*Brief historical snippets of TIMSAN Osun State.*
I *Fast fact*
The story of the Tijaniyyah Muslim Students Association of Nigeria (TIMSAN) cannot be complete without mentioning the pivotal role the Osun State Chapter played in it's actualization. This is because it would not be an understatement to say that TIMSAN was birthed in Osun State, though it may have been conceived elsewhere (in Oyo State). In simpler terms, Osun State was the cradle of TIMSAN more than any other State in Southwest Nigeria.
II *Background*
A child of necessity, TIMSAN was created out of the need for identity and self-actualization by the Tijaniyyah elements in higher institutions. These Tijaniyyah students often found themselves always being discriminated against and victimized by their fellow students and brothers as well as administrators, in the more grounded and formally recognized Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), the umbrella body of Muslim students, which interestingly was founded in 1954 to fight the cause of Muslim Students on the predominantly Christian-controlled campuses of the Western education oriented schools, against similar victimization by the latter.
Although the MSSN had always been championed and had it's most ardent vanguards from inception as Sufi (especially Tijaniyyah) adherents, the Salafi/Wahhabi elements in the amongst them had always been a thorn in the flesh of the entire society, and by implication, the championing Sufi/Tijaniyyah students. This was the case from the 1940's, through the 50's, 60's and late 70's. However by the early 80's, the worldwide rise to prominence of the hardline and confrontational Salafi/Wahhabi organizations riding on the sponsorship of Saudi Arabia Petro-dollars, caused a wide schism in the Society, forcing the peace-loving Sufi/Tijani elements to be relegated to the background in the overall scheme of things. Relegation soon turned to victimization and later pronounced outright persecution. At this point, the peace-loving Sufi/Tijani students began to identify and separate themselves from the hard-line violent extremist Wahhabi/Salafis who had by then hijacked the entire structure of the MSSN despite lots of in-fighting even within their very own ranks too! This was the case through the late 80's and early 90's.
By this time, the Sufis especially the Tijani had left most of the control of the MSSN to the Salafis/Wahhabi, opting to form thier own organization to protect their interests. This was the beginning of the idea of TIMSAN, but a lot of challenges were encountered and had to be surmounted along the way. These included conviction and membership trust/thrust, societal acceptance within the campuses, enmity and antagonism by the overzealous and fearful Salafis of MSSN, operational confidence, Financial incapacitation, structural organisation and programming etc. However, perhaps the most important of these challenges was the adoption of a singular name across board.
III *Nomenclature*
By the 90's, different students in different places concieved of the idea of inviting fellow Tijanis from other campuses to swell their ranks at their programs, since the main source of strength and acceptance of MSSN was the membership spread across campuses nationwide. Thus, by the middle 90's, several Zahwiyahs had independently sprung up in pockets of campuses and outspoken leaders of these Zahwiyahs liaised with each other in fighting the common "enemy". Thus by the late 90's, programs organized by one Zahwiyah began to have in attendance, members from other known Zahwiyahs.
However, the challenge of having a singular name like the MSSN, unlike the different ones adopted by each independent Zahwiyah, came up. While some (like Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, The Federal Polytechnic (FEDPOEDE) Ede, Osun State College of Education(OSSCOE) Esa-oke, etc, chose and at times changed names from Tijaniyyah Muslim Students Association of Nigeria (TISAN) to Tareeqah Tijaniyyah wa Faydah Ibrahimiyyah Students Organization of Nigeria (TTIFISON), others (like Oyo State College of Education (OSCE) Oyo, had names like Ahlul Tariqah Students Association of Nigeria (ATSAN), FATWIMSAN () and Tijaniyyah Ibrahimiyyah Association of Nigerian Students (TIANS). Zahwiyahs with large following like Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY) Iree, University of Ibadan (UI), Ogun State University (OSU) Ago-Iwoye, and Federal Polytechnic (FEDPOFFA) Offa etc, all added more spread to the statewide appeal already being established by the cluster of higher institutions in Osun State, which had the highest number of such citadels of education amongst the states in the Southwest of Nigeria. This lasted out the 20's.
After series of meetings, consultations, deliberations, conférences etc spanning over a decade, the name Tijaniyyah Muslim Students Association of Nigeria was agreed upon, though a few schools in the Southwest stuck to their old names. It is noteworthy to mention that Osun State was the first to adopt the name TIMSAN statewide, while other states still had a few schools stubbornly clinging to their old names.
A notable watershed point in the history of TIMSAN was the donation of a plot of land to TIMSAN at MEDFAT, Abayawo Ilorin by the owner and proprietor. As part of the registration requirements, this venue was unanimously adopted by members at one of the quarterly regional meetings, as the temporary National Headquarters of TIMSAN, pending any new developments. *Till date, it has remained largely undeveloped* though some efforts had been made at documentation(charting and surveying), I is yet to be completed as at the date of this write-up (August 2023), though a few materials (blocks and sand) had been procured at some point but was never used. The DCB points remain largely uncharted.
