ALMIGHTY Allah declares in the Holy Qur’an, Suratul Ar-Rum, 30:28-30 that: “He does propound To you a similitude From your own (experience) : Do ye have partners Among those whom your right hands Possess, to share as equals In the wealth We have Bestowed on you ? Do ye Fear them as ye fear Each other? Thus do We Explain the Signs in detail To a people that understand. Nay, the wrong-doers (merely) Follow their own lusts, Being devoid of knowledge. But who will guide those Whom God leaves astray? To them there will be No helpers. So set thou thy face Steadily and truly to the Faith: (Establish) God’s handiwork according To the pattern on which He has made mankind: No change (let there be) In the work (wrought) By God: that is The standard Religion: But most among mankind Understand not.”
In furtherance of the da’wah activities at the Islamic Research Centre for Africa of the Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA), we facilitate the healing of the sick, the weak, and the depressed at the IMA Hospital, attended to by Muslim doctors and nurses.
And picnics were organised for recreation during the festive seasons of Eid-El- Fitr and Eid-el-Adha festivals for Muslim families. The research centre extended gifts, prayers, and donations to those at the Correctional Facility regularly on quarterly basis.
Besides, we had quarterly journal on Islamic affairs that dealt with different topical issues as lead stories and other features, apart from Qur’an and interpretations; hadith, news, pictorials and others.
Moreover, I participated in the annual Islamic Conference of Supreme for Council Islamic Affairs, at Conrad Hotel, El- Nile Cornish, Cairo, Egypt – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Also, was my participation in the weekly seminars on Refugee Studies and Displaced Persons at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, between 2001 and 2011.
It was at these seminars that I met with Professor Cynthia Nelson (1933 – 2006), the Dean of the Faculty of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Founding Director of the Cynthia Nelson Institute of Gender and Women Studies at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, who joined the University in 1963 as Professor of Anthropology; and we became close due to my regular contributions to the debates.
Thus, she agreed to deliver a paper at the IMA Research Centre in Abeokuta, against all odds as she was advised not to come to Nigeria for security reasons. She delivered the lecture at the IMA Research Centre in 2002, on The Ford Foundation sponsorship.
It was when I wanted to buy flight tickets for her that she told me she was having the Ford Foundation sponsorships to Africa for such trips. But we provided for her accommodation and others in Nigeria, as she stayed at the IMA Guest House, and visited the vice-chancellors of the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos and interacted with the Professors at the universities as well.
Meanwhile, the first public lecture at the Research Centre was delivered by Dr. Lateef Adegbite, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) on the “Essence of Life”. That was in August 2001.
Subsequently, we were holding IMA monthly international lecture series with scholars delivering papers at the IMA Research Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, Libya, Sudan, Jordan, among others.
Meanwhile, following the graduation ceremony of the First IMA Intensive Literacy Course on Arabic, Qur’anic, and Islamic Studies in October 2004, we followed up with another advertisement in the newspapers, radio, and television stations for the second edition.
We had huge responses with over 50 students picking the forms even as far as Oyo, Lagos, Osun, and other states. We expanded the tutorship with Alhaji Adam Abdul-Azeez Ballo of Zulikha Abiola Arabic and Islamic Studies Centre and Ustaz A. Daud Adeniji (of blessed memory), the Head of Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta.
Interestingly, Judge Bola Ajibola SAN used to attend the lectures whenever he arrived in Nigeria from The Hague, Netherlands, because of his deep interest in knowing more about Islam.
However, in response to the challenge of improving the contents and topics of the Jumat service sermons of the imams of central mosques and Muslim organisations in Ogun State, including those from Egba, Yewa, Ijebu and Remo divisions, and other states in the South West, we organised special seminars for the imams in July 2003 and 2004.
Our resource persons were scholars from the Arabic and Islamic Studies and General Studies departments at the University of Ibadan, Lagos State University, University of Lagos and University of Ilorin.
The courses for the seminar for the imams were Jumat Service Sermon (Khutba), Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Islamic Civilisation, Islamic Creed (Aqeeda), Muslim World Politics, Contemporary Issues, Management of the Muslim Organisations, Maintenance of Global Peace, Women Issues, among others.
The one-week programme for the imams usually ended on Saturday with the arrivals on Sunday and Closing ceremonies and issuance of certificates by the President of IMA, Judge Bola Ajibola, SAN and usually attended by the leaders of the Muslim organisations, and heads of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs of Nigeria and others.
Furthermore, in conjunction with the management of World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, we started in July 2005 annual summer enlightenment programme for the Imams, Alfas, and Muslim organisation leaders in Nigeria, especially South West states of Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun.
We usually hosted at least 100 delegates from Muslim organisations and lodged them in hotels for seven days. The lectures were held at the IMA Research Centre in Abeokuta covering courses like Jumat Service Sermon (Khutba), Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Islamic Civilisation, Islamic Creed (Aqeeda), Muslim World Politics, Contemporary Issues, Management of the Muslim Organisations, Maintenance of Global Peace, Women Issues, among others.
Each of the Saudi Arabian seven scholars that usually come attended Maghrib and Ishai prayers in different mosques every day to deliver lectures within the Abeokuta metropolis, during their three weeks working tour of Nigeria.
Certificates were usually issued by WAMY at the end of the training to participants who were recognised by some universities in the Arab world to attend programmes.
Special awards were given to those of us that participated in the administration of the summer programmes, facilitated by my very good brother and friend, Dr. Ishaq Yusuf who graduated from the King Faisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The WAMY in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, gave me the Distinguished Resourceful Personality Award of WAMY in July 2005 and WAMY Merit Award in July 2006.
May Almighty Allah accept our acts of da’wah as ‘ibadah (worship), Ameen.
and then