By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
A Kaduna-based Christian cleric, Pastor Dr. Yohanna Buru, has honoured a veteran Muslim scholar, Sheikh Usman Mohammed Mai-Mota (Gwalli), for dedicating more than 50 years to Islamic education and mentoring thousands of young people.
Buru, General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, led a delegation of Christian clerics to Sheikh Usman’s Islamic school, where they presented him with an award in recognition of his contributions to religious education and community development.
Speaking during the visit, Buru said the scholar had spent over five decades teaching the Qur’an, Hadith, Tafsir, Arabic and other branches of Islamic studies to children and youths from across Northern Nigeria.
He said the beneficiaries of Sheikh Usman’s teaching had gone on to become Islamic scholars, Arabic teachers and lecturers in schools, learning centres and other institutions across the country.
According to him, the recognition was designed to appreciate the scholar’s lifelong commitment to education and encourage him to continue his service despite his advancing age.
Buru described Sheikh Usman’s contribution as a significant service to humanity, noting that people who dedicate their lives to educating and mentoring thousands of young people deserve to be recognised.
“We came to honour him, appreciate his contribution and thank him for the service he has rendered to humanity through Islamic education,” Buru said.
He explained that the visit was also aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence and deepening understanding between Christians and Muslims in Kaduna State.
Buru, who was recognised during the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2022, said Sheikh Usman’s decades of teaching had helped produce generations of Islamic scholars and Arabic educators.
The delegation said available research showed that the scholar had trained more than 10,000 youths, many of whom were now serving as Arabic teachers, Islamic scholars and lecturers in different parts of Northern Nigeria.
Also speaking, Pastor Emmanuel John described Sheikh Usman’s contribution as exceptional, saying his commitment to educating young people had left a lasting impact on communities.
He said the delegation’s visit went beyond presenting an award, stressing that it was also an opportunity to strengthen mutual respect and understanding between the two faith communities.
“We came to commend his remarkable contribution and strengthen the relationship between Muslims and Christians, with the aim of promoting peace, unity and better understanding in the state,” John said.
Responding, Sheikh Usman Mohammed Mai-Mota (Gwalli) expressed appreciation to the Christian clerics for the recognition, describing it as the first award he had received in more than five decades of teaching.
He said he had devoted his life to teaching Arabic, Hadith, Qur’an and other aspects of Islamic studies, adding that more than 10,000 youths had passed through his tutelage.
According to him, many of his former students are now teaching and lecturing in Islamic centres, schools and institutions across the 19 northern states.
The scholar said although advancing age had slowed him down, the recognition had renewed his determination to continue contributing to the education of young Muslims.
He thanked the Christian delegation for the honour and prayed for God’s blessings upon them for promoting peace, unity and understanding between Christians and Muslims.
“This is the first award I have received in my life for dedicating myself to educating youths who can today read and recite the Holy Qur’an,” Sheikh Usman said.
