MIRACLES OF SHAYKH MUHAMMAD JAMIU BULALA AL-OFFAWY
This incident,though ridiculous,could be counted as part of Karamat.Qur'an tells us about the conversation between prophet Sulayman and the ants.When prophet Sulayman heard the voice of one of them,what he said was"O my lord! So order me that I may be grateful for the favors,which thou hast bestowed on me..." This shows that man's ability to communicate with animals is a great favor from Allah.
Not only this,Sheikh Muh'd Baare Sengina,one of the Tijaniyyah's Sheikh from Kaduna reported that he had lived with Sheikh Muh'd Jamiu Bulala for six months in Khalwa(prayer seclusion) and throughout the time did not see him eating..Moreover,anytime he(Sheikh Baare)demanded for food,Sheikh Jamiu would just go in and bring out food which he(Sheikh Baare) had not seen anybody preparing it because nobody was with them in the Khalwa and no traces of food seen.He also related that the food was always wrap with a kind of cloth described as mysterious,the type which he had never come across in life.
This story is not impossible for the Holy Qur'an narrates the story of Maryam to us whereby her needs were supplied to her without struggling for it.Qur'an says!
Right graciously did Her Lord accept her:He made her grow in purity and beauty:to the care of Zakariya was she assigned.Everytime that he entered(Her)chamber to see her,he found her supplied with sustenance.He said"O Maryam whence(comes)this to you?" she said:"from God:for God provides sustenance with measure.
Similarly,Sheikh Muhammad Raji Opeloyeru reported that he was in the entourage of Sheikh's on a usual periodic visit to the railway station at Offa one day,but as soon as they got back home,they discovered that Sheikh's key was missing.After some,he(sheikh Opeloyeru)decided to seek the help of a carpenter so that they would be able to get inside,after a while,Sheikg Jamiu now face the Sky and said,"You the leader of the Jinns!you had better order one of your disciples who took the key to my house now and return it or else,surprisingly the key just dropped from the roof of the house.
It was also reported that Sheikh Muhammad Jami'u bulala performed a miracle at a marriage ceremony which completely baffled everybody present at the scene.Sheikh,on seeing the coffee tea without milk to be served on the occasion remarked that atimes some saints entertain their visitors with food from paradise.He was asked how possible it was.In his reply,he demonstrated the possibility by turning the tea to cold,sweet and thick milk.He then ordered the people to say'Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim'before drinking it.Those who drank the milk commented that the taste and flavor of the milk was quite different from the one they were used to.The milk was sweeter,cold and thicker.They had no doubt that the milk wasn't an earthly one.Among those who witnessed the scene were Alhaji Sharafadeen Ajara,sheikh Muh,d Jamiu Bulala revealed to them that this is a food from Paradise.
Another living miracle by Sheikh Muhammad Jamiu Bulala(R.T.A) was the one he performed for a barren couple.It was reported that the couple had visited Sheikh on several occasions complaining about their childlessness.They implored Sheikh to pray for them so that they would bear children.During one of such visit to Sheikh,He frankly told them that God had destined them to be barren.This was too much for the couple to bear.They broke down into tears and tearfully beseeched Sheikh to intervene for them because it would be shameful and terrible for them if Sheikh could not help their predicament.'On hearing this,Sheikh was moved and promised to pray to God for them.Sheikh asked the couple to lead him and some of his disciples to their house.At the couple's house,a strange occurence happened by which Sheikh wore his shoes into their bedroom and they didn't complain.Surprisingly,Sheikh told the couple to stay outside whilst he prayed.Later,he called the husband in and told him that God has answered their prayer and would bless them with two issues.He now asked the husband to choose the sex he would want Allah to give them.The husband decided on a male and a female.He told the husband to go out and call his wife.He poured water into his mouth and cleansed his mouth with it,poured it out and asked the wife to drink it.The wife earnestly drank the water.He then congratulated the wife for he thought she would hesitate or refuse to drink the water.The couple later in their lives got two children-a male,and a female.The children are successful in their own ways and living happily till date.The couple themselves confirmed this story,but for privacy reason,their names could not mentioned..Sheikh Sarafadeen Ajara is a living witness to this story.
