Shadai Water.
Shadai is a pool in Auyo town (Hadejia Emirate) whose "miraculous" waters had the power of curing disabled and handicapped persons. People used to drink and bath with the water in order to get cured from their diseases and deformities. Although the story of Shadai is of recent vintage, its origin is traceable to the pre-jihadic era. According to one source, Auyo at the time of the Habe Chief of Auyo, Jibrin, had a considerable number of muslim scholars (Ulama) who established their base in the town. One day the Ulama decided to vacate the town as a result of a serious disagreement between them and Sarki Jibrin. They lacked all their belongings including their religious books, manuscripts and other items of value and sneaked out of the town at night. When the news of this development reached Sarki Jibrin, he immediately dispatched his bodyguards to pursue the fleeing Ulama and persuade them to return. However, in the event that they refused to return, the Chief further ordered that their books should be confiscated and brought to him. As it happened, the Ulama turned down Sarki Jibrin's request, whereupon all their valuable books were seized and brought to the Chief who had them placed in big pots and buried at the outskirts of Auyo town. Several years after that incident, water was suddenly seen gushing out from the spot where those books were buried. It was soon realized that the water was no ordinary water as it had medicinal powers. As news about this "miraculous" water spread, people from different parts of Nigeria and even abroad trooped to the scene. Soon the place became over- crowded, and a camp was established beside the pool to accommodate more visitors. The appearance and efficacy of Shadai waters was confirmed by the Colonial administration when the Divisional Officer (D.O) of Hadejia in his 1935 annual report, stated that: "people from many parts of Nigeria visited Shadai and most of them were cured people took bath and drank the water with prayers to meet their wishes. Blind men got their eyes opened, crazy people came to their senses, and women who had never given birth to children got children." The waters of shadai used to disappear and reappear in intervals of several years, with the latest reappearance said to be in 963.
See Part 2
No comments:
Post a Comment