Of Man’s Immediate Need and his Ultimate Concern,- By Abdulwarees Solanke

*Photo: Abdulwarees Solanke*

It was around this period some four years ago,  during in the heat or thick of the COVID 19 Pandemic of 2020 that I lost a friendly boss and valuable brother which forced me to reflect on the above title when I pondered, What should be Man’s immediate need and his ultimate concern?

Two days before his death we had engaged in a Facebook Messenger conversation. 

Late Engr, Usman Danjuma Mana, the boss, I am talking about is an indigene of Mubi, Adamawa North. I had seen his birthday wish on the Facebook wall of a colleague and decided to chat him on Messenger.

He had also chatted me on similar occasion or circumstance three years earlier when I clocked 50 in 2016.

Danjuma on Facebook messenger on November 21 2016 to me: Happy birthday Warees. May Allah show you more and more of this day with joy and Happiness. AMEEN.

Me:Thanks sir. May you be blessed in greater proportion

Danjuma: AMEEN summa AMEEN.

Then on a Sunday two days before his death, I greeted him. Assalaamu Alaekum

Danjuma:Waalaikumus Salam my SA in the making , In Sha Allah

Me:I’m honoured! You still have me in mind just like Mallam Jijiwa holds me in high esteem I must come and take Adamawa on second citizenship because of your high regard for me. It’s in Adamawa I can say I began real journalism as National Concord Correspondent in 1990. I pray you reach your dream. And if Allah designs it to be something of ibaadah and honour in his presence, we pray he gives us life, knowledge, wisdom and abundance of talent to support it’s materialization.

Danjuma:Ameen ya Rabbi. Don’t forget to pray for good health and prosperity. Thank you Warees. Stay home. This pandemic is truly a killer.

Me:It’s true. May Allah not deny us these. We also pray He gives us the grace of repentance, the mercy forgiveness, ease of ibaadat and opportunities for gratitude. May He also grant us the GRACE OF THE NIGHT, an opportune time to stand up to pray and cry unto Him to save us from the fitnah Dajjal and Jahannam

Danjuma:Ameen ya Rabbi. Thank you

His death two days after this conversation was indeed shocking.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaehi roojiuuna

Following the death of this boss who retired from VON in 2015, I sent some colleagues the question that informs my theme.

Was it a needless question or my contacts were too preoccupied under the COVID 19 Lockdown to spare me their thought?

I just wanted to  ponder on life with the simple question to which only my philosopher-counselor, Sheikh Sulaiman Abdulrahman Adangba gave me an insight.

Philosopher-Counselor:Man needs Allah through the understanding of the difference between necessity and essential, whereby he is not going to lose his main focus during his search for the livelihood of his nuclear and extended family

By so doing it will dawn on him what are to be his ultimate concern which is just …..liberation in all ramifications..by means of training and guiding

Me:Alhamdulillah. You’re giving depth. What is the necessity? What is the essential? What are the differences?

Philosopher-Counselor: So what do you want me to do now? Is it explaining necessity and essential, or advising on your relationship with this man?

Me:Not on relationship. I just take a cue from his death. Death should always be a reminder of the essential and necessity

Philosopher-Counselor:Three pages of each human book handed to him from Allah stated in Q17.13…..
And every man’s augury have we fastened to his own neck, and We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open.

The first and last page cannot be edited or changed by you, me or anyone… so the necessity or essential issue in both don’t arise, but the middle page(s) are where you have to understand the usage of real essential that are only addendum to your existence.

If they are available, it makes life smooth and fine, but if they are not available it doesn’t debar you from existing and living, which tells you that you must still continue the struggle towards making the necessity a reality

The necessity here is the soul, which has to be adequately protected in the three arms zone, moral, spiritual and physical.

These are not materials but wealth if acquired makes you attain that innermost conviction of true existence.

The last necessity is what you give which also is not probably material.Liberation through guidance…shikenan

Me:Only the Deep calls to the Deep. In my last days at Unilag, that is some 32 years ago today I came to an awareness that
THE BEAUTY OF A MAN LIES IN THE PURITY OF HIS SOUL, THE NOBILITY OF HIS INTELLECT AND THE EXCELLENCE OF HIS CHARACTER.

You have given elucidation to my awareness which my wife indeed asked an artist to sculpt or inscribe on a frame for her and we used to hang in our small parlour at Abule Odu (Egbeda, Alimosho) in the early years of our marriage.

May Allah continue to increase Sheikh Suleiman Abdulrahman Adangba in depth of knowledge and wisdom for his elucidation on Man’s Immediate Need and Ultimate Concern which he clarified as The Essential and The Necessity.

*Abdulwarees Solanke
is Deputy Director
Strategic Planning & Corporate Development
Voice of Nigeria
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