After 13 years of studies in Saudi Arabia… Sierra Leonean Obtains Doctorate in Islamic Jurisprudence
A Sierra Leonean student at the Islamic University of Medina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has bagged a Distinction with Honours in the studies of Islamic Jurisprudenc. (Photo: From left, Dr. Mohamed Jalloh and colleagues during graduation day)
Born in the 1970’s, Dr. Mohamed Jalloh, hailed from the eastern town of Koindu in the Kailahun District where he started his Primary school before he left for the eastern provincial headquarter town of Kenema in the late 1980’s to enroll at the Badrudden Islamic Secondary School. On the completion of high school, he was given the privilege to teach in the school for a year.
In a brief interview, Dr. Jalloh said he came to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1995 and later started his Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic studies. “I spent 13 years to pursue my University education. After 4 years, I acquired my Bachelor’s Degree,†the learned Doctor said.
When the Arabs realized that, he has a sound proficiency of their language, they admitted him to pursue Masters Degree. He also spent 4 years and came up with flying colours. But with the penchant he has for bagging more qualifications, the erudite doctor also enrolled for Doctorate Degree, spending 5 years before he could obtain it with a distinction in Honours.
On how he hopes to use his qualifications to help promote Islamic studies in his country, the soft spoken doctor said “I think as a patriotic citizen of my country, where I was born and grew up, I feel obliged that I must serve my country to the best of my ability, particularly with the intellectual acumen that I have acquired.â€
He added that: “I think so because this is what makes me an intellect by imparting the knowledge that I have acquired to my people, my country and to mankind at large. Otherwise, the mere acquisition of a University education will be absolutely meaningless.â€
When asked about his plans for Sierra Leone, Dr. Jalloh said: “In my candid opinion, I have a lot of plans for my country. Some of them are to contribute in whatever little way to its socio-economic development and the propagation of Islam which is very important. In that regard, he continued, I have to work collaboratively with my fellow Islamic scholars who are already there to actively propagate the “Da’wah activities as majority of our Muslim population need more education in Arabic studies.
“This will help them know the basic fundamentals of Islamic practices relating to the moral values as taught by our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions.”
He was also quick to say that education in whatever form is very pivotal to the socio-economic development of a country. “Therefore, I’m inclined to believe that Islamic education can equally play the same role of Western education in the development of a country.”
On his advice to current Sierra Leonean students in the University, he encouraged them to exercise patience in their studies and added that they should not also think that learning the Islamic religion is a difficult task, but rather, an easy task that require patience and endurance.
Asked about his advice to other students back home intending to pursue their studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the eloquent doctor advised strongly that: “If they want to come here, they should enquire about the requirements needed in the universities before submitting their documents to any Saudi University.”
The Islamic University of ‘Al-Madinatu al-Munawarah” was founded by the government of Saudi Arabia by a Royal Decree in 1961.
Most of the students, according to a Lecturer at the University are international students. It’s culturally diverse and boasts of almost all nationalities from across the globe, irrespective of race or colour.
The University, according to a former Sierra Leonean student, has produced hundreds of Sierra Leonean graduates, including, Sheik Abubakar Conteh, Senior Lecturer at the Freetown Teachers’ College and Missionary for the Muslim World League, Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh, Supervisor of Missionaries of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Guidance and Da’wah in Sierra Leone, Sheik Umar Farouk Bah, Missionary and Principal of the Ansarul Islamic College in Freetown, Sheik Sulaiman Hamid Kamara, Country Representative of the Islamic Heritage of Kuwait and Proprietor of Umar Bin Al-Khattab Islamic Institute in Freetown, Sheik Sidia Sillah, Former Missionary and Principal at the Ansarul Secondary School in Kono District and currently First Secretary at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Riyadh, Sheik Sallah Janneh, Missionary and Imam based in the United Kingdom, Mr. Mohamed Alie Bah, former Spokesman to Ex- President Kabbah and current Assistant Government Spokesman & Director of Communications at the Ministry of Information and Communications, to name but a few.
Most of the aforementioned graduated in different disciplines. Islamic Jurisprudence or ‘Fiqhu’ in Arabic, is being pursed by many current students as an expansion of the Shariah Islamic law—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah – that complements Shariah with evolving rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists.
By Alhaji Jalloh, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, RiyadhStay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.
Haroun Rashid Conteh
/
Kudos to the doctoral graduate from the Saudi university. What economic benefit does that education play in improving the plight of impoverished Sierra Leoneans? What new ways of improving the agricultural process to make our country self-sustaining? What new medical techniques to improve the health of our nation? Trying to make Sierra Leoneans into arabs will not cut it.
12th March 2010I think the government of Sierra Leone should cease accepting these scholarships that have no tangent benefits to the overall economic development of our country. What benefit is islamic jurisprudence to Sierra Leone’s diversity?