Former Pastor Mary embraces Islam, converts Church to Mosque in Ibadan

‘The entire building is now dedicated to the worship of Allah – Barrister Akinola

The city of Ibadan, Oyo State capital was on Thursday agog when some of Nigeria’s leading Islamic scholars stormed Olomi Ayegun, Fatusi area for the commissioning of Oke Iyanu Central Mosque, Olohunwa.

The mosque was formerly known as Oke Iyanu Cherubim and Seraphim Church before the founder, former Pastor Mrs. Mary Magdalene embraced Islam and converted the building to the Muslim place of worship.

Some of the personalities that attended the unveiling and prayed for the first time in the mosque include the Asiwaju Adinni of Oyo State, Alhaji Mutiullah Oladejo; the Director, Daru Nai’m, Sheikh Imran Eleha; Chairman Oyo Muslim Community, Alhaji Kunle Sanni, veteran Islamic comparative scholar, Alhaji Amoo Alaga, among others.

The conversion story

Investigations carried out by Muslim News showed that Oke Iyanu Church used to be a popular place of worship for members of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, headed by the Pastor Mrs. Mary Magdalene.

“One night, during one of their vigils, Pastor Mrs. slept and had a strange dream. In her dream, she saw people, dressed in turban, Muslims headgear, worshipping and chanting Allahu Akbar, and other form of supplication,” Barrister Bilal Akinola, who is the Secretary of the Fatusi and environs Muslim Community said while speaking with our Correspondent on Friday.

According to him, “When the Pastor Mary woke up; she was terrified and immediately sent for her peers in Christiandom to pray for her, after relating the dream to them. But she dreamt again and this time, the revelation was more intense. She saw more Muslims worshipping in the Church bowing and going on prostration. She became disturbed again upon waking up . She then decided to seek advice from a Muslim scholar in the community.”

Pastor Mrs. Mary’s journey to Islam was blessed by Allah, who guided her to meet an Ahlul Sunnah — a term for conscious and devout Muslim brother, Mallam Yaqub Eleto who eventually became the regular and jumaat imam of the newly commissioned mosque.

“Fortunately for her, the first contact was a Sunnah brother, who gathered some Muslims, including myself. We prayed and admonished her about the beauty of Islam. At the end, she was convinced and agreed to accept Islam.

“One of the eleha (veiled Muslim lady) performed the Islamic obligatory bath for her. She was made to pronounce the Kalimah Shahada. Since she was formerly known as Mary, she chose to now be known as Maryam,” Barrister Akinola added.

The story of the Church turned Mosque

The Church was in its dilapidated form as at the time she embraced Islam, Muslim News was reliably informed by the Secretary of the Muslim Community, who added that, “the upper part was the Church while the latter part was a mission house, where she used to sleep. So, we turned it to mosque and started observing daily superogatory prayers.”

Barrister Akinola said the community has been praying in the mosque in that form since 2007 until last year when the Mosque Committee decided to seek financial support from the Muslims across the world.

Barrister Bilal said, “While the awareness was going on, a man called us from France (or United Kingdom), who requested for the total money needed for the building of the mosque. We told him it would cost us N4.5 million and he promised to sponsor the project in full. He started sending money and the building began immediately.

“By Allah, the mosque building for Male and Female is completed now with brand new generator and other state of the art facilities. The entire building is now dedicated to the worship of Allah, Alhamdulillah. I just left the mosque (Friday) where I went to observe the first solatul jumah.