The impact of interpersonal Dawah (Islamic propagation) was greatly felt on Saturday, February 3, at the popular Millennium Park, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, where four Christian ladies embraced Islam and became Muslims.
The four now preferred to be addressed as Zainab, Rahma, Asma’u and Sharifah, after pronouncing the Shahada (Declaration of Faith) with sincerity and conviction.
Muslim News gathered that their conversion took place at the Hijab Awareness Outreach organised by the Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women, as part of activities marking the 2024 World Hijab Day.
The World Hijab Day, initiated in 2013 by a social activist, Nazma Khan, a Bangladeshi American, to celebrate women who choose to wear a Hijab, is being held every February 1st in over 150 countries including Nigeria.
Every year, the Muslim coalition gathers its members at Millennium Park to preach Islam to females outside the faith and invite them to wear the hijab for the day to foster religious tolerance and understanding.
Speaking with Muslim News, Coordinator of the coalition, Hajiya Rahmatu Musa Sani said, “At our Dawah outreach yesterday (Saturday), four Christians embraced Islam. We met them separately at the park. As usual, when we arrived at the Park, we went around to distribute our pamphlets stating the importance of modesty in Islam. We went round with the pamphlets, inviting them to Islam, the only ordained religion by Allah.
“We encouraged them to be modest in their dressing and convinced them to come and try the Hijab of our stand. They should experience the use of the Hijab at least for a day and have a taste of how it feels and Alhamdulillah they willingly came and that is where their journey to Islam began.”
Muslim News gathered that Zaynab was the first to accept Islam.
“I went to their stand and I invited them to our stand to come and have a feel of how we feel when we are covered and she immediately jumped out of the crowd and followed me.
“She said she has always wanted to be covering, showing me her head tie. Although there were many there, she was the only one that followed us.
“On our way to our tent, we were gisting, I asked her name and she told me Zainab she said her mother is a Muslim and unfortunately, she’s a Christian. As we continued chatting, she told me she didn’t want to appear this way on getting to our tent because her cleavage was opened; I got a cloth to cover her chest and another one to tie her head. Alhamdulillah.
“Allah guided her to Islam and she maintained her name as Zainab. Sister Adama gave her the Shahada. Alhamdulillah, May Allah preserve her in faith,” Hajiya Musa Sani noted.
We are reliably informed that the second person to accept Islam is Rahma, who was invited by members of the coalition to their tent.
“When she visited our tent, we started talking about Islam and she told us that she’s been interested in Islam recently because her friend embraced Islam and she too, wants to be a Muslim; and Alhamdulillah, Allah guided her to Islam.
“I gave her the Kalimah (testimony) and she accepted or she chose the name Rahma and now she is part of us. May Allah preserve her in faith and make the journey of Islam easy for her and for all of us. Ameen,” the Coordinator of the coalition told Muslim News.
Speaking further, Hajiya Sani Musa said, “The third and the fourth sisters were also invited to our stand. When they came, we preached Islam to them, we told them the importance of being covered and surrendering their faith completely to Allah.
“Being obedient to Him and so on and Alhamdulillah after conversing for a while, they decided to accept Islam. We gave them Asma’u and Sharifah after pronouncing the kalimah. Alhamdulillah, we are praying to Allah to accept this from us and preserve them in faith, to protect their faith
“So, we all met them at the park, nobody came with them, it’s a public park and that’s where we met them and brought them to Islam by the little effort of the Brothers and Sisters that were present as we marked the World Hijab Day,” she added.
The Abuja World Hijab Day activities which began on Wednesday, January 31 with a press conference came to a climax on Sunday, February 4, at the National Mosque Abuja.
