* I feel elated as best graduating student in Non-Interest Finance
*It’ll assist in marketing Islam globally
*My four wives are my partners in progress
The immediate former Chairman of the governing board of NDIC, Dr. AbdulHakeem Mobolaji AbdulLateef has emerged as the best-graduating student with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.7 in the Executive Master of Non-Interest (Islamic) Finance (EMNIF) programme from the University of Lagos Business School after he bagged his 8th master’s degree with distinction.
Dr. AbdulHakeem who now has 8 MSc degrees and one PhD in Law, in the field of Legislative Drafting, was among the 377 Masters students graduating with distinctions.
He alongside others received their certificates at the institution’s 54th Convocation ceremony held on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
Speaking with Muslim News, AbdulLateef said, “I feel humbled and excited because only Allah enables us. He is the only one who activates and deactivates. I give all glory to Allah”, he said
The renowned Muslim scholar, who said he embarked on the programme to enrich his Da’wah (Islamic propagation) through the right communication and exposure in various fields of human endeavours, said, “This is my 8th MSc degree and when I joined the programme, my plan was not to emerge the best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.7. I simply studied ceaselessly because our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) informed us that knowledge is something we seek from cradle to grave.
According to him, “What I embarked upon is called FTD meaning Full Time Da’wah and oftentimes, I do entertain questions from different people who are in different fields. So, to make it easy for people, to understand the beauty of Islam, we need to explore, get informed and be enlightened as preachers.
Ex-NDIC boss, Dr. AbdulLateef emerges best graduating student in Non-Interest Finance at #UNILAG
Dr. AbdulLateef who already has 8 Masters (MSc) degrees and one PhD in Law, is among the 377 Master's students graduating with distinctions at the ongoing #UNILAG2022Convocation. pic.twitter.com/8kmfZXzn7x
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) January 16, 2024
“This programme, like the previous ones, will assist me in marketing Islam to the world, because, as at today, Islam is the best product with the worst marketers. If we choose to propagate Islam, we have to do it with the best commitment and competencies required. This is the main reason I feel so excited. Though it wasn’t easy starting the course, Alhamdulillah it has ended in a good way.
‘The remaining 7 degrees, fellow programmes’
Famously known as Hon Iyepe by his admirers, Dr. Abdul Lateef’s academic sojourn began at UNILAG in 1987 when he gained admission into Year 2 through direct entry and later bagged a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1990. He was called to Bar in 1991, having graduated from the Nigerian Law School.
He went further to bag a Masters of Law (LLM) and PhD in Law from the same university, in the field of Legislative Drafting from the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
Muslim News gathered that the former Lagos Commissioner for Home Affairs joined politics in 2002, contested and won election in 2003 as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Oshodi Isolo Constituency 2. He proceeded to Lagos State University, LASU, to learn more about Public Administration. At the end of the programme, he bagged a Masters in Public Administration.
“To learn more about Management, I did a Masters in Management at the Business School, Netherlands. I also proceeded to do another Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chichester, United Kingdom.
“When I wanted to learn about Marketing, and the wealth of Allah, I decided to do another Masters in Marketing at Anglia Ruskin University, UK, which has assisted my Da’wah. I also added another Masters in Management at the University of Liverpool, UK.
The lawmaker also had another Global Executive Masters degree in Business Administration from China, Europe International Business School, which took him and his coursemates to various continents during the 2 and half years programme.
“I did some courses at Lagos Business School. I am also a Senior Fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston, United States of America and a couple of other postgraduates here and there. Of course, this Masters in Non-Interest Finance is my 10th postgraduate course but my 8th Masters degree,” he added.
‘It’s a trailblazer, unique programme’
The eloquent Nigerian scholar described the 18-month programme as a trailblazer and unique, saying many financial experts and analysts, especially in the non-interest arena will not hesitate to enroll if they knew its numerous benefits.
He said, “It’s no longer news that the apex bank in Nigeria, CBN has licenced non-interest banks. The insurance sector also allows takaful insurance. The current economic downturn has affected many homes which made many Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion, to engage in Shari’ah compliance products, willingly and unwillingly.
