Chief Imam of Ilorin Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Solih is dead.
He died in the early hours of Monday at the age of 75.
The Emir of Ilorin and chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, confirmed the death in a statement issued by his spokesman, Abdulazeez Arowona.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. It is with submission to the will of Almighty Allah that we receive the news of the demise of the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih,” the Emir said.
He said the late cleric served as the 12th Chief Imam of Ilorin and played a role in uniting Muslim clerics and promoting interfaith relations in Kwara State.
According to the statement, the Janazah prayer will hold at the Emir’s Palace Square in Ilorin by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 19.
The Emir prayed for the forgiveness of the late cleric and for his admission into Al-Jannatul Firdaus.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki also mourned the cleric in a statement issued by his Press Officer on Local Matters, Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir.
Senator Saraki said the late Chief Imam spent over four decades leading prayers and serving as a religious guide in Ilorin and Kwara State.
He noted that the cleric was the spiritual head of Ilorin and chairman of the Kwara State Council of Ulama, Alfas and Imams.
He said the late Chief Imam consistently preached peace, discipline and unity and maintained relations between the Ilorin Emirate Council and the Islamic community.
Saraki also said the cleric offered prayers and counsel to him and his family over the years.
He extended condolences to the Emir of Ilorin, the family of the deceased, Islamic scholars and residents of the emirate.
The late Muhammad Bashir Solih was born in July 1951 and became Chief Imam of Ilorin in 1983 at the age of 32.
He spent over 42 years in office and served during the reigns of three Emirs of Ilorin.
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, also expressed condolences in a statement, saying the cleric would be remembered for his role in Islamic scholarship and leadership in the state.
He extended sympathies to the Emir of Ilorin, the Ilorin Emirate, the Kwara State Council of Ulama and the family of the deceased and prayed for Allah’s mercy on the late Chief Imam.
