The Tazkiyah Educational Resource Centre (TERC), conducted a Special Public Lecture featuring renowned international Islamic scholar, Sheikh Mustafa Briggs, as part of its commitment to promoting intellectual excellence, Islamic scholarship, and character development.
The lecture forms part of TERC’s monthly educational and lecture series designed to enrich the intellectual capacity of Tazkiyah University students, encourage informed engagement with contemporary issues, and advance the University’s vision of nurturing knowledgeable, morally upright, and globally competitive graduates.
In attendance were the Vice Chancellor, Tazkiyah University, Professor Faruk Sarkinfada, The Registrar, Alhaji Bashir Abubakar, The University Librarian, Dr. Usman A. Adam, The Director Basic and General Studies, Dr. Ibrahim U. Gusau, staff and students of Tazkiyah University, management staff of the Tazkiyah Educational Resource Centre and members of the public.
Delivering the lecture, Sheikh Mustafa Briggs reflected on the contributions of women intellectually in the history of Islam through the life of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and after.
He explained that the first person to learn Qur’anic verses directly from the Prophet was his noble wife, Sayyidah Khadijah (RA), while other women in Islamic history, including Sayyidah Aisha (RA), Sayyidah Hafsah (RA), and Umm Salamah (RA), made remarkable contributions to the transmission of Islamic knowledge.
He noted that the Hadith narrated by Sayyidah Aisha accounts for approximately one-third of Islamic jurisprudence, while the first compiled copy of the Holy Qur’an was entrusted to Sayyidah Hafsah (RA), daughter of Sayyidina Umar (RA), whose preservation of the manuscript remains a significant contribution to Islam.
Briggs also highlighted that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was a pioneer in promoting female education by consistently encouraging women to seek knowledge and excel in life.
Drawing further lessons from history, Sheikh Mustafa Briggs stated that the concept of the university was pioneered by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri, over 1,200 years ago. He explained that she established a mosque and a madrasa, which eventually became the first University in the world, Qarawiyyin University from the ancient city of Morocco, where scholars from different religious and academic backgrounds studied, including the Sheikh himself. He cited this as a testament to the longstanding role of women in advancing education and scholarship within the Islamic tradition.
Towards the end of the lecture, Sheikh Mustafa Briggs described the establishment of Tazkiyah University, where women are provided with the opportunity to study and contribute meaningfully to their communities as a beautiful initiative.
He stressed that the institution is not an innovation but a revival of a deeply rooted Islamic tradition. Sheikh Mustapha congratulated the Founder, Sheikh Professor Ibrahim Ahmad Maqari, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Faruk Sarkinfada, and the management, together with members of staff for serving this pioneering institution, and commended Tazkiyah Educational Resource Centre for organizing the program.
The Sheikh concluded with prayers for Almighty Allah to bless the University’s pioneer students and the institution as a whole, elevate it to greater heights as He did the university founded by Fatima Al-Fihri, and enable it to produce women who will positively transform their communities, the nation, and the African continent.
