Daud Olatunji
A Professor of Islamic Studies and the Head of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Ibrahim Uthman, has called on Muslims to reinvent their educational systems as a means of decolonising their minds.
Prof. Uthman, an expert in Islamic Feminism, Islamic Law, and Contemporary Islamic Thought, made this call while delivering a lecture on the theme Decolonizing the Muslim Mind at the 1446AH/2024 DAURA Islamic training programme.
The event, organised by Dawah Front of Nigeria, was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The scholar expressed concern over the infiltration of Western ideologies into Islamic practices, which he said had contributed to the colonisation of the minds of many Muslims.
He argued that the current situation has rendered Muslims subordinate to the dominant Western system, particularly in areas of knowledge and education.
“We are living under a dominant system. When it comes to the knowledge system, the West is far ahead,” he said.
Prof. Uthman also touched on the intersection of science and Islamic teachings about the Last Hour, citing ongoing research by some Islamic scholars on the topic.
According to him, technological advancements and scientific developments are increasingly confirming statements made in the Quran and Hadith about the end times.
He said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that the sun will be brought down. This trend of technological innovations aligns with what Allah and His Messenger have said about the Last Hour.”
In his address, Prof. Uthman urged Muslims to work towards achieving unity, which he described as a prerequisite for reclaiming leadership and influence in the world.
He cited Quranic verses, including Anfal:46, which warns against disunity.
“The challenge before us is how to ensure unity and avoid contributing to disunity,” he said.
“When you allow disunity, your power will be broken. For us to recover our leadership, we must come together. Our disunity is the stumbling block for Muslims globally.”
He further emphasised the need for Muslims to adopt an Islamic framework when engaging with indigenous knowledge systems and modern governance models such as democracy, rejecting only the aspects that contradict Islamic principles.
The scholar also addressed gender issues within the Muslim community, particularly the role of women in nurturing children and shaping future generations.
He encouraged Muslim women to embrace their responsibilities in child-rearing while collectively combating the lingering effects of colonisation.
“We can fight colonisation both individually and collectively. Where women are failing is in nurturing children to uphold Islamic values,” he noted.
Prof. Uthman concluded by urging Muslims to reject practices that contradict Islamic teachings and to work together to regain their lost glory.
“Do not let us join the bandwagon. We must come together for us to regain our lost glory,” he said.
The event was well attended by Islamic scholars, students, and members of the Dawah Front of Nigeria, who lauded the professor’s insights and contributions to the discourse on Islamic revivalism and intellectual decolonisation.
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