Nur uz-Zamaan Institute takes its name from the kunya of Shaykh Uthman ibn Muhammad – known as Shehu ‘Uthman dan Fodio – one of the greatest reformers (mujaddideen) that was foretold by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the well-known hadith recorded by Abu Dawud:  “Verily, Allah will send for this Ummah at the head of every hundred years (could mean every generation) one who would revive for it (i.e. the ummah) its deen.”  We chose to name our institute after the Shehu for many reasons.  One of these reasons being the fact that his revival of the deen was blessed by Allah to be a complete revival.  He revived all aspects of the deen, both the inner and the outer sciences, and the revival of Islam’s social order i.e. khilaafah as it was set up by the early community (as-salaf).  His reformation was aimed and suited for all segments of the society.  He and his companions wrote, lectured and composed poetry which stopped the oppression of the rulers, protected the common-folk from the rulings and judgments of the evil-scholars and their students, protected women from the oppression of their husbands and taught the basics of Islam - as well as its advanced sciences.  He would travel to the different villages with his father while on his lecture tours.  When he got older he would also become an itinerate teacher.  He would go to the market places and call the people back to the worship and obedience of Allah and to the Sunnah of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.  At the age of 40, Shaykh ‘Uthman had a major run-in with the with the psuedo-Muslim government and emerged with a clear victory.  He then went into a spiritual retreat.  It was after these experiences that he was given the honorable title Nur uz-Zamaan – literally meaning “Light of the Age”.  Upon examination of his life and works it becomes obvious why we would associate and pattern ourselves upon his methodology (Minhaj).  May Allah give us Tawfeeq.  Ameen!