Muslim female students at all levels have been tasked to find their purpose in life in order to be useful to themselves and the society just as they are enjoined to chart a new cause in the propagation of the universality of Islamic message.
In this age where perversion, immorality and indiscipline have become pervasive, Muslim ladies must see themselves as vicegerents of Allah who are expected to continue the propagation of Islam message from where the Prophets and Messengers of Allah stopped.
This charge was given by the speakers at the Sisters’ Circle of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit 2022 Reportorial Conference recently held at the Federal College of Education, Technical (FCET), Akoka, Lagos, with the theme, “The Essence”.
The annual conference gathered the Amirahs (female heads) and Secretaries of the Society in all the Area Councils (Local Governments) Central Branches, Higher Institutions of Learning, as well as the Unit cabinet members.
We’re Allah’s vicegerents on earth – Amirah
Addressing the leadership of Muslim Sisters from across the state, Hajiyah Basheerah Majekodunmi urged them to see the offices they were occupying as a trust and a responsibility placed on them by Allah, same way Allah entrusted the similar responsibilities to His Messengers and Prophets, stressing that, as the Prophets and Messengers fulfilled their covenants, the leadership of Muslim sisters must equally discharge their responsibilities.
“Since the Prophets and Messengers are no more, we are the vicegerents of Allah at this moment. For us to be able to discharge the responsibility, we must be committed to His cause”, she said.
The Annual Conference, which marked the second administrative year of Majekodunmi-led Sisters’ Circle, featured series of informative and educative programmes such as lectures, reports and award presentations.
Speaking with Muslim News, Hajiyah Majekodunmi said the Annual Conference is an avenue where the leadership of the Society gives stewardship of the responsibilities reposed in them for the past twelve months.
“This is the 2nd Reportorial Conference of our three-year administration. Today, we are evaluating our activities for one year”, she said.
Towards finding a purpose in life – Adeleye-Fatade
The Guest Speaker at the occasion, Hajiyah Zulfah Adeleye-Fatade defined the theme: “The Essence” as “the mission” that is meant to assist individual female Muslim to find her purpose in life – spiritually, intellectually and academically.
According to her, “being the representative of the Society in your Area Councils and Central Branches, your ‘essence’ is to present to the people, the pristine Islam according to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, SAW.
“Also, your ‘essence’ is to assist the female students to find their purpose, in respect to servitude to their Lord. By upholding the true value of your essence, you are also savaging the humanity, as evidenced in Quran 3: 104 where Allah says, ‘let there arise among you a set of people inviting to good and forbidding evil.'”
The Guest Speaker encouraged the participants to be exemplary in character, adding that, “first of which every executive has to know are the dictates of their respective offices. Knowing their responsibilities and roles according to the post they were given will help in discharging them effectively. They need to pay keen attention to questions bothering on how functional is their sisters’ cabinet meeting, and what is the level of their interaction with the students, individually and collectively? They need to critically look into it”.
Hajiyah Adeleye-Fatade urged the participants to be intentional, functional and purposeful leaders and not to be ceremonial or figure head in the discharge of their responsibilities as representatives of Allah (on earth) and the officers of the Society.
She highlighted some of their duties to the students including: “assisting them to guide their affairs with the right minhaj (approach), which is the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The moment they assume the responsibility, they have taken a covenant with Allah according to Quran 6: 162.
Adeleye-Fatade therefore called on the leadership of the Sisters Circle to discharge the responsibility assiduously, saying the world looks up to them to salvage humanity.
“Vulnerable Sisters in secondary schools are waiting for us to assist them in finding their purpose on earth. Since Allah says we are witnesses on to mankind, we need not to shy away from our responsibilities. We need to nurture and groom people, especially the young ones. We need to also develop ourselves so that we can live up to expectations.
The Guest Speaker further advised the audience on attainment of successes on the part of Allah, saying “This can be achieved by knowing your responsibilities; reading the MSSN bye-laws, and understanding what she termed SWOT analysis: your Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats.
She hinted on how to actualise improvements on their programmes as spicing up the usrah (weekly lectures), procuring a comprehensive syllabus to train the students, and having a one-on-one discussion with them.
“The most important thing is taking responsibility individually via the concept of Personal Sense of Responsibility – PSR”, she said.
Evaluation of a year activities
In line with the dictates of Shari’ah which says: “Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable”, the Amirah, Hajiyah Majekodunmi and the Treasurer, Hajiyah Morufat Adesokan presented Administrative and Financial Reports for 2021/2022 Administrative Year.
Chairperson of the Preceding Conference, Hajiyah Lateefah Farawe commended the cabinet for its laudable students-orientated programmes during the period under review, adding that, “the hijab victory at the Supreme Court remains the major achievement of the administration.”
Celebrating the best Area Councils
One of the highlights of the event was Award Presentations for sterling performances, with Epe Area Council emerging the best, while Igbogbo and Surulere Area Councils were rated second and third respectively.
The Amirah, Hajiyah Majekodunmi; Secretary to the Sisters Circle, Hajiyah Asmau Yahya (in absentia) and the Reportorial Conference Chairperson, Hajiyah Maryam Okeowo, were also honoured for their dedication to the students work.
