Queen Seidat Awa-Ibraheem is a notable Islamic scholar who started as an Islamic singer. Along the line of winning hearts to Allah through music, the resourceful woman’s passion for impactful giving grew tremendously. Queen Seidat is highly-spiritual just as her music was until the thought of charity took over her life; thus she became so impassioned with helping the needy from her wealth, supporting orphans, the widows, the vulnerable and donating to charity without borders. Happily married to Alhaji Awa-Ibraheem, Queen Seidat who loves to be addressed as ‘Omo Baba Alatanda’ hosted the Editor, FOLORUNSHO HAMSAT at her Lagos residence where she shares with him her experiences through life, music and her philanthropy. Read on…
As a stakeholder in Islamic music even though you’re no longer active, would you tell us the difference between those who patronize your genre and fans of other genres that are non-religious songs?
Between what we call worldly music and religious songs, I don’t see much difference. What do I mean? Let us agree that religious songs do teach morals but some worldly songs too are not completely about iniquities. People listen to some non-religion songs and forsake immoral behaviours. But apart from the fact that music generally is a source of strength, easing pain and improving mood, Islamic music helps us to express our emotion and it creates a space for us to connect with Allah and move away from activities that are clearly defined as prohibited by Allah. Islamic songs are two types. We have the one basically for entertainment and personal pleasure which is very common and sung in Yoruba. And we have ‘Zikiri’, basically sung in Arabic, which is a source of high spiritual emotion, a spiritual prayer for the purpose of glorifying Allah. That is the type I used to sing.
Do you still do Zikiri?
Yes, I still do. But I don’t do it for the public like I used to. I do it now within the confines of my marital home. My husband loves to hear my voice and I do Zikiri at home for his pleasure. But when he insists that I do it when we’re together on an outing, I do it. But I have stopped honouring social engagements for the purpose of singing Zikiri.
You moved from commercial music to private enterprise and charity activities. Does it have any connection with your upbringing?
The learned say ‘whatever skill one has mastered has become a part of one’s blood’. if you find a man doing something constantly, whether good or bad, it means that is what he has been doing from birth. Charity is what I loved doing from childhood. But the passion increased due to the influence of my late father. My father was a great and cheerful giver despite being poor. We were a poor family and people saw us as such. But despite that, my father would take from the little he was blessed with and gave out to people in need. He was well loved for that. So, I would say I took after his kind disposition.
Share with us the challenges you have faced in the course of doing charity. Do you have any regrets?
I have never been disappointed in doing charity work. That can only happen if I am giving out with hope of getting returns or waiting to be appreciated. I am not that type of giver. I give with what Allah has blessed me with without expecting thank you from the receivers. I am the type that doesn’t even pick your phone call if I suspect that you are calling to appreciate me for assisting you. But it pains me to help people, maybe a sick person, and it turns out that the person does not survive the sickness. It is not about the financial help I render in such a case, I feel pained when my intervention does not yield the desired result.
Has it ever happened like that?
Yes. It happened when I assisted a colleague who was an Islamic music producer, Ariyo. I didn’t get to know in time that he was sick. I have a habit; I render help within my capacity once I hear that someone is in dire need of something. I don’t want to know if you’re familiar or not. When I heard that he was in the hospital and our colleagues were discussing how we could raise funds for his treatment, I offered to donate all the cash needed. I did that so that the treatment wouldn’t be delayed or late while we were gathering the funds. Unfortunately, the help could not save him because Allah had destined it that way. There was also what I would call a challenge. It is the passing away of a junior colleague, Alhaja Rukayat Gawat. She spoke to a brother of mine, Lanre, about the need for assistance on a water dredging she was working on. The brother called me and we met at my place. The funding challenge was settled. Alhaja Rukayat was just like me. She was a cheerful giver. In a nutshell, both of them answered Allah’s call eight days apart. Those were the types of challenges I would say I face.
What has changed about your personality between when you stopped doing commercial music and now that you’re deep in charity activities?
I am still me. There has not been much difference. Well, what I can call a difference is that I had lived abroad for some time. I have been abroad since 2014. So, you will notice little difference in me, although my style has not changed. I am from a core Muslim home and my ways are everything Islam. The only change about me is that I am now married. As a good Muslim, I am obliged to submit to my husband’s wishes.
In the course of doing music, did you have the privilege of coming in contact with top persons and how did that opportunity affect your growth in career and personality?
I told you earlier that my type of music, Zikiri, is strictly spiritual. The more I sang the more it pushed me to higher places where I met higher people. In fact it was those VIPs that usually told me of the spirituality of my Zikiri. It was through Zikiri that I travelled to different countries across the world. I was the favourite musician for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was Lagos State governor and his lovely wife, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu. President Tinubu’s mother loved me so much. It was through the privilege of knowing them that I met Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, wife of former Governor Fashola, and the late Yeye Kemi Nelson, Dr Muiz Banire, and a whole lot of other top celebrities. Through the grace of God, I also met Justice Olorunnimbe, who took me as her daughter and ensured that I was invited to perform at every state house event. I also met His Royal Majesty Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi who was then Asiwaju Tinubu’s personal assistant. Kabiyesi helped me a lot. All this is because I did not abuse the opportunity.
Do you have a Foundation through which you carry out philanthropic activities?
I don’t have a Foundation. Although it is in the plans, I do my charity activities presently as Allah directs me. I believe that what God directs is more valued than what man directs.
Tell us about the charity activities you have done.
There are many philanthropic activities that Allah has done through me and still doing. I have been doing this before I met my husband and when I met my husband, it became more popular. We have assisted people in housing projects; we have assisted a lot financially too. There is one of my bosses, Mr Ademola Adelakun, who Allah helped us to assist and thank Allah he is alive and fine today. There was also the issue of a Mosque with funding issues in Agege area of Lagos, which Allah helped us to bail out. I don’t want to start counting.
What advice do you have for women who look up to you?
Laughs… I am still under guidance myself. I told you about meeting top people. That is one of the factors of becoming who I am today. The types of people one meets while hustling and how one manages the opportunity determines the quality of one’s position in life. I met these people through the grace of God and I did not abuse the privilege.
