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The Founder and Chairman of the ASHRAAF Islamic Foundation, Imam (Dr.) Sharafudeen AbdulSalam Aliagan, has called on Muslims across the world to rekindle their faith and build resilience amid global and personal challenges, stressing that “faith must be nourished, developed, and constantly affirmed.”

He made the call on Saturday in Abuja while speaking with journalists during the 2025 Annual Maulud Nabiyy Celebration and Family Picnic organised by the foundation under the theme, “The Ummah in Today’s World: Building Resilient Faith, Family and Community through Prophetic Values.”

The colourful event, which attracted scholars, clerics, government officials, families, and youth groups, featured activities in three segments — for adults, youths, and children — each designed to strengthen understanding of Prophet Muhammad’s teachings and values.

Imam Aliagan

Speaking passionately about the theme, Imam Aliagan said the choice of the topic stemmed from the observation that many people who claim faith in God are gradually losing it in practice.

“The issue of faith and resilience, as far as Islam and humanity are concerned, is very, very germane,” he said. “You cannot remain a creature of God without having faith in your Creator. That faith has to be nourished, it has to be developed.”

“There is a law of diminishing return. We found that faith is diminishing in the hearts of those who claim to have faith in God. So, we feel we should help them revive it, develop it, and ensure it remains confirmed and affirmed,” he added.

Imam Aliagan reminded believers that life’s challenges are part of divine design, urging Muslims not to despair when faced with trials.

“We cannot live without challenges. It’s only God who has no headache, only the Creator who has no problem,” he explained. “I want to say that the most challenged Nigerian today is the president because of his position. So, how dare you say, ‘Why me?’ It is you because you claim to have faith in God. You must be tried, you must be tested, you must face challenges — just like Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), whom we are celebrating today.”

The cleric encouraged Muslims to draw inspiration from the life of the Prophet, maintaining that every adversity has a purpose.

“No one among us has ever faced challenges the way Rasulullah faced them. Therefore, we must emulate him. No condition is permanent. Let’s make sure that our faith remains intact, let’s have resilience in whatever challenges we are facing, and let’s be prayerful to God, so that we can have an intact Ummah, an intact faith, and resilience in all cases of life,” Imam Aliagan urged.

“If We Had Reached Our Goal, There Would Be No Need for Discussion” — Kwara Commissioner

Also speaking at the event, Dr. Lawal Olalekan, Honourable Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Kwara State, commended ASHRAAF Islamic Foundation for its continued impact while highlighting the urgent need for the Muslim Ummah to address internal and external factors hindering unity and progress.

Responding to questions from journalists on whether the Muslim community had achieved the ideals of faith and resilience reflected in the event’s theme, Dr. Olalekan said:

“If we have actually met what the topic is talking about, there is no need for us to discuss it. We are here to ensure that we get to where we actually plan to be — and that means we have not gotten there yet.”

He identified disunity, identity crises, globalisation, and colonial legacies as major obstacles confronting Muslims globally.

“These are the problems Muslims are facing across the world. They are some of the reasons why we have not been able to meet our goals. So, these are the things we are looking at critically,” he said.

While commending the ASHRAAF Islamic Foundation, the commissioner noted that such faith-based initiatives play a vital role in promoting Islamic education and the true essence of Prophet Muhammad’s teachings.

“I’m convinced that if we have more of ASHRAAF in our society, it will be better for us. It is one thing to celebrate Prophet Muhammad, and another to celebrate him the way he wanted to be celebrated — by sharing information and equipping people with knowledge that fits the realities of our time,” he said.

“So, I say a big thank you and kudos to ASHRAAF, and I enjoin others to emulate them in celebrating Prophet Muhammad in the right way,” Dr. Olalekan added.

Education Must Drive the Ummah

Speaking further on the role of education in promoting Islamic advancement, Dr. Olalekan emphasized the need to integrate modern skills and entrepreneurship into the Islamic educational system.

“The fact that this is how we met the curriculum does not mean we should leave it the way it is,” he said. “Entrepreneurship must be part of what Muslims are learning now. Information technology must be there. Education should drive the Ummah toward the right direction. That’s how to go about it.”

“We Want Everyone to Leave Better Than They Came” — Planning Committee Chairman

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Planning Committee for the 2025 ASHRAAF Maulud Nabiyy Celebration and Picnic expressed gratitude for the success of the event and its impact on all participants.

“So far, so good, we thank God that we are alive and healthy. We conceived the idea of using our Maulud-e-Nabi celebration to add value to adults, youth, and children,” he said. “We believe anybody that attends our programme will not go back home the same way they came because our programme is value-added service.”

For the children, he emphasized the importance of learning and practicing the Prophet’s exemplary life:

“Everything about the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s life — directly or indirectly — carries a lesson. We want the children to adopt his way of life so that tomorrow, they can build a good and better society.”

The 2025 Maulud Nabiyy Celebration and Family Picnic of the ASHRAAF Islamic Foundation concluded with renewed calls for unity, moral reawakening, and stronger adherence to prophetic values. The event reaffirmed the foundation’s mission to nurture a spiritually resilient Ummah built on knowledge, compassion, and faith-driven community service.

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