Again,Sheikh was to a great extent clairvoyance.It was reported that one day,early in the morning,Sheikh went to a barber's shop at the motor garage in Offa.As he told the barber,he was going to wait for a saint friend of his coming to pay him a visit from Ilorin.Of course,there had not been any prior notice on the part of the visitor.Later in the day,the visitor came as Sheikh had predicted.Sheikh then ask the barber to tell the visitor his prediction and he did.On their way to Sheikh's house,Sheikh asked the visitor what he would like to eat when they get home,the visitor replied that he would like to take 'pap and bean cake'.On getting home,Sheikh asked his wife to recall what he had told her before he left home in the morning.The wife said he told her that he would have a visitor from Ilorin later in the day and the visitor would like to eat 'pap and bean cake' and so she should prepare them.The visitor could no longer hid his feelings,he praised and acknowledge Sheikh's spiritual power...
Besides,Sheikh Muhammad Jami'u Bulala(R.T.A) was telephatic.An admirer and follower of Sheikh,was wondering whether he too would be as erratic as Sheikh Muh'd Jamiu bulala upon attaining the status of Sainthood.And he was feeling uneasy about his thought.Sheikh told him he shouldn't worry,he would not be eccentric like him when he becomes a saint.The man was surprised and puzzled at Sheikh's saying because he uttered no word..(Related by Sheikh Sarafadeen Ajara).
It should be realised that despite the fact that Allah is the knower of the unseen,he granted this quality to some people.The Qur'an says:(He is)"the knower of the unseen and He revealeth unto none.His secret,save unto every whom He hath chosen,and then He maketh a guard to go before him and guard behind him".Hence,the sufists believe that the spirits of the Saints are free from darkness of material substances and have been released from the prison of their bodies,so that their illuminated hearts and their minds' eyes can see what cannot be seen by others,even if they are in the same place.
Perhaps the most revealing miracle by Sheikh was the delaying of a train.A follower of Sheikh reported that he was traveling from Ibadan to Kano by train.On getting to Offa,he decided to pay Sheikh a brief visit.He chartered a taxi to take him to Sheikh's house,on getting there,he told Sheikh his aim of coming.Sheikh appreciated his gesture and started to chat with him.Time was going,the man started to be impatient,the taxi driver waiting outside couldn't wait anymore and left for his business.Sheikh sensing the man's feeling,told him not to worry as the train would not move except with his permission.In short,the man was delayed for almost four hours and thirty minutes.When the man later got to the station,he saw the train being worked upon by a team of engineers looking for elusive faults.The moment this man entered the train,the engine started to work and the train moved.The man then remembered what Sheikh said and he was bewildered.
Sheikh being an enigma was occasionally visited by some queer personalities.According to a source,while Sheikh was in the midst of his associates,a very slowly moving old man visited him.Sheikh told the people around him to give alms to the man.On the man's departure,he walked very slow for a few meters away to a turn and got out of sight.Sheikh asked some of his disciples to run after the man and call him back.They did but couldn't find the man at the turn,he had disappeared.They searched everywhere,they couldn't find the man,and they wondered how a very slowly moving man could so swiftly disappear.On getting back to Sheikh,they told him that the man had disappeared.Sheikh then informed them that the old man was Uthman dan Fodio's father.He came for visitation.
Sheikh's spiritual prowess also manifested in his ability to be ubiquitous.It was reported that he told a follower of him at Mecca in 1978 that he was performing his 46th Hajj that year.However,people only knew that Sheikh went to Mecca once.How he made other instances must be out of his ubiquitous.The Sufis believe that some saints possess the quality of ubiquitous.