“Today, many Nigerians in the financial sector have opened or established either full Shari’ah compliant institutions or a window. Interestingly, these institutions require the services of an advisory committee of experts who will advice non-interest financial institutions on their level of Shari’ah compliance concerning the regulations that set them up.
“To be appointed as part of the advisory committee of experts, this programme guarantees one appointment in either an Islamic bank or insurance institution, for anyone interested, subject to other conditions.
“During the three-semester programme, we had several courses such as theory and practice of credit risk management, business strategy and policies; non-interest microfinance and partnership, Shari’ah aspect of business and finance, wealth planning management and many other beautiful courses.”
At the end of the programme, Dr Abdul Lateef said professionals will be able to advise people when they need to engage in mudarabah (profit and loss sharing), musharakah (joint partnership), or ijarah (leasing) among others.
MUSLIM NEWS DROPS SPECIAL EDITION FOR MSSN #UNILAG SCHOLAR
We have released our special edition to celebrate the outstanding performances of @MSSNLagos members at#Unilag54thConvocation, with the cover, "Harvest of distinctions as Amir, 40 MSSN members graduate with First Class" pic.twitter.com/rCXntP3FK3
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) January 18, 2024
He added, “The programme enables people to become experts who will advice their clients, including the government on the best approaches to benefit immensely from the beauty of Islamic finance products.”
MN: How were you able to achieve these feats, despite your busy schedule and age?
Hon Iyepe: I give all the Glory to Allah, Alhamdulillah. As I said, Allah is the enabler. When He enables you, you will be able to do a couple of things but always remember that the tribute belongs to Him because without Him, man cannot do anything.
Generally speaking, when there is a will, there is always a way. When Allah was talking about Prophet Adam (AS), He said, “We didn’t find him determined”. Each time Allah asks us to be patient, He will say: ‘Be patient. The Messengers of Allah were noted for their determination. The likes of Prophet Ibrahim, Noah, Musa, Isa and Prophet Muhammad, SAW. I think knowing your destination and directions and with determination to follow the directions that lead to your destination will be of assistance. People can plan but most plans are never executed. We should be determined to execute our plans and take the message of Allah to wherever He permits us.
To achieve effective communication, every preacher must continue to learn and improve on themselves, not only with the Qur’an and Hadith but several other fields of knowledge. That’s why I told my children they should start talking (preaching) to people about Islam from now on. I started mine from secondary school and for close to 40 years, my Da’wah has been blessed by Allah and it’s still on. I pray Allah grants us long life to take Da’wah to every nook and cranny of the universe.
MN: You have an intimidating resume. You have education in both Western and Islamic fields, from elementary to doctorate level. You have several degrees, what else are you looking for? What is the motivation? Are you not contented?
Hon Iyepe: Well, contentment is divided into two; the one you must have and the other you should not have. Whatever you know is distributed by Allah, you must have contentment over that. Allah gives and withholds. Whatever He gives, you must have contentment, and if He doesn’t give, you must have contentment.
But the contentment you must not have is regarding your efforts. When you worship Allah, you must never be satisfied. You must always try and break your record because there is nothing you can do that can repay or compensate Allah for what He does in your life. The best way to approach what we do is not to see it, we must always see ourselves as if we haven’t done anything.
So, you keep learning. I learn from those who are younger than me. I learn from my subordinates, colleagues and the elders among us. You must keep learning until you die.
Contentment must be put into perspective concerning what Allah has given to you as an assignment. You must never be satisfied with your positive efforts and worship. We must never allow what we do, what we have achieved or our degrees to get into our heads. We must keep learning and learning, irrespective of our age.
MN: Let’s quickly talk about your Qatar, UK, and US Da’wah trips. How were you able to pull all those together, back to back, starting from the planning, lecture focus and your experience throughout the trips?
Hon Iyepe: Anyway, the location doesn’t matter when it comes to Da’wah. What is important is getting people interested in the words of Allah. Thus, I feel the same way whether I’m at Ijebu, Ogbomosovor Abuja to give a lecture. But, I think what has facilitated international Da’wah is social media. Many people follow us and watch us without us knowing they’re watching. So, when we see invitation from them, they come all expense paid.
