27/08/2025
Chief Imam of Ilorin Endorses Sheikh Ayara as New ‘Oniwasi Agbaye’
The Chief Imam of Ilorin, Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Saliu, has conferred the title of Oniwasi Agbaye (International Lecturer) on the National Missioner of the Ansarul-Islam Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdulmumin Hanafi Ayara.
The title was previously held by Shaykh AbdulRaheem Ameenullah Oniwasi Agbaye, who, until his death in 2012, was widely celebrated for his scholarship and preaching.
In a video obtained by this medium, the Chief Imam made the announcement during a recent public event in Ilorin.
He described the honour as a recognition of Ayara’s long-standing efforts in the propagation of Islam beyond Nigeria.
“We are proud to bestow this title on Shaykh Abdulmumin Ayara. His dedication to Islamic education, his relentless da’wah activities across the world, and his commitment to upholding the values of our predecessors make him worthy of this recognition. He is following in the footsteps of the late Oniwasi Agbaye and the great Shaykh Muhammad Kamaldeen,” the Chief Imam declared.
Shaykh Ayara thus becomes the second Islamic cleric to bear the revered title, following in the footsteps of the late Oniwasi Agbaye, who was also a former missioner of the Islamic organization and a prominent student of the revered Shaykh Muhammad Kamaldeen.
Who is Shaykh Abdulmumin Ayara?
Shaykh Abdulmumin Hanafi Ayara is a prominent Nigerian Islamic scholar, teacher, and administrator, widely respected for his erudition and commitment to Islamic learning. He is the founder of Mashar Adabiyyah Al-Kamaliyyah and Mashar International Schools, institutions that continue to produce students grounded in both Islamic and western education.
Born into the renowned Ayara family in the Alore area of the Ilorin Emirate, a historic city famous for its deep-rooted culture of Islamic scholarship, Ayara grew up surrounded by an environment that valued knowledge, discipline, and religious devotion.
He began his formal Islamic education at Azzumratul Adabiyyah Al-Kamaliyyah, where he was handed over by his father to the care of Shaykh Abdul Rahman Salahudeen (Baba Ile Ila). After completing his Thanawiyyah, he proceeded to the world-renowned Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, a leading institution in Islamic scholarship.
Under the tutelage of his mentor, Shaykh Kamalud-deen, Ayara distinguished himself as a brilliant student and began delivering public lectures, earning recognition for his eloquence and depth of understanding of the deen.
In addition to his Islamic education, Shaykh Ayara pursued higher academic qualifications in Nigeria. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Bayero University, Kano, and later a Master’s degree from the University of Ilorin, combining both Western and Islamic educational traditions -- a blend that shaped his intellectual outlook and teaching style.
His rise in religious leadership became more pronounced in 2012, when he was appointed as the National Missioner of the Ansarul-Islam Society of Nigeria, one of the foremost Islamic organizations in the country founded by the legendary Shaykh Muhammad Kamalud-deen Al-Adabiyy.
In this role, Ayara has been instrumental in expanding the organization’s reach, inspiring thousands through his sermons, public lectures, and writings.
Over the years, he has produced numerous students, many of whom are today accomplished doctors, lecturers, lawyers, and respected Islamic scholars both within and outside Nigeria. His impact is visible not only in the success of his students but also in their moral and spiritual development.
Colleagues and followers describe him as a soft-spoken and respectful but firm scholar, deeply committed to the preservation of Islamic values left behind by his teacher. His teachings often emphasize faith, discipline, the importance of education.
