Sheikh Muyideen Ajani Bello: Few Things To Know About Him, As Popular Islamic Scholar Dies At 84

Popular Islamic scholar and preacher, Alhaji Muyideen Ajani Bello, has died at the age of 84.

Alhaji Bello, who was born in 1940 in Ibadan, Oyo State, was widely known for his profound Islamic teachings.

His death was announced by another prominent Islamic scholar, Alfa Aribidesi of At-Tawdeeh Islamic Da’awah on Friday morning.

One of his ardent followers and Islamic singer, Alhaji Basit Olarenwaju, popularly known as Aponle Anabi, also shared the image of the scholar with tearful emojis on his official Facebook page on Friday.

An Ibadan-based cleric, Sheikh Akewugbagold Taofeek, also posted about the death of the fearless preacher in a Facebook post on Friday.

“Today is one of my saddest days! My father and mentor, have returned to his creator. SULTONUL WAHIZEEN of Yorubaland Sheikh muhyideen AJANI BELLO, may Allah be pleased with your soul.

Aljannah fridaos for you . Our heart is full of grief and our eyes full of tears but we will say nothing but what will please our Creator the sole commander of life and death – ALLAH,” he wrote.

Below are a few things to know about him;

• Alhaji Bello became a public speaker at the age of 10, as his passion for learning began early.
• At nine, he requested to live with his uncle, an Islamic scholar in Ibadan, to deepen his understanding of the Quran.
• Though from Ibadan, he had always lived with his father a scholar who taught him the Holy Quran at Agbegilere, a farm settlement in Iwo, Osun State.
• Relocating to live with his uncle, according to him in the interview, marked the start of his journey into scholarship, eventually making him one of Nigeria’s most prominent Islamic clerics.
• Unlike many clerics of his time, Bello embraced formal education, earning a National Certificate of Education (NCE) and working briefly in electronics, a trade he learned from his brother.
• He believed education was vital, stating, “Even at that time, I knew I would one day become an Islamic cleric. But I also wanted to make sure that I have a job that would put food on my table.”
• Renowned for his fearless sermons, Alhaji Bello was uncompromising in his commitment to truth. “From my childhood, I was noted for saying the truth no matter whose ox is gored,” he once said.

“It is with utmost truth that we should speak God’s words every day. That is the way I approach my sermons whenever I speak to the people.”