Muslims across Nigeria and beyond are mourning the loss of Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Hadiyatullah, a highly respected Islamic scholar and the President of Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Shari’ah, who was laid to rest in his hometown of Iwo, in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria.
Though his name may not be widely known outside of West Africa, Sheikh Hadiyatullah was a guiding force for millions of Muslims in the region. He was deeply involved in the application and promotion of Islamic law (Shari’ah) in Nigeria, and he served as a moral compass for Muslim leaders and communities across the country.
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Known for his scholarship, humility, and wisdom, Sheikh Hadiyatullah’s death has been described as the fall of a pillar in Nigeria’s Islamic landscape.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu represented by Alhaji Abdul Hakeem Kosoko led prominent Nigerian Muslim scholars and other dignitaries to the janazah held at the deceased’s college, Muslim News Nigeria reported.
“As President of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, he provided uncommon leadership and direction to the Council. As a cleric, he lived by the way of Allah and the teachings of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). As a human being, he lived an impactful life, touching many lives through his Shari’ah College,” President Tinubu remarked.
Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari also offered his condolences, recalling the Sheikh’s piety and simplicity, The Sun Nigeria reported.
“My heart goes out to Muslims all over Nigeria mourning the death of the great Islamic shepherd, who always sided with the truth and doing so with a great sense of humility,” he said.
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The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, where the Sheikh lived and taught, praised his spiritual leadership and positive influence on Muslim affairs:
“Sheikh Hadiyatullah was a religious leader of note, whose knowledge of Islamic tenets stood him out. His wise counsel and fatherly guidance were a veritable source of support to the Muslim ummah,” Governor Adeleke said in a condolence message.
Prominent Islamic organisations in Nigeria also joined in mourning, including Ansar-ud-Deen Society, whose national missioner, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Ahmad, said:
“He was more than a scholar—he was a unifier, a reformer, and a guide for both the learned and the layperson.”
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah, under Sheikh Hadiyatullah’s leadership, worked to harmonise Islamic legal practice in Nigeria, offering guidance to Muslim communities while promoting peaceful coexistence in a religiously diverse country.
Following his death, the Council announced Sheikh Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar as his successor.
At the funeral, attended by scholars and faithful from across Nigeria, there was a sense of deep loss—and gratitude for the Sheikh’s decades of service. One mourner summarized the mood, simply saying:
“A pillar has fallen.”
Though Sheikh Hadiyatullah’s name may not appear in international headlines, his life’s work carries universal meaning. He dedicated his scholarship to serving the Muslim ummah with integrity and balance—qualities that resonate far beyond Nigeria’s borders.
May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus and raise among us leaders who follow his noble example.