Founded
on 16th Ramadan, 1379 AH (18th November, 1969), Islamic Education Trust (IET) is
a charitable organization (NGO) based in the city of Minna in Northern Nigeria
devoted to promoting the growth of quality education and ensuring that the
perspectives of Islam are successfully combined with the modern school
curriculum. IET was founded by;
·
Dr. Sheikh Ahmed Lemu;
·
Hajiya B. Aisha Lemu; and
·
Late Alhaji Sani Ashafa Suleiman.
Mission
To convey to the people of Nigeria and the
wider world the message of self-surrender (Islam) to the One God and to provide
high quality education for Muslims to develop their God-given potential for
good and thereby contribute to the righteous development of humanity.
Within
the first two years of its foundation with well constituted “Think Tank”,
identifying priority activities, and drawing up strategic plans for their
execution, the Islamic Education Trust was able to achieve so much in the field
of Islamic public enlightenment and teaching of Islamic Studies in some
educational institutions in the former North-Western State of Nigeria as to
attract the moral and financial support of the State Government, the late
Sultan Abubakar III, and many other people in various parts of Nigeria.
With
the continued support as well as guidance of Allah in every respect, and with
the dedication of the successive staff members and all other stakeholders of
the Islamic Education Trust, the organization developed a monitoring and review
system for successful implementation of the strategic plans. Consequently, in
the span of almost sixty years of its operation, the Islamic Education Trust
has now emerged as a model organization of excellence at the national and
international levels. It works, specifically in the fields of Da’wah and
Education.
With
Allah’s blessings, IET has gradually expanded its operations into welfare. It
operates eight (8) programmes in areas that include water, medical,
educational, and orphan support. In keeping with the teachings of Islam, no
recipients of welfare are required to alter their faith.
The
headquarters in Minna houses the New Horizons Nursery & Primary school and
the College; the Welfare Administrative Centre, the Da’wah Institute of Nigeria
(DIN), and the Ilmi Bookshop. IET also administers a nursery and primary school
in Sokoto, and the Sunrise International School in Abuja.
The
Da’wah Institute conducts self-improvement, financial literacy, family life,
and Islamic awareness workshops in both rural and urban areas. Training in
inter-faith dialogue to improve peaceful co-existence has been a primary focus.
IET
has also produced dozens of Islamic books, audio tapes, and television
programmes.
The
welfare operations of IET depend on charitable donations. A policy of sound
financial management gives the organization a revenue stream that reduces
programme costs and ensures stable employment of key staff.
The
Trust has developed a reputation internationally as a reliable and accountable
organization, capable of delivering results on the ground. Insha Allah, the
Islamic Education Trust will continue to assist the people of Nigeria and
around the world into the future.
Programs
Train the Trainers Courses
This
group of courses is designed to help Muslim youth become more confident about
their faith and develop the skills to share it with others. This course
treats in appropriate depth, with detailed referencing, a number of the most
common misconceptions about Islam held by both Muslims and non-Muslims, and the
various issues surrounding them. It aims to improve their understanding and
appreciation of various aspects of Islam so as to remove any inferiority
complexes among Muslims in their practice and presentation of Islam in
contemporary society. This is an essential course for those involved in
interfaith dialogues at any level. The course manual also has a rich
bibliography of highly recommended reading for those involved in sharing Islam
with others.
Within
the time-table for the TTC’s are scattered sessions for various forms of assessment,
drills, mock dialogues, ice-breakers, and fun. In addition brief presentations
key topics from other DIN courses are also made, such as from the Personal
Development and Leadership Course (PDL), Basic Business and Financial Literacy
Course (BFL), and the Da’wah Resource Management Course (DRM).
A
major objective of the TTC is the “progressive redundancy of the trainers”. As
the course name implies, the goal is to train those who would eventually be
trainers themselves.
There
are 5 major Courses that complete the whole set of the TTC:
·
Basic Course I (Module 101) (35 hrs.)
·
Basic Course II (Module 102) (35 hrs.)
·
Intermediate Course I (Module 201)
(35 hrs.)
·
Intermediate Course II (Module 202)
(35 hrs.)
·
Advanced Course (Module 301) (35 hrs.)
Personal Development and Leadership (PDL)
This
course demonstrates how to imbibe essential habits for self-improvement and
better interpersonal relations. It aims to ensure that participants are
empowered with the tools and know-how for their growth and self-development in
all spheres of their personal and inter-personal life – spiritual,
intellectual, emotional, social, physical and professional.
This
course goes through a wide range of issues of relevance to personal development
and various forms and levels of leadership. The challenges of good and bad
habits, poor self-direction, inertia, reactivity, over-competitiveness, lack of
priorities, poor focusing, time and resource-wastage, and life imbalance are
all addressed from a faith-based perspective.
The
course introduces the field of the “Purification of the heart” (its diseases
and their cures), and the importance of developing a healthier “spiritual
immune system” for success in this life and the next. It assists participants
have a better understanding of the role habits play in our character and lives,
understanding habit formation and how to develop habits of effectiveness such
as being proactive, optimistic, setting goals and priorities, self-discipline,
having good listening skills, being creative, considerate, and committed to
continuous self-development, etc.
It
also give them a better appreciation of the difference between pleasure and
happiness, and the importance of selfless service and being useful to
long-lasting personal happiness, self-esteem and quality of life. While
presenting the principles of motivation and ways of showing appreciation to
various people by leaders, managers, parents, co-workers, etc, the course goes
through a couple of proven “thinking tools” and ways of increasing creativity
and our ability to make the best use of various opportunities to solve and
prevent problems.
The
importance of furthering education and continuous learning in today’s
“knowledge” and “entrepreneurial society” are stressed as necessary ingredients
for sustaining improvements in personal development and leadership. It also
presents participants with the key challenges of leadership, the principles of
being significant, and ways to motivate and earn the respect of others. It clarifies
values-driven strategies for increasing our sphere of influence, and emphasizes
the importance of self-development to successful leaders and followers.
Da’wah Grassroots Programme Courses (DGP)
The
Da‘wah Grassroots Programme (DGP) is a combination of 5 courses which aim at
Islamic enlightenment at the grassroots level, especially in rural areas. The
combination of courses is intended to empower rural communities with the
ability to continue Islamic propagation and training among other neighbouring
communities without dependence on external aid, though follow-up and monitoring
are necessary for sustaining success in rural da’wah. The DGP courses include:
·
Public Enlightenment Course
·
Converts’ Training Course
·
Da’wah Methodology
·
Imam Proficiency Courses (Parts I & II)
The
DGP usually goes side-by-side with other rural education and development
programmes.
Other Programs
Other
Islamic Education Trust (IET) programs include;
·
Ethical Reforms
·
International Training
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