Sodiq Kolayo Qatru Updates
09-Sep-2021The words of Appreciation of the Great Writer Sheikh Adam Yahya Abdul Rahman Al-Fulani
The words of Appreciation of the Great Writer Sheikh Adam Yahya Abdul Rahman Al-Fulani
*In the honoring ceremony of the international festival under the auspices of the management body*
Hamsa Company for Creativity and Arts in the Arab Republic of Egypt
Honorable gentlemen:
Not this day that Egypt’s efforts were crystal clear in Arab culture in general, and in Arabic literature in particular. And not this day that many Egyptian writers presented a variety of literary works that contributed in changing Arabic literature and developing it to the current form in the entire Arab world and in the African countries. In particular, all these scientific and cultural efforts dated back to an ancient time in the memory of history.
There is no doubt as well that Egypt's geographical location serve as a connecting point between the Asian and African continents, and this is what made Egyptian scholars and writers been influenced with many diverse civilizations, which made the dear Egypt in its identity as the meeting point of culture and civilization since its emergence on the surface of the earth.
This is undoubtedly what made Arabist writers among the Africans to strive every effort to investigate by Arabization in their personalities and to belong to the Egyptian people in their sciences and knowledge, and in their literature and culture.
And I - as a person - did not know anything about Egypt until after I contacted my teacher and educator Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilori, who was one of the first African scholars who came to Egypt to benefit from its sciences and culture, in the middle of the twentieth century AD. And when The great scholar Sheikh Adam Al-Ilori returned to Nigeria He began to write scientific, religious and literary books, in which he mentioned the efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the efforts of The Prestigious Al-Azhar (University) in particular in dissemination of religious, cultural and literary sciences.
Particularly, He made mention of the Egyptian scholars in this book "Lubab el-Adab" that was sectioned into three volumes. While from this book I learnt a lot about the most famous Egyptian scholars and writers among them, where Sheikh talked about the efforts made by them for the sake of science, knowledge and literature, and he biographed in it about Tawfiq Al-Hakim, Taha Hussein, Ibrahim Al-Mazini, Ahmed Amin, Youssef Al-Sibai', Abdul Rahman Shukri, Hafez Ibrahim, the poet of the Nile, and Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad, Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi, Ahmed Shawqi, Muhammad Hussein Heikal, Khalil Mataran, Najib Mahfouz, Youssef Idris, Youssef Zidan, Ihsan Abdel Quddus, Tharwa Ibaza, Zaki Najib Mahmoud, Anis Mansour, etc., These are the people that without them Arabic literature would not have been developed to what it is now in the global level in this era.!
From here I saw, in mind, that the first person who deserves to be appreciated is the Great Scholar Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilori, who made us - the sons of his generation - to yearn for learning and culture in Egypt, and made us fascinate with the heritage of Egypt’s writers in science and literature till this day that I'm talking to you, and perhaps the first organization to offer this solemn appreciation to Maulana Al-Alori was The Prestigious Azhar, in his nomination for the Medal of Science and Arts award in the late eighties, during the era of President Hosni Mubarak, may Almighty Allah have mercy on him and make heaven his abode.
Today, one of his students came to this honorable place in the Arabian Egypt to receive the honourary Award in Literature and Arts on behalf of the African Arabist writers, knowing and believing that this award will open a new page of partnership between the Arab Egyptian and the African Arabist writers, as it has became possible from this moment for the African Arabist writers to understand like I do, believe and think that they remain as the subject of care and appreciation in the hearts of their Egyptian brothers, as they see with their very eyes and touch with their hands that their literary works were not neglected in the basket, nor disposed in the garbage, but rather our literary publications have become an African identity, and been recognized and respected at the international level, where it will read, cared for and appreciated all over the world.
Hence, the best congratulations and thanks should be extended to the management body of the Hamsa Company for Creativity and Arts under the auspices of His Excellency the Honorable Fat-hi Al-Hosary for these tremendous and kind efforts they made in consolidating the relationship between Egypt and Africa by appreciating the efforts of African Arabist writers, and nominating one of them for this award of International literature. Technically, if this indicates anything, then it indicates Egypt's love for Africa and the appreciation of mutual respect between them since ancient time. This love and mutual respect still bears a good fruit between these two great peoples: the Egyptian Arab and the Nigerian African people.
It is also good to extend my legions of thanks and gratitude to the management body of the Nigerian Center for Arab Research under the auspices of Dr. Al-Khidr bin Abdul Baqi Muhammad Ali for their contributions in presenting the work of African Arabist writers to the Committee for Organizing, Coordinating and Nominating scholars for International Literary Awards. I also acknowledged and appreciated (Markaz) The Arabic and Islamic center at Agege in sending a delegation of doctors and professors under the Eminence Mufti of Ilorin Sheikh Suleiman Farouk Onikijipa to the ceremony in this international festival, and to my brothers and lovers who did everything in their capacity to make this long journey to this good and remarkable city to be successful, and I specially mention my wife, sons, family, teachers, students, and everyone who contributed a little or a lot in achieving success in my life, and I pray to my Lord, in these blessed moments, to fulfill all your noble aspirations, and crown all your efforts with luck and success.
My sincere greetings and appreciation to you, and peace, mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon you altogether.
Your brother and lover with a sincere love for the sake of Almighty Allah
Adam Yahya Abdul Rahman Al-Fulani
In Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt
9/8/2021 AD.
