It was fanfare galore Sunday, December 11, 2022, when Sofwatu-R-Rahmat Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies situated at Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria held a graduation ceremony for seven of its students, who completed the recitation of the whole glorious Qur’an. The Institute is under an International Islamic Organisation, Zawiyatul-Sofwatur-Rahmatil-Islamiyyat (ZASRAM).
Among the graduating students was daughter of the former Assistant Editor, Sunday Sun Newspapers, Alhaji Abdur-Razaq Bamidele, Miss Waliyah Morolake Bamidele (Osun State). Others were Rokibat Abdul-Fatah Yahya Sanusi (Kwara), Alia Ishola (Oyo State), Azeezat Maruf Ayofe (Osun), Zainab Onaolapo (Osun) and Fauziyat Badmus (Osun).
The theme of the occasion was, ‘Importance of Knowledge in the life of man.’ The lecture was delivered by the Founder of Sawiyatul Istijabat Organisation, Atan-Ota and Spiritual Father of the day, Sheikh Al-Imam Ibraheem Abdur-Raheem (Alapako), who also guided the graduating students in the symbolic recitation of the Noble Book of Allah.
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According to him, the importance of education in the life of the people can never be over emphasized and so any process towards its attainment should not be handled with levity, stressing the need for everybody to acquire knowledge because of the way it adds value to the wellbeing of mankind, male or female.
Quoting copiously from the book of hadith and Qur’an to buttress his assertion, Alapako added that, “its mandatory, especially for Muslims-Male and Female to acquire both western and Islamic education in line with the instruction of the Noble Prophet Muhammad, (Peace be upon him.”)
The cleric therefore advised the graduating students to put what they have learnt into practice and proper use, reminding that, “exhibition of good character and acceptable moral values are expected from products of Arabic and Islamic Studies Institutions like ours across the world.”
In his opening remarks earlier, Founder, Chief Missioner of ZASRAM (Home and Abroad), Sheikh Abdur-Razaq Abdul-Hameed Onaolapo Animashaun (Kasolayo), urged the parents and the guardians to give priority to their wards education through prompt payment of their school fees and other levies for learning materials. Onaolapo, who doubles as the Proprietor and Principal of the school expressed displeasure on a situation whereby the parents would prefer mundane issues like Aso-Ebi for wedding and even funeral at the expense of their children’s education.
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“The way we attend promptly to the needs of their children’s western education, we should apply such promptness to the Quranic education,” Kasolaya admonished, stressing the need for both to go hand in hand for the all-round development and benefit of the children.
Concluding, Kasolayo announced that, the graduation ceremony is not the end of their courses in the school saying it was just a step towards promotion to higher classes.
The highlights of the ceremony are distribution of Certificates of Competence as well as launching of a book, ‘Identification of Arabic Alphabets in Simple Ways’, authored by the Principal, Abdur-Razaq Abdul-Hameed Onaolapo Kasolayo.
