16/11/2025
“More Than Just a Training”: How MSSN-UDUS Da’urah Sparked Knowledge, Discipline and Spiritual Awakening
By Yusuf Abdulqudus,
When the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (MSSN-UDUS) announced its two-week Da’urah, many students expected another academic–religious training. But by the time the final session ended, participants were leaving with far more than lecture notes, but renewed purpose, strengthened faith, and a deeper understanding of Islam.
Two of the participants, Hauwa Abdullahi and Muhammad Awwal Umar, shared their experiences, and their stories reveal why this particular Da’urah stood out from the norm.
It was Worth Every Naira: Hauwa Applauds Affordability and Content
To Hauwa Abdullahi, a graduate rounding up her project, the Da’urah felt like a breath of fresh intellectual air. She was especially impressed that the registration fee deliberately kept low, did not limit the quality of training.
“The reading materials we were given were worth far more than the payment,” she said.
She furthered explained that the token fee played an important role.
“If it was free, students won’t take it seriously.” Hauwa pointed out.
Hauwa described the classes as rich and spiritually grounding. From Aqeedah to Salah, and from the Articles of Faith to the Pillars of Islam, she felt each session added a new layer of clarity. What struck her most was the emphasis on the value of knowledge that a learned Muslim holds a status even beyond one who merely engages in acts of worship.
The Da’urah also introduced her to the principle of patience (Kaa’idatu fis-sabr), reinforcing how essential endurance is in both spiritual and everyday life.
Record Attendance and Comprehensive learning Experience
For Muhammad Awwal Umar, a graduate of Chemistry department, this Da’urah was different and the numbers confirmed it.
“Among the Dauras organized by MSSN, this one had the highest number of participants; 50 and above,” he said with pride.
The organizers separated attendees into Hausa and English classes to ensure clarity and engagement, allowing students to fully grasp concepts from the five major books used during the sessions. This dual-language approach, Awwal said, helped accommodate the diverse learning preferences among students.
Awwal’s Biggest Takeaway: Understanding the Prophet’s Prayer
Though he benefited from the various aspects of the program including Tawheed, patience, and comparative religion, Awwal said one lesson stood above the rest: learning the detailed manner of the Prophet’s Prayer.
“Most importantly, I learned one of the major pillars of Islam: As-Salat from the book Sifatu Salatin-Nabiy, which describes the Prophet’s prayer from Takbeer to Tasleem.”
For him, the Da’urah was a rare opportunity to understand worship at a practical level, not just theoretically.
“Every Muslim Student Should Experience This”
By the end of the program, Awwal said he felt spiritually renewed, more disciplined, and more aware of his responsibilities as a Muslim student.
The Da’urah, he explained, “opened his eyes to practical aspects of worship and personal development that every Muslim student should experience.”
For participants like Hauwa and Awwal, the MSSN-UDUS Da’urah was more than just another training session, it was a turning point, one that blended knowledge, discipline, community, and spiritual awakening into two unforgettable weeks.