On another occasion,it was reported that an Hausa man met Sheikh Jami'u Bulala(R.T.A) at Offa Railway station.Sheikh offered him money but he refused to take it.He,however,urged Sheikh to pray for him so that his age-long ailment would be cured.Sheikh prayed for him and the man got healed immediately.
Another major miracle by Sheikh took place at Jeddah on his way to Mecca.It was reported that the cloud had gathered and it appeared to rain.The people were worried because their load were in the open space.There was no cover of any sort.The people feared that the rain would destroy their bags and baggages.Sheikh saw the predicament and pitied them.He then ordered the angel in charge of rain(angel mika'il)to withold the rain and the rain did not fall.The people around were amazed.Alhaj Sulayman Akande is a living witness.Qur'an says about the angels,that whenever they are commanded to do anything by Allah,they do it unhesitatingly.Qur'an says:
"O ye who believe ! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones,over which are (appointed)angels stern(and)severe,who flinch not(from executing)the commands they receive from God,but do(precisely)what they are commanded".
On the other hand,a Sufi believes that such utterances of the Sufis agree with the command of Allah.Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jelani also said in one of his poems that"My command agrees with the command of Allah,if I say be! It will be".Therefore,it is believed that such command given to the angel agreed with the wish of Allah,hence the rain was witheld.
In addition to this,Sheikh,during his lifetime,prayed for many people so that they could become rich,though there used to be prior agreement between him and such people,that if they become rich,they would spend their wealth for God's sake.Among such people he prayed for was Alhaj Yusuf Temidire at Offa who always declare openly that it was through Sheikh Jamiu Bulala(R.T.A)that he became rich.
Sheikh Muh'd Jami'u Bulala (R.T.A) used to go out at night for meditation,and returned before dawn.In the society where majorities were unbelievers,there used to be constant rumour of bad spirits in the night at Offa.
There was a year where the spread of small pox became rampant in Offa as of that time.It affected very many people and idolators of that period imposed seven days dusk to dawn of a curfew as a means of appeasing their gods,because the god of smallpox(sonponna) needed human intestine and the god would kill anybody found outside.Sheikh Bulala then vowed to go out and meet the god of small pox and kill it,so it would not worry Offa people again.
He therefore went out the very first night and his family warned him seriously.He still went out the second night.The family then instructed four men to sleep with Sheikh,so that he would not go out at night.Windows were nailed and the door was padlocked from outside.As Sheikh realized this,he started laughing at them.His uncle Mohammed Lawal Adegoke(Sheikh Muh'd Lawal Yayi Bello's father) said that they have broken his(Sheikh Jamiu) jinx. They would see how Sheikh Jamiu Bulala would go out again.
Without breaking windows or tampering with the padlock,he miraculously went out again.That night,he didn't return by 4 a.m as he used to do,he delayed his arrival to the house until 5 a.m and went to his uncle's door,knocked at it,that it was time for the early morning prayer and that he should come and open the door for the "guards" he used in guiding him.Sheikh started laughing at his uncle,upon all these efforts made,Sheikh still went out that night.Surprisingly he gazed at Sheikh Jamiu Bulala and was short of words.This is one of his mysterious ways of life.
Also One day,one of his disciples who later became a 'muqadam' i.e leader of a 'wiridi' groups,reported to Sheikh Bulala that his wife died in the Offa General Hospital and that he had come to pick a motor to convey the corpse.Sheikh Bulala asked him to lead him to the hospital to see the corpse.On getting there,he asked for the doctor's permission to see the corpse,which was already certified dead.
The doctor said the corpse had become the husband's property;he had no objection to seeing it.Sheikh Jamiu (R.T.A)entered the ward where the corpse was laid,Sheikh instructed the husband to cover the body of the corpse and started praying and uttering Allah's Mighty Names that He(Allah) should kindly revive the soul of the woman for him.The woman who was certified dead suddenly coughed,stood up and finally regained her consciousness back to life.
