NAṢFAT: THE ACTUAL SECRET BEHIND ITS SUCCESS
October 27, 2022
How much do you think you know about NASFAT? Just come along…
NAṢFAT is an acronym for Naṣru-l-Lāhi-l-Fātih, a leading Muslim society founded some 27 years ago in the room of one committed Muslim, which has now metamorphosed into an international Muslim society. Today, NASFAT has over three hundred branches, over 1 million members and over 1000 Imams spread in different parts of the world.
It should surprise a curious observer that while NASFAT keeps waxing stronger and better, similar Muslim and non-Muslim organisations founded around the same time NASFAT was founded, or even organisations founded years after NASFAT have become history today. Such organisations are either no longer in existence or are not as strong as NASFAT.
What is the secret behind the success of NASFAT? How did this Society establish Fountain University, TAFSAN Investment Ltd, TASFAN Tours and Travels Ltd, Lasilkiin Communications Ltd and its other key conglomerates, HAVEK Leadership Academy? How has NASFAT been able to successfully unite the _Ummah_ for over 27 years? What is the secret of this Society?
Within the few months of my being part of the NASFAT family, I have come to realise that two unique qualities that have contributed largely to the success of NASFAT are sincerity and selflessness on the part of its leaders over the years. Right from the word go, NASFAT has always been blessed with leaders who are genuinely and sincerely ready to serve Allah. Leaders who understand the two verses of the Qur’ān below:
“O you who believe, shall I tell you about a trade that saves you from a painful punishment?”
“It is to˺ have faith in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if only you knew.” Qur’ān 61:10 – 11.
I may not have been privileged to have worked directly with past leaders of the Society, I have seen, heard and read about the remarkable contributions that they all made towards laying a solid foundation for NASFAT as it is known today. They built NASFAT at the expense of their personal comfort. They laboured day and night to make NASFAT a society that truly unites, and not divides the Ummah. May Allah be pleased with all of them.
Let me now come to the current leaders of the Society. It amazes me to see how much personal sacrifice these people make for Allah through NASFAT. They do not only place their skills and knowledge at the disposal of NASFAT, but also spend their personal money to fund NASFAT and NASFAT programmes. If we were not lucky to personally see Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān and ‘Alī and how immensely they aided Islam, the current leaders of Naṣrul-Lāhi-l-Fatih Society, remind us of what it means to support Allah’s religion. The current leaders remind us of what those great companions did for Islam.
In addition to sincerity and selflessness, one other quality I have seen in the current leaders is that they are people endowed with special leadership and professional skills and talents. Each of them is supporting Allah through NASFAT in a way that aligns with his or her skills and talents. I have been privileged to work with most of them, and I can boldly say that each of them is a blessing to Islam, and particularly to NASFAT.
You never get to know how much these people give to Allah through NASFAT unless you are close to them. I am close to them by virtue of my status as the National Da’wah Officer and Mission Board Secretary. I have personally seen what these leaders are doing for NASFAT and I thought it would be sheer ingratitude not to say what I have seen.
The summary of this message is the need for us to relate with Allah with sincerity. If you are a member of NASFAT, be a sincere member, be committed, and think about how you too can contribute to the success of the Society to the best of your ability.
If anyone asks you what is responsible for the success of NASFAT, the simple answer you should give is, sincerity and selflessness of past and present leaders are at the heart of the success of the Society.
Abdul-Ganiyy Raji
NASFAT National Da’wah Officer/Mission Board Secretary wrote from Lagos.