I feel great that one in the field of Da’wah can be paid to be seen. They buy your tickets from different states in the US, and they’re ready to accommodate you in very good places. Some even invite you to their homes. It’s very exciting to see people whom Allah has touched in different parts of the world. I try to let them know that I don’t collect a dime for my Da’wah. All my lectures are free. I only expected them to take care of me during my stay with them. If it has to do with travelling abroad, then you have to get the ticket and accommodation. So, aside from that, I do not collect a dollar from anybody. I do it for free like all my lectures in Lagos and all over Nigeria.
I realised that if you truly want to be rewarded by Allah, He (Allah) has a way of making life easy for you in this world even before you die. That’s a piece of evidence that Allah’s promise shall come to pass. Once you have the right intention that you want to please Allah, and you’re not doing it for people, He’ll help you.
MUSLIM NEWS' SPECIAL INTEREST STORY
We spoke with Dr. AbdulLateef and his coursemates, who also finished with distinctions on their experiences during their 3 semester Masters' programme @UnilagNigeria business school (ULBS). #AFCON2023 #Pakistan #AFCON pic.twitter.com/mzw6gui6mf
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) January 18, 2024
During my lectures, I do not allow qaseeda, I do not allow people to praise me. I don’t want my resume to be read before a lecture commences, because I’m here to market Allah and not myself. The moment you get all these right, then a brand new level of humility descends upon you where you see yourself as nothing and you see Allah as everything.
MN: I believe achieving all these feats requires a lot of sacrifices. Health-wise, one needs to be strong! How do you take care of your health, and what are your health tips and routines?
Hon Iyepe: When it comes to health matters, the tips that I think work for me are: one, I drink a lot of water and I don’t joke with it. After every two raka’at of tahajjud, I drink water, and after I finish my tahajjud, I drink three litres of water. Someone told me it’s too much, but it’s part of my life already. I also have this alkaline water which I drink that neutralises the acid in your body and makes you feel great.
Two, I take any opportunity to walk. I go to the masjid that’s far away even though I have a closer one just so that I’d walk two kilometers. I also set standard for myself to walk daily to keep fit. Although I haven’t succeeded in other aspects like not eating late. My wives have tried their best to make sure I don’t eat late, but because I have programmes and meetings which end late, I end up eating late. But I know it’s not the best way, if you can maintain a healthy diet, make sure you don’t eat after 6 or 7, don’t eat sugary or oily food, junk, and you’ll be healthy and be able to go far. When we do lectures, we take water at intervals. We also observe Prophet Dawud’s fast and this is our third year, and fasting makes you healthy. In all, Allah is the giver of good health.
MN: In one of your posts, you acknowledged the unflinching support of your four wives. Although what works for you might not work for others, can you share with us, in what way are they supporting you so that other couples can learn from you?
Hon Iyepe: I give glory to Allah for assisting me with four righteous women who have dedicated their lives to attaining Allah’s pleasure. They are my partners in progress as far as Da’wah is concerned. All I can say is that if Allah decides to assist you, He will also assist you through your spouses, especially if you’re fortunate to have those who think less of dunya (enjoyment of this world) and who are busy filling their books with righteous deeds that can assist them to gain jannah.
I want to say that there is something that works for everyone and that is ikhlas niyah (sincere intention) to the knowledge of the Qur’an; then followership of Muhammad (SAW), having piety, steadfastness, contentment and reliance on Allah, it will work for you. Let’s understand that Islam works for anyone who fulfils what Allah wants.
Women play great roles in the life of every man who truly wants to attain the pleasure of Allah. I do not joke with my wives. You see them accompany me even to local lectures, especially if I can provide accommodation. But in lectures where I sleep in a mosque or brother’s house, they leave me to my destiny.
So, we can’t ignore the roles they are playing in men’s lives. They take care of the children and oversee their growth and development. They cooperate among themselves and believe in a united family. The only reason you can be focused whenever you travel for lectures is when the home is peaceful. The children do not discriminate when it comes to relating with their mothers. They are always together. I pray Allah continues to bless every one of us and bring us together in jannah.
