Yusuph Dauda Gambari2024-05-032024-05-032024-03-28National Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NATAIS)978-978-788-163-7https://uilspace.unilorin.edu.ng/handle/123456789/13369The twin fields of Arabic and Islamic Studies play a critical role in advancing the understanding and practice of Islam among Muslims. Informal learning of these subjects had taken place in Nigeria for centuries before their incorporation into the country's curriculum. Despite the daunting challenges, some indigenous individuals dedicated themselves to bringing these courses to a prestigious level, pioneering their study, and teaching them across schools in the country. However, these quintessential personalities still need due recognition through adequate dissemination of information about their lives and works. One of these pioneers was Professor Musa Oladipupo Ajilogba Abdul, Nigeria's first indigenous Professor of Islamic Studies, who taught and authored many works to simplify the teaching and understanding of Islam for Nigerians. The objective of this paper is to evaluate his activities and to shed light on his enduring legacy, mainly through his former students, mentees, and those scholars who pass through his former students. Using a historical method, the research gathered information through interviews and available library materials. The findings revealed that Prof. M.O.A. Abdul was an iconic academic with an everlasting legacy that is difficult to match. His former students are leading Islamic Studies scholars in Nigeria and beyond, exhibiting his teachings and principles. The paper concluded by recommending a revivalist approach to make Prof. M.O.A. Abdul more relevant in learning Islamic Studies in Nigeria by reproducing his works and domesticating his philosophy by his students and grand-students.enArabicIslamic StudiesUniversityPhD ThesisScholarshipBook chapter