Professor Mashood Mahmood Jimba and Sheikh Dr. Sharafudeen Raji Gbadebo, two known Nigerian Islamic scholars among the winners of the prestigious Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding.
The awards were presented during the 10th edition of the ceremony, held on Tuesday, 10 December, at the Marsa Malaz Kempinski Hotel in Doha, Qatar. The event celebrated winners from various countries who contributed to advancing translation and cross-cultural understanding.
About Dr. Sharafudeen Raji Gbadebo
Dr. Sharafudeen Gbadebo Raji, also known as “An Naijiri,” is a prominent Sunni scholar with significant influence across Nigeria and the ECOWAS region. An indigene of Ogbomoso, he was born in Jos and began his early education in Nigeria before pursuing further studies in the Republic of Benin.
In 1987, he earned a scholarship to study at the African Islamic Centre in Sudan, where his academic excellence earned him national recognition as the best student in Sudan. This achievement led to sponsorship for further studies at the Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Sharafudeen graduated with distinction, ranking as the third-best student in his class, and proceeded to earn both a master’s degree (1994–1999) and a Ph.D. (2000–2004) in Islamic jurisprudence. His doctoral thesis and other works on Islamic law have been widely published.
A prolific author, Dr. Sharafudeen has written over 50 books and contributed to numerous Arabic-to-Yoruba translation projects. He is regularly consulted by the Saudi government on complex religious issues and remains an active scholar and preacher in Ogbomoso, where he leads the Al-Madeenah Academy.
Notable Achievements and Awards:
Scholarship to the African Islamic Centre, Sudan (1987)
Master’s Degree Scholarship, Madinah University (1994–1999)
Al-Madinah Award for Best Student (2004)
Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding (2024)
Also Read: Iyinoluwa Aboyeji: How to raise funds from startup investors in 2025
https://techparley.com/iyinoluwa-aboyeji-top-5-things-investors-look-out-for-in-startups-in-2025/
His comment
“I was given the latest award not for the translation of Bulugh al-Maram but based on the books that I have translated to the Yoruba language, which I presented. The books I presented are 14 in number.
First, I didn’t translate books to get an award. Just like the rest of the books I’ve translated, it was purposely for the better understanding of the Ummah of the Deen, walahi.
I’ve been translating Islamic books written in Arabic to the Yoruba language since 1988, then I was in Sudan. I remember my mates used to laugh at me. They’d say I was translating books to Yoruba when the Yorubas no longer read Yoruba but English. Coupled with the fact that I was living in the northern part of Nigeria before proceeding to Sudan, hence their reason for thinking I couldn’t do a good job with the Yoruba language.
However, I didn’t allow the mockery to stop me. Just recently, I was searching through my home and I saw a part of some of the books I had written with my hands. I said, Allahu Akbar, because history can never be erased.
In 1990, by Allah’s permission, I moved to Saudi Arabia, where I started typing my translated books on the computer. I didn’t know if they’d see the light of day or how, but I had the intention of helping Muslims understand the Deen better.
During my Master’s, towards its completion, someone came to my flat from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Saudi. He brought a book that had just been updated and required that I translate only the updates, as the book had already been translated to different languages, including Yoruba. He must have been directed to me by someone.
So, I told the Malam from the Ministry, who later became my friend, that I’d rather retranslate the whole book and not just the new additions.
At the time, it wasn’t a part of the books I had translated before. However, it was the book that was given to all Hajj pilgrims at the time, named Dalilul Hajj wal Ma’athir wal Dhikr, a small book.
It had been a while since people had been mentioning that the translation was not so good. People wanted it written in a better way at the time. So, I told the Malam to give me permission to retranslate the entire book, but he said it wouldn’t be possible as he was only given four days to effect the changes. I told him four days is quite enough and that at the expiration of those four days, I would have translated, typed, and finished everything because I had been doing this for a long time.
The Malam called his superiors, and they gave their consent to go ahead. At the end of the four days, I had already typed and translated it. The man was surprised. He requested if I had other books that I had translated. I responded by asking how many he wanted. He was surprised and asked for eight, which I printed for him on the spot.
After a year, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs wrote to me, saying they saw the books I had translated and requested that I set up a panel to review each book. Afterwards, they asked me to grant them permission to make copies available to people. I told them that wasn’t a problem as long as it would be made available to pilgrims so they could benefit from it. They responded affirmatively.
And that was how, year in, year out, they began printing out my books and even sent me books to translate to Yoruba for them. The award wasn’t the end goal, but we pray that it facilitates a better understanding of the Deen for Muslims”
The Sheikh Hamad Award
The Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding is a Qatari literary prize established in 2015 to honor exceptional translations and promote intercultural dialogue. With a total prize value of $2 million, it is one of the world’s most lucrative literary awards.
Named after Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar’s former Emir, the award seeks to “strengthen bonds of friendship and cooperation among nations.” It recognizes outstanding translations from and into Arabic, with this year’s competition featuring entries from 35 countries, including 17 Arab nations.
Languages in the competition included French and English as primary categories, while others, such as Yoruba, Hungarian, and Tatar, were classified as secondary languages.
The 2024 ceremony, themed “From Arabic to Mankind,” highlighted the decade-long journey of the award through a documentary presentation.
Contributions to Rural Islamic Development
Dr. Sharafudeen Raji has made significant contributions to Islamic education and rural development in Ogbomoso and beyond. As the founder of Al-Madeenah Academy, he has facilitated the establishment of mosques, promoted religious scholarship, and delivered lectures across Nigeria. Fluent in Arabic, Yoruba, Hausa, and English, he continues to bridge cultural and linguistic divides while mentoring the next generation of Islamic scholars.
