The
landmark exposition of verse 10 of Surah Rahman of the Holy Quran was done by
Khalif Hassan Jallow at the 36th Zirrah of Bansang.
It
is that exposition that gives rise to a story headlined: Exploring verse 10 of
Surah Rahman of the Holy Quran.
The
story in its original form in the Tuesday 2nd May 2017 edition of the Point
News paper was headlined: 36th Annual Zirrah of Bansang.
Verse
10 of Surah Rahman is the focus and it features prominently in that story and
the true narrative of it is placed at the middle of it. In this story you are
reading, verse 10 was brought further down to the end of the article. This was
done for a purpose. A lot has been said that preceded the narrative about verse
10, all meant to prepare the reader’s mind that he is heading for information very
critical and important to our existence and lives.
The
understanding is that in Surah Rahaman, Allah (SWT) is giving a positive
warning signal in verse 10 about how people should live and live happily. And
if these exhortations are ignored, what will follow is anybody’s guess.
The
author of that story in the Point Newspaper did not state a byline. Presumably
he did not want his identity unveiled and has done that very skillfully. Even
the language, the literary style helps in the cover-up game. The language is
free from jargons of any particular area of learning discipline that may give
him away. He manifested his skill in writing and level of education in the
western and Islamic domain.
In
the packaging of the relevant information about the pedigree of the Jallow
family of Bansang and their guests at a zirrah ceremony, the writer squeezed
every bit of information in the 2/ ½ column in page 7 of the Point Newspaper.
The
information given prominence includes the background of the guests of the
Jallow family who are the organizers and the principal actors. The story also
names the Aleems and Ulamaas all scholars, citing their titles in the world of
Islam and their places of residence from where they came, in particular
distinguishing and naming those educated and graduated from the Bansang
Learning Centre. The writer gives account of works and achievements of the old
man Sheikh Alhagie Khalif Bubacarr Zaid Jallow (RA). The Khalif is described as
a well known Islamic scholar, Imam, Tijanniyya, Khalif and community leader.
The writer named the siblings of the Khalif one by one in order of seniority,
starting with the eldest, Sheikh Alhagie Hassan B. Jallow, followed by Dr.
Sheikh Ahmed Tijan Jallow, Mam Sait and Chernor Junadi Jallow all people of
distinction who have all their teeth cut in the learning center established by
their father.
The
article in the Point Newspaper was about a religious gathering in our local
parlance called “Zirrah”. That Zirrah, celebrated annually in Bansang began 36
years ago, and come rain or shine it is still observed without interruption.
And it continues to attract people and participants yearly. This year’s event
was held in April from the 24 – 25 in the town of Bansang. This was the
residence of the Kalif where he, unaided, lunched his mission and rising by his
own efforts. He once moved out of Bansang and stayed at Janjanbureh for a very
short stint and then returned to Bansang where he stayed for the rest of his
life.
Bansang
is a small town with no known record of being traditionally warm to the sort of
mission the Kalif has set himself to establish. Nonetheless, he chose Bansang
as his base converting it as a center for teaching and learning of the
memorization of the Holy Quran and the promotion of the Tijanntyya brotherhood.
From this base the voice of the Khalif went out resonating all over the world
and people thronged the streets of Bansang t o answer to his call.
Eminent
Muslim scholars attended the 2017 Zirrah and most of them delivered sermons and
religious songs. Adding to the illumination of the occasion, was the presence
of all the four sons of the Khalif, each had a special role to perform. But the
leadership of the ceremony was the responsibility of the eldest son who
undoubtedly is the successor to the headship of the family, now presiding over
the affairs of the family, the estates, the landed properties, legacies and the
influence of the vast network of organizations and centers of learning in and
out of the Gambia, encompassing Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Mauritania, Guinea
Bissau/Conakry, UK and USA. He also takes the Khalif title of the father,
called Sheikh Alhagie Khalif Hassan Bubacarr Jallow (Now the spiritual leader
of the Khaliphate built by his father). That’s not the end of it; he is also
the Chief Justice of the republic of The Gambia. And author of the book of law
accepted as authority in the High Courts of the Gambia.
In
opening that Zirrah, Khalif Hassan set the tone, the order and business of the
night. This was exclusively about Allah (SWT) as revealed in the Holy Quran,
the Hadith of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), the Tijannyya brotherhood and the
genesis and history of the Bansang Zirrah. He then exhorted the adherence to
hold fast to the three things left behind by the late father. According to him,
these are the five pillars of Islam, the principle of the Tariqat and the bonds
of kingship and good neighborliness. His second major address of the
congregation came very near the end of the night after all night vigil and
recitation of the Quran and recital of religious songs some of which were
composed by his late father himself. This second appearance happened
immediately after the Subh/Fajr prayer. It was the climax and the landmark
brilliant exposition of the content of verse 10 of Surah Rahman of the Holy
Quran. This verse the face of it reads: “And the earth He has spread out for
all His creatures”. This verse is highly condensed and the language almost
bland, only the scholars familiar with the language of the Quran and can give a
very concise interpretation of it. Khalifa Hassan is very much familiar with
the Quran as indicated by the way he handled the interpretation of verse 10 of
Surah Rahman of the Holy Quran.
Khalif
Hassan delves deep in the heart of the verse and explained how it relates to
the world of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Observers
say that this sermon is a warning signal to the world as a whole and it is of
special significance to Gambians. This verse is a positive warning to all
mankind. It is the prescription of how man should live in the world.
In
his address after the Subh/Fajr prayers, the current Khalif emphasized the
importance of verse 10 of Surah Rahman of the Holy Quran in which Allah (SWT)
says that, He has spread out the earth for all his creatures.
This
verse, the Khalif said, “is a call to peaceful co-existence and the tolerance
of diversity. Despite our differences in
sex, tribe, race, religion, tariqat, wealth, etc, Allah has chosen to create
only one earth for us.
“We
must therefore learn to cohabit peacefully on this single earth despite our
differences. The failure to observe the dictates of this verse according to the
Khalif is the root cause of intolerance and of conflict in the world today”
“We
must” he emphasize, “learn to live together peacefully and with respect,
however different we may be in some aspects”.
Observers
opined that the timing of the deliverance of this sermon is significant and
important coming at the end of the ceremony when people were almost getting
ready to disperse. It is believed that the sermon was meant to have an
everlasting in-print on the minds of the audience.
This
Fajr prayer sermon of Khaliff Hassan cannot be equated with that of prophet
Muhammad’s (pbuh) farewell speech made at mount Arafat but it can be
characterized as having a far reaching effect.