IV *Registration Proper*
In a bid to get the organization formally registered, the organization engaged the pro-bono (free) legal services of one Barrister Sulayman Daud Abese, an Abuja based legal practitioner of Ogbomoso extraction and a patron of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomosho jointly owned by both Osun and Oyo States. By then, the Constitution of the organization had been completed as one of the legal requirements of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja for registration of corporate entities and organisations. Then came the challenge of patrons of the organization which was surmounted largely with the contribution of Osun State (60%) patrons. Of the 5 patrons, 3 were from Osun State vis-à-vis :
1. Professor Moshood Lanrewaju Nassar, Head of the Department of Management/Accounting, Faculty of Administration, OAU, Ile Ife, Osun State.
2. Professor Abdu-Rashid Kayode Adesunkanmi, Head of the Department of Clinical Medicine/Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, OAU Ile-Ife, Osun State.
3. Dr. Abdu-Raheem Adebisi Giwa, of Department of Chemistry?, Faculty of Science, Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho Oyo/Osun State.
The other two patrons selected and submitted alongside the aforementioned to make up the constitutional 5 patrons at inception were:
4. Shaykh Yusuf Abdullah Agbade of Abayawo Quarters and proprietor of Madinat Faidah Tijaniyyah (MEDFAT) and staunch member of Shaykh Hassan Cisse's Muassasatu Nasrul Ilm (MNI) in Ilorin, Kwara State.
5. Shaykh Salis Alao Adenekan former Grand Patron of Supreme Council for Faydah Tijaniyyah In Nigeria (SUCOFATIN) and present Grand Khalifah of Tjianiyyah Southwest, Delta and Edo States, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Thus, on 6th January 2011, after a long drawn out battle with lots of protracted challenges, the Corporate Affairs Commission issued the Certificate of Incorporation and Seal of TIMSAN which was presented on 5he 9th January 2011 by the legal adviser to the organization at it's inaugural 3-day camping exercise organised by the body and largely facilitated by Hon. ODETAYO Sulayman Adeyemi (2011-2014), the ersthwhile Muqaddam of the OAU branch of TIMSAN and the third official National Muqaddam (Southwest), one of the major contributors to the conception, actualization, progress, development and registration of the organization.
This presentation of the CAC Certificate of Incorporation was under the aegis of the then National Muqaddam Ibrahim Habeebullah Adebayo (2009-2011) of University of Ilorin, Kwara State, who served as the second official Muqaddam of TIMSAN National (Southwest) after Muqaddam Abdu-Rasheed Adeleke (2006-2008) of LAUTECH Ogbomosho, the first/inaugural official Muqaddam.
V *Addendum*
The TIMSAN had up until the incorporation in 2011 been a largely Southwest affair. However, in 2011 a milestone and land mark achievement was made. This was the actual nationalization of the organization across the country, with Osun State playing a very vital part in the process.
The organization was invited to collaborate with the International Organization of the Tijaniyyah Brotherhood (IOTB), an Abuja-based organization of the Tijaniyyah with International connections, spread and appeal. The collaboration birthed the first ever Conference of the Tijaniyyah students in higher institutions which held at the Conference center of the National Mosque, Abuja, FCT, where coincidentally/strategically, the IOTB has it's national headquarters.
Though the North had experienced similar situations like the Southwest, it was less pronounced. Adopting a universal name at that Conference was one of the major challenges as some schools preferred to stick to their old names of IOTB students branch. However, with the IOTB National Executive Council's blessings, majority of the over 85 higher institutions présent at that inaugural conference agreed to adopt TIMSAN as the only name of Tijaniyyah students in higher institutions in Nigeria nationwide. As usual, Osun State had the largest turnout of Students of Southwest extraction in attendance, just as Ile-Ife, Osun State served as the convergence point from which attendeeds set out for the Conference. Ever since, the conference has always held annually on the last weekend of each year except for 2020 due to rhe COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world at the time.
VI *Osun State TIMSAN*
From humble beginnings, virtually all the higher institutions in Osun State now has at least a branch of TIMSAN with some having multiple branches due to their nature of multiple campuses. A rotational State Conference has also become a reality with some schools unilateral hosting while collaboration to host is also welcome. Today, Osun State TIMSAN can beat it's chest of having several branches with their own self-built Mosques/Zawiyahs. Osun State TIMSAN has indeed come a long way.
VII *Summary*
As earlier mentioned, the coal that ignited the TIMSAN wildfire was ignited in Osun State. Thus it is no surprise that the state has produced the regional National President, the substantive National President etc and holds an enviable place of pride in the overall scheme of things.
