her NYSC:

Some days after our nikaah, we moved on to NYSC and served together in the same PPA (Place of Primary Assignment) - Madrasatul Tawheed, Ede.

I got information about the place through Brother Ridwan who gave me Abu Khadeejah Al-Atharee's number and Abu Aamir's. They both welcomed us warmly and gave us an apartment. May Allah reward them all. 

Our service year was a challenging one but Alhamdulillaah, Allah granted us firmness and steadfastness. We thank Allah for His blessings upon us. I can't say anything further without mentioning her friends Ummul Hassan, Ummu Abdillah and others, we all served together. May Allah reward you all abundantly.

Through Abu Aamir, we got an apartment at Daaru-Tawheed Community, Ede. May Allah reward Abu Aamir for his efforts.

May Allah grant him his heart desires. He and my sheikh were and still sources of motivation.

May Allah bless them with goodness, Aameen.

Her Steadfastness:

Allah granted her firmness in the Deen and religious sincerity. She faced many issues because of the Sunnah, Alhamdulillah Allah granted her victory. 

I just want to synopsize this, her only concern was evidence! No matter how tough the suffering she might be going through, inasmuch as she was not offending or trespassing the wills of Allah, she always felt comfortable and satisfied.

She used to say: "Dear Abu Abdillah, please don't worry yourself too much about my well-being, provided our religion is increasing and our knowledge is increasing, you don't have a problem and please don't worry about me. Even if it is only garri you can provide I'm okay with it. And I won't bother you, just make sure we are going to madrasah and attending halaqaat. 

I don't want to dwell much here.

Her Pregnancy:

It was a tough time for us but Allah eased our affairs and we became  happy. Alhamdulillah. 

In brief, her pregnancy came after trials. When hujaaj were going to Makkah, we sent Abu Ja'far (Imam Daarut-Tawheed Community) and Al-Ustadh Abu Naasir (Osogbo) to ask Allah to grant her pregnancy and  I thought we used Zamzam too.

Wallahi, Imam had not left hajj when she got pregnant. We were very happy and thankful. I informed the Imaam (Abu Ja'far) and he was very excited too. Not knowing that she wouldn't give birth to that baby after her nine month term, Alhamdulillah for every condition. 

I can  recall the day I told Abu Aamir about it,  he was very excited too.

We planed to name our son Jareer bn Abdulghaniyy Abu Amr and she added some other names such as Imowumi, Imoniyi, Ebun Allah, etc. But as Allah wanted it, I lost both the wife and the child.

Her seamstress has even completed two of her dresses. And my tailor too has given me my dress in preparation for the aqeeqah. 

Alhamdulillah for every condition.
Help pray for her.

Her Death:

On the 11th of April 2020, Al-Athariyyah passed away. 

She was not sick. In fact, she just had some pre-partum exercises inside our house that day and we later went out of the house. After we returned home, we ate and she rested on the bed. After that, we cleaned our house together and in the evening, I cooked but she only took fish and managed to eat her rice and did not feel like eating more. 

I was reading a book by Imaam Ibn Qayyim beside her and she was even correcting my errors and explaining some grammatical analysis to me. She prayed all her Salawaat at their appropriate times and even the Ishaa Prayer. I was outside the house when I saw her SMS and I replied her as well. 

Not far from then she called me by my Kunyah that I should come,  without delay. I answered her call and she showed me her cloth with a small blood stain, she said one of her friends, via phine, told her, it might be a sign of labour. 

Without hesitation, she called the doctor of the hospital and he said we should be on our way. She walked into the car by herself as I and my sister entered with her. 

Suddenly, she started suffering from some excruciating pains and I can vividly read that in her face. I consoled her as she started saying her adhkaar and when this pain was unbearable for her, she asked if I was supplicating too. 

Minutes later, we could not hear her voice anymore but her lip was moving. I thought she fainted before we reached the hospital when they referred us to General, we got to General and they referred us to UITH too. That was where they confirmed her death and that of her nine-month unborn child. 

It was very pathetic and painful for me to carry my wife back home dead. Subhanallah. 

Yah Allaah! 

Please grant my wife Aljannatul firidaws without hisaab, make the child a farat for us both, and reunite Ummu Abdillah Al-athariyyah and Abu Abdillah As-salafy in Aljannatul firidaws.  It was painful, wallahu-l-mustaan.

Please pray for her, her father and my mother too. 

May Allaah forgive them all and us too.