The Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, His Eminence Alhaji (Dr.) Dawud Makanjuola Akinola, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu, who died at the age of 75.
In a condolence message issued on Monday by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Faysol Oluwakemi, the Aare Musulumi commiserated with the Executive Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Emir of Ilorin, the Ilorin Emirate Council, the Muslim Ummah of Ilorin, and the immediate family of the late revered Islamic cleric.
Describing the late Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu as a towering figure in Islamic scholarship and a pillar of religious leadership, the Aare Musulumi noted that his death marks the end of an era in the spiritual and moral guidance of the Ilorin Emirate and the wider Nigerian Muslim community.
Late Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu was a beacon of knowledge, humility, and service to Islam. For over four decades as the 12th Chief Imam of Ilorin, he devoted his life to the propagation of Islam, promotion of peace, unity, and moral discipline. His wisdom, leadership, and steadfastness will be deeply missed.
The Aare Musulumi further acknowledged the late cleric’s immense contributions to Islamic jurisprudence, mentorship of scholars, and his role in fostering harmony within the Ilorin Emirate and beyond.
He prayed that Almighty Allah SWT grants the late Sheikh Al-Jannah Firdaus, forgives his shortcomings, and rewards his decades of service to Islam. He also prayed for strength, comfort, and fortitude for the bereaved family, the people of Ilorin, and the entire Muslim Ummah to bear the irreparable loss.
