Untold Stories

A SUPPLICATION ANSWERED

I am a legal practitioner and a teacher. I teach forensic law at undergraduate level at the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano.

I applied in 1999 to study Law at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, but I had a deficiency in English Literature. When I received the admission notification, I was uncertain if I would pass the admission screening exercise, as competence in this subject was a prerequisite.

I put my trust in God Almighty. So, one day I decided to go to the university to face the screening panel, no longer fearing the consequences. When the car approached the university, I saw the university mosque a few kilometres before the main building. I stopped there to offer two rakats (two sequences of the formal Muslim Prayer) at about 10am. In my prayer I supplicated, “God, I am conscious of my weakness but I am equally conscious of Your immeasurable strength. I wish that You make my admission perfect and rectify my deficiencies. I do not want to know how You do it because I am convinced You can do it.” After my prayers I went to the faculty. There, a vast crowd of applicants were queueing for the screening. My confidence almost vanished. I became doubtful. However, a little part of my spirit kept encouraging and reassuring me that I had prayed to the One Who alone is capable of fulfilling my desire.

At one point I decided to approach the Dean of Law to explain my predicament and I went straight to his office. At the reception, I found his secretary and a lady who I later discovered was also a student with a problem. I sat there anticipating to be called after the lady. However, before the Dean could call either of us we began to discuss our individual problems. I found the lady’s problem to be less difficult than mine; I told her that I would speak to the Dean on her behalf and she did not object.

The Dean later asked us in and I presented the lady’s case as promised and within minutes the Dean resolved her problem and asked her to proceed to the screening hall. I stayed back and the Dean then inquired what I wanted. I told him that I was also a student with a deficiency. He laughed and said that I had already been advocating on another student’s behalf.

I presented my case and the Dean acknowledged that it was difficult. I became nervous and began to supplicate again silently. After some time, the Dean said, “Oh, I remember there was a memo that granted a waiver to any student aspiring to study combined law i.e. Common and Islamic Law. This waiver is to the effect that in place of English Literature, Arabic can be accepted.” He searched for the memo and attached it to my admission letter and told me to proceed for my screening. I was excited and elated. As I was about to leave, the Dean beckoned me to wait. He took the document from me and led me by the hand to the screening hall.

When we got there he addressed the congregation and told the panelists to consider Arabic Language in place of English Literature, especially for Combined Law students. After my successful screening, I returned to the mosque and offered two further Raka’at (or units of prayer) in gratitude. Today, I am a lawyer and a teacher of law. Alhamdulillah (All praise belongs to Allah). Trust in God supersedes all things.

Badr Mohammed Bashir Esq

GUIDANCE THROUGH DREAMS

In October of this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Uruguay from Calgary, Canada, in order to establish an Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at (Community) there. My other objective was to also assess the area for potential future preaching activities. Alongside our missionary, Yusuf Khan, I approached various contacts and gave them the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat. One lady, whose name was Khadijah, converted and asked us to speak to her husband, whose name was Dennis. Hence a few days later, Yusuf Khan and I went to her house. As soon as we entered, her husband exclaimed that he had seen me in a dream a few nights previously, in which I had come to see him. We sat for a short time and discussed our beliefs. Shortly after, Dennis and his children accepted Ahmadiyyat. It is amazing how we hear our beloved Khalifah (Head of the Ahmadiyya Community) talk about such incidents in his Friday Sermons. To live that moment yourself, an experience that can only be felt by the grace of God, is wonderful. With the help of Allah the Almighty, we were able to achieve nine converts.

Dr. Mohammad Baten, Calgary, Canada