By Amen Gajira
Nuruddeen Lemu, the first son of late Aisha Lemu, says what he will miss most about his late mother was her positive attitude to life, even in the face of daunting challenges.
Nuruddeen stated this in an interview shortly after a Muslim prayer group, Nasrul-Lahi-Li Faith Society (NAFSAT), paid the Lemu family a condolence visit in Minna.
“My mother was the best mother Allah could give us as she had a very positive attitude to life. Whatever the problem never looked like it was a problem.
“It was just how do we grow with this; how do we manage it, how do we move forward. To her, it was as if life did not have any problem,” he said
Nuruddeen said the family came to know about many of his late mother’s charity works and children she sponsored in school only after her death.
“As a family, we realized after she passed on that there are many other children and people who considered her a mother as much as we did.
“From the disabled people and others that we didn’t know she sponsored into school because we were in school and didn’t know know what else she was doing in her free time.
*All we know is that when come back home, our mother was there for us. So whatever else she did when we were not around is now she has passed on we are getting to know,” he added
According to him, he would want his mum to be remembered as someone who was a good practicing Muslim.
“I want us to remember her for what Allah wants us all to be remembered for, as his representatives on earth.
“We remember her as someone who was a good practicing Muslim who came from another country and taught us more about Islam and left an enviable legacy.”
In a separate interview, the National President of NAFSAT, Kamil Bolarinwa, said it was almost impossible to find a better Muslim than Aisha Lemu anywhere in the world.
“If you’ve seen or read what several people have said, you then wonder what you want to add.
“But if you read the Quran and the Hadith and you understand Islam, the simple way to describe mama is to say you won’t find a better Muslim in any other place,” he said
Bolarinwa noted that Nigeria had lost a reputable scholar who will be difficult to replace.
On his part, NAFSAT’s chief missioner, Imam Abdulazeez Onike described the deceased as someone who was ready to stick out her neck to help people.
Onike maintained that Aisha Lemu impacted the life of every young Nigerian Muslim.
“This is someone who has impacted the life of every young Muslim because there is no Nigeria young Muslim who wouldn’t have read her books at secondary level.
“She has been involved in a lot of charity and community development programmes and some of us who had contact with her will never forget her,” he said
He commended the deceased for setting up the Islamic Education Trust, saying other Muslims should emulate her by creating institutions that ensure the charity and good work they are doing live after them
Aisha Lemu, a British born author and religious educator, died on January 5 in Minna, leaving behind her husband, Sheik Ahmed Lemu and two children. (NAN)
