Daaru-Na’im Academy Conference

In Lagos, where the Atlantic breeze carries a long memory and horizon, I stood as a representative of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) at the Opening Session of a conference that drew scholars and voices from across the Muslim world. To be present was to witness not merely a gathering of learned minds but a living testament to the global dimensions of our vocation: the pursuit of knowledge, the safeguarding of creed, and the ongoing labour of forging a cohesive, principled Muslim community. Time, that frail, sunlit currency, pressed close; each speaker was granted a brief window, a line or two to give shape to a broader argument. The session, set under open skies with canopies arranged with care, chairs positioned with intention, and a public address system designed for outdoor eloquence, reminded us that faith seeks to be heard beyond walls—and that openness can become a pedagogy in itself. It is worth noting that today’s opening, with its air of ceremony and possibility, contrasts with the plan that from now on the Conference will move indoors to a hall at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos. An arena shift, yes, but a continuity of purpose remains.

From the outset, the kinship between Daaru-Na’im Academy for Shari’ah Sciences of Nigeria and the SCSN stood beyond rhetoric, a spiritual and intellectual tether woven into the very fabric of this Ummah. Unity—not as a soft sentiment but as a disciplined practice—binds what we do, wherever we are. The two bodies, diverse in vocation yet united in aim, share a mission: the elevation of knowledge, the safeguarding of creed, and the fostering of a cohesive, principled Muslim community. In Lagos, I felt that kinship translates into a practical invitation—to collaborate, to counsel, to remind one another that our work reaches its full potential when it begins in the heart of the village, as surely as it is debated in global forums. The Conference’s openness under the sun became a metaphor for transparent, accessible scholarship: knowledge that comes to ground, not to glimmer only on high shelves.

The core theme—the Jurisprudence of the Sound Creed (Fiqh al-‘Aqīdah) and Contemporary Challenges—resonated as a call to return to the bedrock while facing modern exigencies. The sound creed is not a mere abstraction but the soul of religion; it threads the individual’s intention to the community’s conduct, binding private devotion to public responsibility. Its merit reveals itself not only in personal virtue but in how we structure society, how institutions adjudicate, and how mercy extends its reach. The creed, rightly understood, stands as the central, indispensable branch of religious sciences: it furnishes certainty and reverence for Allah, inspires preparation for the Hereafter through virtuous acts, and strengthens resolve when trials press upon us. In an arena where voices compete and consensus slips like a ribbon, the creed remains a compass—steady, austere, and deeply, quietly beautiful in its coherence.

Tawhīd—the apex of creed—received due gravity. The Prophet’s guidance places the correction of creed before acts, affirming tawhīd even before the call to prayer. The careful articulation of creed safeguards our actions, ensuring they align with the divine unity we profess. In a world overflowing with interpretations and urgent voices, the insistence on unity around the oneness of Allah is not a summons to rigidity but a horizon that guards us from arrogance while inviting the humility of inquiry. It is a reminder that unity does not erase diversity of insight; it clarifies the aim toward which diversity can be conscripted for the common good.

Expressions of gratitude and humble acknowledgement punctuated the proceedings, even as the ceremonial might tempt distance. May Allah bless this noble endeavour and grant lasting benefit to Sheikh Dr Imran AbdulMajeed Eleha for exemplary leadership of Daaru-Na’im Academy for Shari’ah Sciences of Nigeria. Recognising leadership committed to the propagation of sound jurisprudence, piety, and service to the Ummah is not mere courtesy but a reminder of responsibility: to shepherd minds toward truth, to guard the integrity of sources, and to be living examples of service to the community. My message to the assembly—in essence, the SCSN’s message—was not a distant echo but a call to concrete collaboration: to translate lofty scholarship into practical mercy at street level.

Unity, covenant, and proximity of faith stitched the discourse into a single, urgent ambition: faith as public trust, not private attire. There exists a strong spiritual link between Daaru-Na’im and the SCSN; that link embodies the essence of this Ummah—unity. Unity, as the central theme of this address, binds action and intention, binding us across geographies and generations through the principles of Shari’ah and the camaraderie of faith. It is not a mere rhetoric but a daily discipline: to ensure that scholarship informs policy, that policy serves people, and that mercy underwrites justice in every law, every deed, and every community project.

The rights of the Ummah and constitutional guarantees formed a practical bridge between sacred obligation and civic responsibility. We affirmed, with gratitude for the constitutional framework of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the right of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah to live in accordance with Shari’ah as creed and practice. In particular, the Southwest—home to a robust and enduring tradition of Shari’ah within the bounds of the constitution—enjoys a rightful place in the national tapestry. The Constitution guarantees freedom to practise, profess, and uphold religious principles in a way that does not infringe upon others’ rights. We emphasised that the pursuit of knowledge, jurisprudence, and reform within Shari’ah must advance the common good, justice, and peace for all Nigerians, and must be pursued with fidelity to authentic sources and scholarly integrity. This is not a concession but a guaranteed right, anchored in law and history, long honoured by Southwest communities and deserved by all Muslim communities across Nigeria.

In Lagos, the mood of the Conference bore more than intellectual rigour; it carried practical promises. A decisive gesture spoke to a wider arc: we congratulated our brothers in the Southwest on the ruling of the High Court challenging the operation of Shari’ah panels in adjudication over personal affairs, which was struck out. T

The SCSN affirmed its steadfast support for realising Shari’ah in the Southwest and signalled readiness to mobilise a formidable team of Muslim senior lawyers when needed. Yet the journey from court to community remains long, and the essential first step—electing good, courageous legislators to champion the cause—was set before us as a clear, almost exhortatory invitation. Political participation, I reminded the gathering, is part of a broader duty to shape a just and compassionate society, not a solitary act but a continuing covenant between conscience and constituency.

