By Abdulwarees Solanke, Voice of Nigeria.
Our Beginning in MSS
This year, I will clock 58. But as a Muslim privileged to go through all levels of education, the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria had been part of my life in the past 46 years.
Converted statistically, it means I have been associated with the organization, now it’s 70th year of existence, for about 80 percent of my years on earth. Alhamdulillah.
And, this is not about me alone. It is the story of my generation who have been involved with the society from our first day in the secondary school where we first got involved in Islamic activism.
I was admitted to Egba Comprehensive High School, Abeokuta in 1978, as a boarding house student, where it was compulsory for all students to attend religious forum either as a Muslim or a Christian on Sundays.
In our days, most muslim students who were in secondary schools had less grounding in Islam. If at all, it was always very shallow.
So, MSS was mostly our intro to Islam. MSS provided the Path or Compass to Islam. MSS laid the foundation of our Islam.
In MSS many began to learn about salaah, perform ablution, recite the Quran.
MSS introduced us to many literatures that enabled us to get good grasp of the Islamic faith and value system.
MSS: Our Family; Our Network
For many of us, we started our home and family in the soils of MSS.
It was from MSS we found and picked our spouses to start our homes. It’s being without regret.
But beyond family, our circles and network of friends were built within and around MSS.
In MSS, most of us found purpose and direction in life. It is in MSS that our future careers were defined and shaped.
In MSS, we found mentors and motivators, we also found parents, helpers and life guides and facilitators.
Through them, we clarified our purposed and shaped our vision.
Today many of us are fulfilled. And we still relate with ourselves in the spirit of our years of innocence when we were 10 years plus.
MSS: Our School of Management & Leadership
From MSS, many brothers and sisters arrived on the big stage of manning human affairs.
The society was the platform on which they were tested in public affairs management and from which they were tapped into governance or government.
In MSS many who could be described as natural mutes became vibrant public speakers.
In MSS, through assignments and responsibilities at committee, branch, area councils, area units and zonal levels, we learnt focus, time management, responsibilities assumption, even politics and public engagement.
Invariably, MSS is the bedrock of our leadership training and the foundation of our professionalism and entrepreneurship.
For me, my zest as a Muslim writer or a muslimedia practitioner evolved from my roles and responsibilities either in Public Relations or Secretariat portfolios at Egba High School, Abeokuta, Baptist High School Iwo and the University of Lagos.
They also reflected in my responsibilities at other Muslim groups and community levels, for instance in The Muslim Congress, the University of Lagos Alumni and the Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC .
My student life as a member of MSS unarguably underlines my pursuits and engagements up till today and continues to shape my vision.
It was as a member of MSS that I crafted the following words as my personal motto: The beauty of a man lies in the purity of his heart, the nobility of his intellect and the excellence of his character.
MSS and Our Spirituality
Many students who did not come from homes with any Islamic root returned home to smash the pillars of idolatry in their backyards to erect pillars of Islam at their front doors.
Among students of my generation, adhaan was scarcely heard from any quarters in their compounds. Today, they are producing haafiz among their sons and daughters.
Homes that were once denoted or identified with shrines now have iconic masjids at their front yards or compounds
The revolution of MSS in the past 70 years has been so remarkable that many schools and universities scarcely with any Muslim presence at their establishment are now dominated by Hijabis to conclude that they are Muslim institutions.
MSS: Beyond Our Student Years
For my generation, who lived the best of youthful years as active MSS members, it is inconceivable that our lives would change from the one we lived as students: it was Life of Brotherhood, of community or communalism, of Openness, of care and concern for one another.
Not a few of us married into our fellow brother’s house before we began to find our levels. Most of us on transfers and postings or upon new appointment in a distant land or even sojourn abroad first found accommodation and comfort in the home of a fellow MSS member regardless of whether we are of same origin, background, ethnicity, class or level. It’s enough to have a recommendation from your unit leader or a just call that Brother Abdul…. will be coming, please take care of him and the visitor or guest will be hosted without condition.
That was how Alhaji Ahmad Dele Olaoye hosted me at Lawanson Surulere in 1985 when I was admitted to study mass communication at the University of Lagos upon recommendation from my fatherly Brother-in-law, Late Imam SalahuDeen Ariyayo Abdulazeez.
Without MSS, most of my generation would not be what and where we are today.
No longer students, or outside the formal school system, and even many now older than MSS in age, our lives still remain MSS lives.
We are still brothers and sisters when identifying ourselves, just as for most of my generation, the new relationships we built, partnerships we forged, groups we established, societies we found, enterprises we started, clubs we joined always have their motivation or origin in the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria.
Alhamdulillah. We congratulate ourselves for the strides of MSS in the last 70 years praying that Allah abundantly reward the visionaries and pioneers of the society and all striving in the cause of Allah in their sacrifices and commitment to keep MSS standing and strong.
To me, the future of Islam in Nigeria and the unity of our nation will be built on the foundation of the Society.
Victory to the Believers
If you Help the Cause of Allah, He will Aid You, And Establish Your Feet Firmly.
There’s no Help Except from Allah.
Till Eternity, we are resolved to Serve Allah.
