The flags of victory and success have been raised for two scholars in the fields of science, literature, and Islamic studies in Nigeria, Europe, and Africa. This came with the announcement by the Scientific Committee of the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding of the winners of this year’s award in Doha, Qatar.
Professor Mashood Mahmood Jimba, a professor of Arabic literature and vice-chancellor of Kwara State University, has won the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation for his translation works from European languages into Arabic, specifically his translation of the famed D.O. Fagunwa’s Ogbojude Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmole (the Brave Hunter in the Forest of 400 Deities), and Waka Ilorin from Yoruba to Arabic.
Sheikh Dr. Sharafudeen Raji Gbadebo, a preacher and director of the Islamic Center in Ogbomosho, Nigeria, has also won the award for his translation of the book “Bulugh al-Maram” and other books from Arabic into the Yoruba language.
On this occasion, the Nigerian Center for Arabic Research extends its warmest congratulations and blessings to the two esteemed scholars on this well-deserved win. We pray to Allah to grant them more success and achievements.
The Nigerian Center for Arabic Research also expresses its gratitude to the General Secretariat of the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding for the trust and cooperation. We also thank the media delegation of the award, led by Dr. Hanan Fayad, who visited Nigeria.
Special thanks for this attention to the inclusion of the Yoruba language among the award’s languages, which was made possible through the efforts and continuous follow-up of the Nigerian Center for Arabic Research in Nigeria.
It is worth noting that the awards and medals were presented to the winners today at a ceremony held at the Pearl Hotel in Doha.
Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding was initiated by the FAIR Forum (Forum for Arab and International Relations), in Doha, Qatar in 2015, in order to revive the culture of honoring translation and translators, which has been one of the pillars of Arab civilization throughout the ages.
From Bayt Al-Hikma (The House of Wisdom) to Madrasat Al-Alsun (School of languages), translation played a major role in the exchanges between the Arab culture and the world throughout history. It enabled to convey thoughts and words and to build bridges between the two sides. Today, translation and translators still have an important role in promoting peace and harmony between different cultures.
Source: Nigerian Center for Arabic Research
