ALMIGHTY Allah inspired Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for da’wah activities, according to the Holy Qur’an Surfatul Kahf, 18:110 thus: “Say: ‘I am but a man Like yourselves, (but) The inspiration has come To me, that your God is One God: whoever expects To meet his Lord, let him Work righteousness, and, In the worship of his Lord, Admit no one as partner.’”
Just as the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) affirms, at the beginning of every century, Almighty Allah will inspire a Mujaheed to rejuvenate the religion of Islam for better understanding and worship. ‘Kitaab al-Mulaahim’ by Abu Dawood says that the Prophet (SAW) said: “At the beginning of every century, Allah will send to the Muslim community (Ummah) someone who will renew its religious understanding.”
Such was the turning point when Almighty Allah inspired His Excellency, Justice Abdul-Jabbar Bola Ajibola, SAN, to carry the banner of the Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA) and Crescent University, Abeokuta, Nigeria, to further the propagation of Islam.
More so, Almighty Allah declares in Holy Qur’an, an-Nisaa4:58-59: “Allah doth command you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due; and when ye judge between man and man that ye judge with justice: verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you for God is He who heareth and seeth all things. O ye who believe! Obey God and obey the Apostle and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves refer it to God and His Apostle if ye do believe in God and the Last Day: that is best and most suitable for final determination.”
At the threshold, I embarked on a scientific research on the ‘Challenges of Islam in the New Age’ and came up with a position paper on the solutions. The five of us, the President, Justice Bola Ajibola; Alhaji Sulaiman Osho, Secretary-General; Alhaji Salih Lai Labode, Treasurer; Dr Kamil Koyejo Oloso, Islamic Adviser; and Mr Mahruf Adesegun Ajibola, SAN, Legal Adviser, deliberated on the paper and agreed with the setting up of the Africa Islamic Research Centre comprising hall, IMA Library and Audio-Visual Centre; Guest House; IMA Hospital; IMA Secretariat; IMA Mosque; Nursery/Primary School; IMA Secondary School; Crescent University; IMA Hostels; IMA Radio and Television Stations; IMA Islamic Journals; and IMA Computer Centre. This was in the middle of 1996, and Justice Ajibola travelled back to the World Court at The Hague in the Netherlands.
On his return after two months, he came with publications, books, journals and others from the Islamic Centre in Leicester, England, during his visitation. This formed the basis of our ideas of an Islamic research centre, and inspired us more. While the Islamic Centre in Leicester, United Kingdom, set up in 1968, had two mosques, Imam House, guesthouse, mortuary and burial services, education facilities, community and lecture halls, as well as sports and gym facilities, the IMA Islamic Centre was expanded with more facilities.
Thus, Justice Ajibola donated six acres of land for the research centre, and Architect Ishaq Alaka of blessed memory was co-opted to design the research centre. After the approval of the architectural designs, incorporating all the structures except the university, hostels and the secretariat, we decided to follow the dictum of ‘charity begins at home’.
Hence, I was mandated to invite the Egba Muslims Council, Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta for a luncheon at the residence of Justice Ajibola, SAN, at Asero, Abeokuta, so that we could introduce the organisation to them, show our architectural designs and seek their prayers for the realisation of our plans and objectives. That was in January 1998.
On his arrival for the dinner from The Hague, without getting replies to our letter, Justice Ajibola, SAN, who was the Baruwa of Egba Muslims, led me and Alhaji Lai Labode to the chairman of the Egba Muslim Council, Alhaji Yunus Sanni Giwa Akiyode, retired Barclays Bank Director; Balogun of Egba Muslims and Baba Adeen of Ijeun township on our invitation for the dinner with the Muslim leaders. Alhaji Akiyode, who was a father-in-law to me – as my senior brother married his Brigadier-General daughter – readily told us that they would come for the dinner.