Moreso,one of the guardian of Sheikh's wife fell sick and was taken to the hospital.After several weeks in the hospital,the disease became incurable.The doctor confirmed that her intestine had rotten and it seemed she would not survive it,so he advised that she needs to be taken to a specialist doctor for consultation.
On getting home,Sheikh saw her and looked at her,being a funny man,he called her with the name he used to call her"Iyawo" why do you want to leave me like this?.How many sleeps have you slept with your husband that aZarailu(angel of death) want to snatch you from me?" The woman couldn't answer because she was unconscious.Sheikh Bulala gazed at the woman and prayed silently.She recovered from this illness miraculously.
Furthermore,some eminent personalities hired a vehicle from Offa to Ilorin and they needed 3 more passengers to complete the total number of the required passengers.Sheikh Jamiu was one of the 3 passengers they got at the motor park.Having packed his luggage in the vehicle,he came down from the vehicle telling the driver he wanted to urinate.He went for about half an hour.When he returned back to the park,the people were crossed at him and disgusted.
Sheikh Bulala told them that,they would see why he intentionally delayed their movement.They set for the journey and on getting to a stream before the present day Ajase-Ipo Comprehensive High school,they met two vehicles that collided on the then narrow bridge.The accident claimed seven lives instantly.The vehicle that conveyed Sheikh to the scene was the first to get to the place a few minutes after the accident happened.The other passengers dropped and conveyed the victims back to Offa general hospital.All the passengers shivered and uttered obscured statements,thus Sheikh said,this is the basis of my delayment to you all because you could have been the victim of this event.
Sheikh Bulala(R.T.A) had one Egbira friend called Sheikh Alhaji Abdullahi Al Mubaraq who was a devotee in the way of"Toriqat Qadriyah".
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubaraq had special love for one his wives by name Sayidat Aishat,who could not bear him a male child like other wives.
The lack of male child gave them a great concern when the fifth issue was again a female.Sayyidat Aishat persuaded her husband to invite Sheikh Bulala to the naming ceremony of the new born baby girl.She told her husband that she dreamt of Sheikh Bulala (R.T.A) who prayed for her to get a male child in her dream.
Sheikh Bulala was therefore invited and he attended the naming of the 5th female child named Aminat.Sayyidat Aisha knelt down before Sheikh Bulala that she needed a pious male child from Almighty Allah.Sheikh Bulala prayed fervently for her.After the prayer,Sheikh told the couple that by the special grace of Almighty Allah,the next child after Aminat would be a male child.And he would be their only male child.Sheikh predicted that if truly the boy would be pious as the mother wished,two or three things would happen at the time of his birth i.e He would come to the world with two front upper teeth already formed in his mouth and he warned the couple not to remove them.He said the boy would be born at the early hours of Sunday morning.If these signs were seen,they should name him Mohammed Salihu.
Through the Special grace of Allah,the next child given birth to,three years later was a boy according to Sheikh's prediction.He was born on Sunday with two upper front teeth already formed in his mouth.
He was of course named Mohammed Salihu.He was the only surviving male child of his mother;other children delivered after him were still females.
The predicted pious boy is now a well-known learned man on Western and Islamic educations.He is Sheikh Mohammed Salihu who lives at Tanke Ilorin,Kwara State.
To affirm Sheikh Bulala's spiritual power,before his departure to Mecca,he ordered one of his disciples in person of Alhaji Muhammad Oniboje Raji Keke that he should open a book to write the names of whoever came to pay him homage and record what they brought day by day till he returned from Mecca.So the man did.
When Sheikh returned from Mecca,the man delivered the messages one by one and day by day.Sheikh asked,is that all?..and he said yes.Sheikh bulala who was not physically present at home reminded him about five people that he forgot to write down.The man was surprised at Sheikh,because he wasn't around,he was in Meccah for holy pilgrimage.This action shows the clairvoyancy of Sheikh Jamiu Bulala.
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