Lagos State, the Center of Excellence witnessed a grand celebration of love and scholarship as families and friends came together to bear witness to the Aqdun and Walimatul Nikaah of Faruq Ajani Abdul Lateef and Maryam Asake Lawal on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
The tall and handsome groom is the first son of the immediate former Chairman of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Honourable Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef while the beautiful bride is the daughter of Barrister Muhammad Iskil Lawal, the ex-Lagos chairman of Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria (MULAN).
The shindig took place at the beautifully decorated Yard 158 Event Arena, Ikeja that exuded elegance.
Ex-NDIC boss' son, Faruq weds Maryam Lawal
Faruq Ajani, the first son of the immediate former Chairman of NDIC, Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef, on Sunday, July 23, got married to his sweetheart, Maryam Asake Muhammad Lawal, in a colourful Aqdun/Walimatul Nikaah, held in Ikeja, Lagos pic.twitter.com/W0FMiRBVmR
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) July 24, 2023
The event was well-attended by individuals, revered Islamic scholars and captains of industries, including the Vice Chairman of the Council of Ulamah, Nigeria, Sheikh Abdul Fatah Thanni; President, Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (IIFP), Prof. Tajudeen Yusuf and Chief Imam, Lekki Central Mosque, Imam Ridwan Jamiu, and Alhaji Y.R Onibipe, MD, Ibwas Oil and Gas Limited, who chaired the occasion, among others.
Muslim News correspondents gathered that the aqdun (solemnization) started at 11 am with an opening prayer led by the Chief Executive Officer of Jaiz Charity and Development Foundation, Dr. Abdullahi Shuaib, as a procession of dignitaries in their beautiful attires made graceful entrance.
The proud parents of the bride and groom were warmly welcomed into the hall by the masters of the ceremony, the duo of Mustapha Kelani and Lukman Edu, with waka, an Islamic-oriented genre of music popular among the Yoruba people.
The elated groom’s father, Dr. Abdul Hakeem, a renowned Islamic preacher in Nigeria and former Commissioner for Home Affairs in Lagos State, joined the sensational anchors in praise singing the arrival of his wife, Alhaja Shukrah Abdul Lateef Alagabi, accompanied by his friends and family members.
Recall that the family gave out their daughters’ (Hikmah, Hibbatullah and Labeebah) hands in marriage to Mustapha Kelani (one of the comperes), Dr. Ibrahim Odulate and Yusuf Alabi in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
The pathway was later cleared as the groom dressed up in an ash flowing gown (agbada), walked in majestically with an entourage of groomsmen. He was followed by the radiant bride who was also adorned in a full hijab of ash colour, accompanied by her bridesmaids.
The couple, completed their Quranic memorisation from Markaz AbdulLateef Centre for Quranic Memorisation and Arabic Studies, otherwise known as Khalwatu Tanzeel, an Arabic School owned by the groom’s father. They both attended Al-Faruq Schools – also owned by the groom’s father, for their secondary education.
Faruq studied Engineering in the United Kingdom and is presently pursuing his Master’s degree. Maryam is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Radiography at the University of Lagos.
The momentous occasion began with a soul-stirring recitation of the Holy Qur’an from Suratu-n-Nisai (Q.4: 34) by Muhammad Awwal, alongside the groom’s brothers, Usamah and Muhammad Abdul Lateef, a verse which centres on the responsibilities of men as protectors and maintainers of women.
Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafi’i, the grand mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisation (CIO), delivered an inspiring lecture, which centered on the Hadith of the prophet (SAW) in Sahih Muslim, which says, “The Deen (religion) is Nasihah (advice, sincerity).”
The companions replied, “To whom?”. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said, “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.”
Sheikh Shafi’i, therefore, charged parents to instill the values of integrity and good conduct in line with the teachings of Islam in their children to checkmate societal ills and restore dignity to the country.
He admonished the couple to emulate their parents’ good virtues and legacies, saying that they are among the forerunners of Islamic activism.
The revered Islamic scholar also urged the groom to discharge his responsibilities effectively as the protector of the house, saying that it’s ill-motivated advise for men to divide monetary responsibility with their wives.
The aqdun-nikaah was officiated by Barrister Tirmidhi Adisa, who pronounced Faruq and Maryam as husband and wife. The joyous couple signed their marriage certificate.
The reception commenced immediately after Salatul Dhur, with the young pupils from Al-Faruq School delighting the audience with a captivating choreography of melodious Islamic nasheeds.
In a touching moment, the bride – who had changed her cloth for the second time, requested the groom to recite a portion of Suratul Maryam, and they both captivated the gathering with their sonorous voices as they recited the first ten verses of Suratul Kahf.
The event ended with heartfelt expressions of gratitude and appreciation from the newlyweds. The joy and happiness that filled the air made the wedding a memorable affair for all in attendance.
Other guests included the Acting Vice Chancellor of the newly established Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Dr. Oluremi Olaleye; the Executive Director, ZSF, Prince Sulayman Olagunju; M.D, Wheel Oil and Gas Limited, Alhaji Akanni Maruf; M.D Jojo and company Limited, Alhaji Wasi Olukoya; Aare Musulumi of Ijebuland, Barrister Musbau Oyefeso; Justice of the High Court, Justice AbdulFatai Lawal; Chief Registrar, High Court of Lagos, Mr Razak Davies and former Commissioner for Local Government & Community Affairs, Hon. Muslim Folami.
The wedding of Faruq and Maryam – which also had in attendance personalities such as Alhaja Hafsat Asake Lawal, Alhaja Hafsat Abeni Raji, Dr. Semiu Ajani Ishola Lawal, Otunba Saheed Adeyemi Lawal, Alhaja Wakilat Odutolu-Lawal, Alhaja Azeezat Odutolu Lawal, Alhaja Sekinat Zurakat-Aderibigbe will undoubtedly be etched in the memories of all those who bore witness to this momentous occasion.
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