1. I turn to the Almighty who never tires.
If He is asked, He gives. He alone never dies.
2. I come to You who avails everyone because
I feel lonely as I think about my beloved. The pain is unbearable.
3. May I be forgiven, and set on the Path. I pray
I might learn to accept what You have decided, which no one can change.
4. The death of great people is sufficient warning
To people to ignore the World, which has no virtue.
5. Let us resolve to divorce the world three times
because this means with finality, without return.
6. We remember the deaths of Bello and Atiku
And now the Reconciler [Jom Maslaha in Fulfulde], has also gone.
7. He worked conscientiously to put things to right and
Benefit Muslims. He was untiringly hospitable to strangers. 50S
8. He honored all the senior members of the Community
And protected the rights of everyone regardless of their rank or status.
9. He honored the Shehu's womenfolk, his children
And his relatives, he neglected none of them.
10. He was close to the Shehu and Bello and explained
Their affairs. He studied the Qur'an, Oh God forgive his sins.
11. He was exceedingly generous in every respect: he provided accommodation for all
Who came. He was the same with everyone, stranger and kinsman alike.
12. He constantly tendered to the needs of the people, making sure that they had food
And drink. Tirelessly he helped tlIem to endure misfortune.
13. Likewise he explained about affairs known to him
And sent gifts to tlIose in need, never seeking recompense.
14. 14 He was in charge of repairing the Shehu and Bello mosques'.
And other city buildings, tasks he never tired of.
15. He was also in charge of repairing the city gates and the tombs;
He was their guardian and acted punctiliously.
16. He stopped corruption and wrongdoing in the city.
He acted sternly about such matters.
17. He held fast after Bello's death, honoring his purpose
And explaining it to the people.
18. As for the Shehu's message, whenever the people gathered together
He reiterated it to them. He was very serious about this.
19. The mosques and the prayer field preoccupied him as did the preservation
Of the Shehu's books which he collected and had copied.
20. Because he feared they would not survive
And if they were not rewritten they would be lost.
21. For the Shehu had certain of the attributes of the Prophet, by the grace of the
Prophet. His books were written for Muslims: Ô God ensure their usefulness.
22. Ô God bless Gidado and grant him a peaceful rest in the grave,
Until the Day of Judgment.
23. And on that Day, 0 God, may he be given shade,
And may he be saved by the Best of Mankind, Amina's son.
24. And on that Day when deeds are weighed
May his good deeds exceed his bad, for the sake of the Prophet.
25. Ô God may he receive his paper in his right hand,
On the Bridge save him and place him with the redeemed.
26. May he drink of the waters of Kauthara, together with Bello;
Reunite them with the Shehu in Paradise, where there is no parting.
27. Unite him with Bello, who was his friend
In the place of contentment where joy is forever.
28. Show him the face of the Chosen One, the Prophet, and unite him with those
Who see God himself, then all will be fulfilled.
29. Ô God receive my words. I thank you and pray
For blessings on the Best of Mankind, his Family and Companions
30. And all those who followed on, who faithfully followed
The Path of the Prophet which is the Sunna.
31. This poem is finished in the year 1265 of the Hijra [1848-1849 AD]

This is an elegy for Asma'u's husband. In it she lists his personal qualities (e.g. generosity, v.11) and the work he did in connection with city buildings (he was in charge of the city gates,) and the strengthening of the ideology of the Caliphate (he reiterated the Shehu's message v. 18). She omits references to his position - as Waziri he was second only to the Caliph in authority - or to his role as roving emissary, keeper of the chancery and warrior. These omissions are a significant indication that what Asma'u valued and wanted others to respect incommemoration of Gidado was his character, not his worldly status. Gidado was the nickname for Uthman b. Abubakar Sambo Laima. His father was a scholar; his mother Hussainatu was distantly related to the Shehu's family.
Born in Kambaza near Gwandu in about 1776 he was given the name "Gidado" (Fulfulde) which means "beloved"; by this he was known for the rest of his life. The nickname is more usually given to a boy called Muhammad, so "Muhammad Gidado" meant Muhammad the Beloved [Muhammad Habib], as if referring to the Prophet. His parents migrated to Degel to join the Shehu's Community and his father died there. As a young man he became friendly with Muhammad Bello and they went together on long expeditions in search of books. During the period 1804-08 he was a special envoy linking the Shehu, with Bello [1781-1837], one of the principal army commanders.
In 1807 just before the major assault on the fortress Alkalawa he married Bello's sister, Asma'u [1793-1864]. In the period 1808-17 Gidado had a personal position in Bello's household - a kind of aide-de-camp and principal secretary. On Bello's election as Caliph, Gidado became Waziri with full executive powers. The only limits on his authority were that he could not appoint his own successor, he could not depose any of the Caliph's appointees, and he could not depose the Caliph. The explorer Hugh Clapperton visiting Sokoto in 1824 described Gidado as "an elderly man .. He was excessively polite. He spoke Arabic extremely well which he said he learnt solely from the Qur'an ... Gidado is an excellent man, and has unbounded influence with the Sultan (Bello) to whose sister he is married" (Clapperton, 1826). Gidado stayed close to Bello until the Caliph died in 1837 after which he and Asma'u wrote extensively about the Shehu and Bello (see Introduction to Work 22). He remained active but seems to have handed over the main part of his work to his son Abdulkadir [1809-1859], Asma'u's eldest child. One assumes this was due to some kind of physical infirmity - he had appeared "old" to Clapperton 12 years earlier.

Great men of the days gone by. What A very subtle eulogy by a dear wife.
May Allah swt, accept their deeds.

Baaballiyo:
Great men of the days gone by. What A very subtle eulogy by a dear wife.
May Allah swt, accept their deeds.

Amin ya rabbi. The Waziri Gidado dan Laima is one of the lesser known architects of the Sokoto Caliphate. I like his friendship and devotion to Sultan Bello

GorkoSusaay:


Amin ya rabbi. The Waziri Gidado dan Laima is one of the lesser known architects of the Sokoto Caliphate. I like his friendship and devotion to Sultan Bello

yea he was selfless, committed and loyal, in fact throughout the caliphate children of clerics and royals were named after his name I know people presently named Gidado that took the names from their great grand and grand parents who inturn were named after him, though most Historians, writers and reseaechers concentrate on Shehu, Muhammad Ballu, Abdullahi Gwandu and Nana Asma'u. But they say "true heroes are unsung " Gidado is one of them.

Beautiful, even though I just read a few lines

You do a great job on here GorkoSusaay. Thank you!