Death is the most certain occurrence in all human endeavors. It is a poisonous drink from which every living thing must taste. It brings shock along with it whenever it strikes. It is shrouded in secrecy as it gives no prior notice. Sometimes it is preceded by sickness, yet it can strike without sickness. There is nothing like sudden death. It happens according to the divine plan. No creature, not even the angels, can terminate souls. Every soul has an appointed time before it is terminated; the time can neither be delayed nor extended. Nobody can determine when, where, and how one will die. Death is not determined by age; the child might die before the parents. While this is perceived as abnormal by human beings, it is a normal divine arrangement. Allah Akbaar!!!

The death of Prof. M.M. Akanbi came with a big shock. Although he was sick, we all hoped for his recovery. After all, Prophet Ayyub (Job) got well and better after a life-threatening sickness that cost him his family and property. Today, we know of many terminally-ill persons who became healthy after an unexpected recovery and even went ahead to achieve what healthy people could not achieve. We wanted him to recover and live long. But Allah, His Creator, has a better abode for him in the Garden of Bliss.

Prof. M.M. as was fondly called was a unique mortal. Everyone that knew him acknowledged his inspiring virtues. He was frank and pure-hearted. He would say his mind, yet, he would not harbour hatred against a fellow human being. He was a progressive thinker with an unmitigated passion for the ideal society. He was a fair, honest and transparent leader. Rather than tribal considerations, merit was his yardstick in relating with people. He was very intelligent. He hailed from a noble family but he lived a very simple lifestyle. No wonder, he was described as a true son of his late father, Justice Mustafa Akanbi who was adjudged as an incorruptible judge.

Prof. M.M and I belong to the same Gambari area in Ilorin East but for many years we never had any encounter. I missed the chance of being his student in the Faculty of Law in the 2003/2004 session in Unilorin, no thanks to an abortive admission. I got close to him only in 2016 when I moved to the Unilorin Senior Staff Quarters, GRA, Ilorin. The first encounter I had with him was in the mosque during the Subh prayer. There and then, I discovered his unique qualities through our many socio-religious interactions. He was a committed member of the University quarters, especially the Muslim Community therein. As I later got to know, he played a pivotal role in the construction of the Quarter's mosque. His appointment as Director of School of Remedial Program at Fufu also brought me even closer to him as I taught Remedial students Islamic Studies. On becoming the Vice Chancellor in 2020, his simple lifestyle held him back for a while before he eventually moved out of the quarters to his official residence. As a simple man with a humble lifestyle, he was comfortable with his people inside the quarters. It is a good coincidence that my last meeting with him was also in the mosque during the Maghrib prayer. This was about two months ago when my good friend, Dr. Fahm and I paid him a visit in his official residence. Before leaving, we observed the Maghrib prayer and we offered an intensive supplication for his quick recovery.

It is customary that when a soul departs this filthy world, people will talk about him. This has been the case with our amiable MM. He touched many lives across various fields. An intelligent legal luminary, a brilliant academic, and an astute administrator, he had used all his positions and influence to lift a lot of people to higher status of life. His annual MMGIVT is legendary in that regard. Based on the spirit of sharing, MMGIVT is a platform whereby he shared materials among the poor and the needy. He would reach out to the rich to donate their materials (e.g. cloth, furniture, electrical appliances, etc.) which they no longer use but which could still be useful for the poor of the society. Through this, lives of many poor have become better.

As much as we grieve over his death, we are consoled by the fact that he died a martyr. According to the prophetic tradition, whoever dies as a result of sickness is a martyr. Although, we loathe the manner by which he died, the protracted illness that caused his death is a divine way of cleansing him of all sins he had committed.

Another consolation is the goodness with which he was known. This in itself is enough for his family after him. It is Allah's promise to take care of the widows and the orphans of good people after their demise. We strongly rely on this as Allah does not break His promise. I condole with his family, especially his widow, a supporting spouse; and his children most of whom are the memorizers of the Qur'an. I assure the widow that if she remains patient, good, and prayerful as she has been, Allah can eventually reunite her with her sweetheart in the Garden of Bliss after she must have lived longer and more prosperous on the earth. In that auspicious place, there shall be no agony, anxiety, crisis, or separation. Rather, there shall be unlimited joy and happiness. For the orphans, the Almighty shall be sufficient for them as he was for the Prophet (SAW). It is relieving that the late SAN has given them robust and sound Islamic and western education which will take them through the various stages of life.

Prof. M.M. lived for 51 years. This is relatively short in view of the predominant life span in this part of the world. Despite this, he achieved a lot as if he lived for a hundred years. At 41, he reached the pinnacle of his academic career when he became a Professor of Law at Unilorin. At 47, he attained the peak of his legal profession when he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). At 48, he was appointed as Vice Chancellor at Kwara State University Malete. At 51, he left this sinful world after accomplishing what the Almighty had destined for him. For Allah, it is not about how far one lives. Rather, it is much about how well one lives as to benefit the humanity. Though his life was short, his life achievements will outlive him. Prof. M.M. has come; he has seen; and he has conquered. He battled the sickness and did not give up his pristine principles. He was only conquered by the overriding force of death which no mortal can ever conquer.

As a mortal, Prof. M.M. was not infallible. As much as we acknowledge his good deeds, I will be unreasonable to claim that he did not have black spots in all his actions. But the fact is that I do not know any of such black spots. Other people may know them. Nevertheless, it is safe to assume that the good deeds of Prof. M.M. are much more than his bad deeds. This is attested to by people's testimonies and acknowledgments about his good deeds. Prof. M.M. succeeded in reaching the pass mark which is hoped to be so in His Creator's estimation.

Prof. MM would be missed by all. The people of Kwara State under Gov. AbdulRazzak AbdulRahman; the people of Ilorin under Maimartaba Shaykh Ibrahim Zulu Gambari; the people of Gambari under the Grand Balogun; the University of Ilorin community under Prof. Egbewole; the Unilorin Senior Staff Quarters at GRA especially the Muslim community under the Imam, Prof. Onireti and the Chairman Prof. Salami, and the Mayor, Dr. Laaro; the KWASU and the Malete communities; and indeed, the beneficiaries of MMGIVT. Indeed, his death is a great loss for all reasonable and progressive people.

I ask Allah to make the late VC of Kwasu Prof. Muhammad Mustafa Akanbi among the pious departed souls who shall be rejoicing while their people are crying over their loss. Ameeen.

Dr. AbdulHameeed Badmas Yusuf
Writes from the Dept of Religion, Unilorin
22 November 2022