25/01/2026
FOUR SEEDS, ONE GARDEN: A QUR’ANIC TESTIMONY OF GROWTH
Bismillāhir Raḥmānir Raḥīm
All praise in its entirety belongs to Allāh, the One who plants seeds in sincerity, nurtures them with patience, and allows them to bloom at the appointed time. As He says in His Noble Book, And He is the One who causes gardens to grow. Al ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil Ālamīn.
Today is not merely a graduation. Today is a testimony. A testimony that despite the storms of our time, despite the moral confusion of society, despite the many forces pulling our children away from the Qur’an, Allāh still preserves light where sincerity resides. By Allāh, it was not easy, and yet Allāh made it easy. Against all odds, and despite all being female, Allāh granted us the honour of nurturing, guiding, and witnessing the growth of four remarkable seeds within one garden. Truly, when I reflect on this journey, there is only one conclusion. Al ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil Ālamīn.
Over the years, Adeyemi Sofiyah, Bello Qareebah, Hussain Sumayyah, and Oshibote Rodiyah did not merely study the Qur’an and Arabic. They lived with it, grew with it, and represented it. They came as seeds with willingness, were watered with patience, and matured with purpose. In them, I witnessed the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it. They became shining examples to their juniors and worthy ambassadors of An Ni‘mah International College.
O you four qurratu al ‘ayn, you have truly made us proud. Allāh says, Our Lord, grant us from our offspring comfort to our eyes. Through you, I found reflections I did not know were waiting to be awakened within me. You brought out the sage in me. Thank you for gallantly representing An Ni‘mah with dignity and grace. Thank you for your patience when the soil felt hard, your endurance when growth seemed slow, your humility when fruits began to appear, your chastity in conduct, and the immense potential you continue to reveal.
Thank you for being living models to your juniors and quiet inspirations to many. Thank you for making our efforts fruitful and our sacrifices meaningful. Thank you for uncovering hidden treasures we only hoped lay beneath the surface. Thank you for making our fifth anniversary not just a celebration, but a memory rooted deeply in the soil of this institution.
Though young in age, I saw in you what age alone cannot give. I saw leaders who take initiative without being pushed, mentors whose resilience strengthens others, and young educators whose vibrancy brings life wherever they stand. Your eagerness to learn reflected the divine instruction, And say, My Lord, increase me in knowledge. Many times, without knowing it, you offered answers to questions I had not even asked. Truly, Above every possessor of knowledge is One more knowing.
I once assumed that competition thrives most intensely in mixed gender academic spaces. But you taught me a different lesson. Your competition refined you. You did not uproot one another, rather you grew side by side, each strengthening the other. In that, I saw the meaning of the divine call, Race towards goodness. Many times, I simply watched you and smiled, knowing that something purposeful was unfolding.
By Allāh, the bond you share reshaped my thinking. There was a time I believed that as the Founder and Director of An Ni‘mah International College, the ideal khalifah to carry vision and legacy must be male. Today, I say this with clarity and conviction that I now see that possibility clearly and beautifully even in a female child. Did not the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ say that whoever raises daughters with goodness will find them a shield and honour? While teaching you, I found myself writing resolutions and silent commitments for a future I would embrace should Allāh bless me with daughters of my own. You taught me lessons you never knew you were teaching.
By Allāh, I do not regret having you as our first set of graduands. If anything, I am deeply grateful. You amazed me, challenged my assumptions, and strengthened my hope. As I always remind you, this journey of Qur’an and Arabic education has no turning back. You are moving forward, and you have my full support. In a few years, I see you flourishing at greater heights. Yet my heart will rejoice even more the day I see you nurturing gardens of your own, establishing standardised Madrasahs, raising minds, reforming souls, and planting goodness wherever Allāh places you.
I am not nurturing your hearts nor guiding your minds for examination purposes alone. I am investing in you so that you may stand as complete assets for societal reformation in every facet of life. Continue to be the good girls we know you to be. Grow with purpose and become assets, never liabilities. Live well. Build, nurture, and sustain kingdoms and empires rooted in godliness, excellence, and barakah. For Allāh says, Indeed Allāh does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.
Truly, I would have loved to celebrate you more, but this is what the college can presently afford. Yet your true celebration is written with Allāh, not with material displays. What is with Allāh is better and everlasting. At An Ni‘mah, you have written your names not in ink, but in diamonds. As such, you are not merely graduates. You are part of our story, our garden, and our history till eternity by the permission of Allāh.
I humbly appeal to your parents to continue standing firmly with you. Support you, encourage you, and protect the light growing within you. The best gift you can offer is to constantly rekindle their zeal for the Qur’an and Islamic knowledge. For the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ taught us that ongoing charity includes beneficial knowledge and righteous children.
At this point, I must state clearly that this success is not mine alone. My sincerest appreciation goes to all the past and present handlers who contributed to the nurturing of these precious seeds. May Allāh reward you abundantly and accept your sacrifices as acts of continuous charity.
Beyond the handlers, I must not do without expressing my profound gratitude to all my think tanks. Your sincere ideas and thoughtful counsel have shaped this garden and strengthened its roots. Bi idhnillah, we are only just getting started. May Allāh reward you in manifolds and bless your efforts with lasting benefit. Āmīn.
All praise belongs to Allāh alone, the One who planted this journey, tended it with mercy, and will perfect it in His wisdom. Our Lord, accept from us, indeed You are the All Hearing, the All Knowing. Al ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil Ālamīn.
Jazākumullāhu khayran for everything.
Adam Abdullateef O
Founder and Director
An Ni‘mah International College, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State
Sunday, 25 January 2026.