At the dinner, Justice Ajibola presented the plans and objectives of the IMA and showed the architectural designs to the esteemed Muslim dignitaries in the presence of the 17th Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alhaji Liadi Orunsolu; the Ajanasi of Egbaland and Wakilu-l- Muslumin of Yorubaland, Alhaji Sadrudeen Biobaku; and many of the Egba Muslim leaders.
Alhaji Biobaku responded that it was a gigantic project and commended the initiatives for the uplift of the Muslims and Islam in Africa. He then asked the Chief Imam Orunsolu to give us prayers for the realisation of the objectives quickly for the emancipation of Islam in the African continent. Good enough, Alhaji Biobaku used to visit the site during the construction work with the feedback from our contractors. We made a cake for Alhaji Y.S.G. Akiyode for the celebration of his 84th birthday that day.
The IMA Africa Islamic Research Centre, consisting of the IMA Library and Audio-Visual Centre; Oba Abdul-Salam Ajibola, Gbadela II Multi-Purpose Hall; Wahab Folawiyo Imam’s Lodge; Adikatu Guest House; IMA Hospital; IMA Nursery/Primary School; IMA Secondary School; Abdul-Jabbar Mosque; and IMA Hostels, was contracted to Dukelands Nigeria Limited.
However, after the dinner for the Muslim leaders, Imams, Alfas, and other Muslim clerics in Egbaland, I travelled two days later in January 1998 to Egypt; Sudan; Saudi Arabia; and Libya as Secretary-General of IMA to promote the new organization for consultation, collaboration, and co-operation.
Meanwhile, when we wanted to commission the Africa Islamic Research Centre on Saturday, June 16, 2001, we brought dignitaries from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Kingdom and northern part of Nigeria. Justice Ajibola was then the High Commissioner of Nigeria to the United Kingdom.
Interestingly, to show gratitude to the Egba Kobiti Central Mosque, Abeokuta, we took our dignitaries from Saudi Arabia, led by Dr Musa Qarni, a human rights activist lawyer in private practice in Saudi Arabia; Dr Muhammad Abdullah Ameen As-Shinqeety and Dr Aadel Al’Ahmady, both from the University of Madina, Saudi Arabia, to pray at the Abeokuta Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta, on Friday, June 15, 2001.
In his speech to the congregation after the prayers, Dr Qarni expressed delight to meet the Imams and Muslim dignitaries, and commended the spread of Islam to Nigeria and Africa. He said they were in Abeokuta for the commissioning of Africa Islamic Research Centre for the spread of Islam through new digital technology and modern means of communications as initiated by Judge Abdul-Jabbar Bola Ajibola SAN and urged them to attend the following day.
Dr Ibraheem Jaarallah, Managing Director of Saudi Najm, had visited us in 1999 in Abeokuta to reciprocate my visit a year before to Saudi Arabia and for collaboration; Dr. Saeed Abu-Mudra came in 2000; Dr. Abdallah Abu-Saif came in 2005. These were some of the dignitaries and heads of Saudi Arabia government and organisations that I met on my visitations and facilitated by my good friend Dr Sirajudeen Bilaal Al-Asrau that we met during my first hajj in 1988 in Madinah Al-Munawwara.
President Bola Tinubu, then as the governor of Lagos State, commissioned the IMA Islamic Research Centre, when the then Vice President of Nigeria phoned at night that he won’t be able to make it again because of official engagement given him last minute by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
At 10p.m., Justice Ajibola telephoned Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in my presence that we needed him to commission the Africa Research Centre, Abeokuta next morning at 10.00 a.m. He readily said he was honouring the invitation, and had set his team to be there before. The contractors were asked to go and change the plaque written with the name of Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the unveiller. Immediately, Justice Ajibola asked me to write a new inscription on the plaque for the contractors.
There was no mobile telephone in Nigeria then. The contractors set out to Lagos that night to bring the handlers of the plaque, and they worked overnight to get the new plaque done and mounted in Abeokuta by 7a.m. A fulfilled destiny for President Tinubu.
May Almighty Allah accept our acts of worship, Ameen.
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