THE Nigerian Students of International Open University, formerly known as Islamic Online University, have joined their counterparts all over the world to hold their Awareness month.
The activity which began in August 16 will end in mid September with lots of promotional activities to sensitize the public and prospective students on gaining beneficial knowledge.
Many people in our communities are not aware of the presence of the International Open University (IOU), where they can easily benefit from authentic Islamic knowledge from the comfort of their home. The month of awareness was instituted to do just that – increase the knowledge of IOU’s existence and activities in their area.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim.” [Reported by Sunan Ibn Mājah, 224] He also encouraged us that whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like the one who did it (the act of goodness). So not only does obtaining knowledge gain us rewards, we get extra sadaqah jaariyah (continuous rewards) for the ones who seek knowledge because of our guidance!
IOU has two awareness drives each year – one per semester which starts right after the final exams and ends during the first month of the upcoming semester. This month is crucial for the promotional activities of the university, and it is also one of the major events in which the Student Committees participate.
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In Lagos, the head of the Student Committee, Bro Abduraheem Abdulazeez (lagos Brother) said part of the activities lined up for the month include one-on-one engagement with students, youths and other Muslims seeking to have beneficial university knowledge, social media interaction and visitation to masajid to inform them about IOU.
According to him, a virtual lecture will be held on Saturday September 10, 2022 on the topic: “Technology: An Effective tool for learning’. The lecture will be delivered by Ustadh AbdulKabbeer Al-Asfar starting from 10am. The lecture will be one of the activities to wind down the promotional activities.
Who Can Participate
Student Committees will compete with one another in different activities, however, if you are not part of a Student Committee, you can also participate individually. Both students and non-students of IOU can volunteer.
The top 5 winning teams from the Student Committees will receive tokens of appreciation from IOU, as well as certificates of recognition signed by Dr. Bilal Philips and recognition on IOU social media platforms!
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Some of the activities embarked upon by students during the month are:
Daily/Weekly awareness campaigns on WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups, Telegram groups, etc.
Sharing digital flyers on social media platforms.
Printing flyers and brochures for advertising in masjids, announcement boards, IOU Exam centers, and community centers.
Distributing flyers and brochures in the neighborhood or to Islamic organizations and schools.
Broadcasting about IOU through TV, radio or newspaper
Collaborating with bloggers, etc.
Don’t forget about telling your family, friends and colleagues. Introduce them all to IOU and encourage them to sign up!
Setting up IOU booths in Jummahs, fairs, exhibitions, and conferences.
Arranging IOU info sessions in your local community, offline or online
Conducting IOU promotions in Halaqas, Islamic schools, and Islamic organizations.
Making an announcement about IOU and its open registration during Jummah.
