Muhammadul-Awwal Babatunde, a 27-year-old alumnus of Darul-Kitab Wa Sunnah College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Gaa-Akanbi, Ilorin, has emerged the best graduating student at the prestigious Al-Azhar University, Cairo in Egypt.
Darul-Kitab Wa Sunnah College, founded nearly three decades ago by the Ubandoma of Ilorin Emirate, Sheikh Abdulkadir As-Salman Oba Sholagberu, one of the Imams and Khateeb of the National Mosque, Abuja – sponsored Muhammadul-Awwal on a full scholarship to study at Al-Azhar University.
He secured admission in 2020 to study Arabic at the Language Development Centre, Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies, Al-Azhar University.
Investigations revealed that the young scholar graduated as the overall best student of the entire university, earning the distinguished title: First Class with Highest Honors.
In an interview, Muhammadul-Awwal shared insights into his journey: “I was born on July 2, 1998, into a family that loved knowledge, scholars, and the religion. My lineage reflects this commitment.”
He explained that although originally from Ikirun in Osun State, he was born in Kaduna and later moved with his family to Ilorin the city of knowledge where he spent most of his life.
“I completed my primary and junior secondary education at Ahbabul-Deenil-Islami Group of Schools, Offa-Garage, Ilorin, graduating as the best student at both levels. I later joined Darul-Kitab Wa Sunnah College, starting from JSS 2, and graduated in 2017, again as the best student,” he said.
Before his scholarship to Egypt, Muhammadul-Awwal gained admission into the University of Ilorin, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Food Science. He studied there for over two years until what he described as a greater door opened a full scholarship to Al-Azhar University through Darul-Kitab Wa Sunnah.
He described his chosen faculty as one that embodies the spirit of the old Al-Azhar, blending three major disciplines: Arabic Language, Usul al-Din, and Shari’ah.
“Many advised me not to choose the faculty due to its difficulty, but that only increased my passion. I entered simply to learn, not to excel. But Allah granted me success. One of my professors congratulated me for topping my first-year results that changed everything,” he recounted.
According to him, the loss of his mother a week before leaving for Egypt, his father’s sacrifices, and the guidance of his teachers remained his strongest motivations throughout his studies.
Speaking on his extraordinary achievement, he said, “The title I earned is one of the highest academic honours in Al-Azhar. Attaining it in a university with tens of thousands of students from around the world is rare. Recognising my effort, Al-Azhar Sherif also presented me with a special award of academic excellence, an award not commonly given.”
He added that he not only topped both Egyptian and foreign students in his faculty but also emerged the overall best graduating student across all faculties, making Nigeria proud among more than 40 countries represented at the university.
“This honour is not just a personal milestone; it is a responsibility. It reflects the strength of Nigerian scholarship and proves that Nigerians can excel at the highest levels of global learning. It also highlights the contributions of Darul-Kitab Wa Sunnah College to Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, and humanity at large,” he noted.
Expressing his joy, Muhammadul-Awwal said: “I carry this achievement with humility and a strong sense of responsibility to serve my community, uplift the reputation of Nigerian scholarship, and contribute meaningfully to Islamic knowledge on global platforms.”
