Two distinguished Nigerian Islamic scholars, Sheikh Dr. Sharafdeen Raji and Professor Mashood Mahmood Jimba, have been honoured as winners of the esteemed 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 have contributed to advancing translation and cross-cultural understanding.
Who is Dr. Sharafdeen Raji?
Dr. Sharafdeen Gbadebo Raji (An-Naijiri) is an international Sunni scholar, jurist, and polyglot with significant influence in both Northern and Southern Nigeria, and a growing influence across ECOWAS member states through his physical lecture series and dawah projects on radio, television and on the internet.
Born in Jos to parents from Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Dr. Sharafdeen Raji began his early education in Nigeria, and later pursued further studies in the Republic of Benin, a neighbouring country to the West of Nigeria.
Education and scholarship
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 academic feat earned him another sponsorship to further his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
Upon the completion of his programme, the scholar graduated with distinctions, finishing as the third highest ranking graduating student in his class. Again, his hard work and dedication to studies were rewarded with an opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree in Islamic jurisprudence (1994-1999), followed by a PhD in the same field (2000-2004). His doctoral thesis and other works on Islamic law have… See More