The Qur’anic call to unity—scriptural foundations—was invoked with reverent care. The text speaks of the rope of Allah, a binding strand against the pull of division and the lure of fragmentation. The Qur’an’s insistence on unity does not demand uniformity of opinion but calls for disciplined, patient striving toward shared aims. The verses, cited in humility and used as a guide for public conscience, remind us that division can erode the Ummah’s strength and invite corruption. Yet difference in interpretation, within the bounds of sincerity and respect, is not disunity but Rahmah—a mercy offering broader horizons for action and governance. The counsel is to hold fast together, to be as one body in mutual care, responsive to each other’s needs, even as we allow for honest debate in the service of truth.

Recent history offered lessons as currency. In the run-up to the 2023 general elections, unity was invoked as millions of Muslims across regions mobilised under the SCSN’s banner, speaking with a single voice. The episode demonstrated that disunity is an illusion difficult to sustain in light of shared faith and common purpose. Political outcomes may not always align with our desires, but our unity remains our enduring strength. The message for 2027 is not mere repetition of numbers but a deepening of a culture of collaboration: to orient the democratic process to the universal good, to use a collective voice with discernment, and to trust that faith and conscience can guide the ballot as surely as they guide the prayer rug.

Mutual outreach closed the circle of care. To strengthen unity, we must reach out to our brethren wherever they are. In the Southern regions—and across the nation—mutual recognition and proactive outreach bind us more securely as one body in faith, knowledge, and service to Allah. This is not sentimentality but a blueprint for social cohesion: a commitment to listen, to learn, to serve, and to translate dialogue into shared action that uplifts communities rather than divides them.

The closing pledge was not a mere vow to preserve creed but to advance it with mercy as the engine of justice. Let us, as this conference commences, renew our commitment to the shared creed that unites us in faith and purpose. May the lessons of Tawhīd illuminate our paths, and may the unity of the Ummah stand as a shield against division. Let our discourse be expansive rather than rancorous; be charitable in spirit; and remember that disagreement within wisdom is Rahmah, not rancour. The strength of the Ummah lies not in uniformity of opinion alone, but in a steadfast commitment to mercy, justice, and the pursuit of knowledge for the sake of Allah.

The closing blessing and farewell carried the warmth of a public benediction. May Allah bless this gathering, grant enduring benefit to the scholars present, and preserve the unity of the Muslim Ummah. May He guide us to enact the principles discussed with wisdom, patience, and steadfastness. And may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, his family, and his companions. I closed with gratitude for the opportunity to speak at this auspicious gathering, and for the privilege to convey the SCSN’s message while bearing personal witness to the Conference’s living rhythm.

I do not claim exhaustive recall of every detail; time constrained many voices to briefer statements, yet the overarching thrust remains clear and compelling: the propagation of a spiritual message succeeds best when grassroots leadership is mobilised, when traditional rulers—present and respected in the Southwest—are honoured with space to address the gathering, and when the community sees in its leaders a steadfast pledge to unity, justice, and compassionate governance. Lagos, in its vibrant mood, offered more than a memory; it displayed a pathway for today’s faithful to live the creed in daily life, to translate knowledge into service, and to share it across a nation still being shaped by Shari’ah.

Observations on grassroots leadership and impact are not mere footnotes but essential to any true accounting of the conference’s value. A spiritual message, travelling from pulpit to village square, from sermon to street corner, must be accompanied by the voices and hands of those who know the local rhythms—the elders, the community organisers, the teachers, the mothers and fathers who model daily virtue. When leadership acts in concert with those roots, the message becomes a lived reality rather than a distant ideal. The Lagos gathering offered more than a catalogue of ideas; it offered a living diagram of how faith, law, and social life can co-create a more just and merciful society.

If there is a single line to summon the moment, it is this: a spiritual message travels on the wings of grassroots leadership, and travels further with deeper resonance than a sermon recited in isolation. The conference, richly attended by scholars from across the world and enriched by the participation of Southwest traditional rulers, stood as a quiet but firm affirmation of that truth. The leaders who spoke did not merely deliver statements; they modelled a way of being that is scholarly and humble, juridical and merciful, learned and pastoral. In Lagos, the future of our shared creed—Tawhīd and its practical application—begins not with a single decree but with a collective resolve: to keep faith alive in daily life, to translate knowledge into service, and to ensure that every effort to propagate the sound creed is matched by acts of care for the most vulnerable in our communities.

The writing that emerges from this Lagos moment is not a fixed document but a living invitation. It challenges us to build networks of trust across regions, to welcome rulers and scholars into a continuous dialogue, and to remember that the true work of Shari’ah is not confined to courts or lecture halls but poured into the daily rhythms of people’s lives. If this gathering proves anything, it is that the strength of the Ummah lies in unity that respects diversity, in jurisprudence that serves justice, and in a faith that remains both rigorous in scholarship and generous in mercy.

As the opening session concludes, the prayer remains: may Allah bless this gathering, may the wisdom shared here take root in our communities, and may the unity of the Muslim Ummah endure as a living testament to a creed that is at once sacred and dynamically relevant. The path laid out in Lagos, shaped by voices from many lands and the wisdom of Nigerian leadership, is a path toward a future where the sound creed continues to guide our steps with clarity, compassion, and courage. In this moment, the Lagos Opening Session is not merely a memory but a turning point: a reminder that disciplined dialogue, grounded in faith and sustained by grassroots leadership, can illuminate the road toward justice, mercy, and peace for all.