Islamic work on the continent, for they have the greatest claim to these places: they are its own people, and it belongs to them. They can resolve its chronic political and social problems—problems left behind by Western colonialism and further complicated by the new Eastern colonialism in the region, which established itself in countries across the continent while our people were unaware.

My university-educated brothers, the opportunity is there if you make good use of it, for the peoples of Africa are embracing Islam today in numbers unparalleled, to our knowledge, in history. The clearest and most recent evidence of what I have mentioned comes from the Nouakchott conference held at the beginning of this current month, Jumādā al-Ūlā. While preparing this lecture, I came across the issue of the newspaper al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah published on Wednesday, 6 Jumādā al-Ūlā 1396 AH. It carried the following headline: “African Islamic Conference Discusses Spreading Islam in Africa.”

The headline truly struck me and prompted me to read what the newspaper’s correspondent had written. Here is his report:

“The main subject addressed on the first day of the African Islamic Conference, which opened in Nouakchott, was ‘Spreading Islam in Africa, promoting the Arabic language, and unity and solidarity.’”

Presumably, what is meant by unity and solidarity is Islamic unity and Islamic solidarity. These points offer suitable fields of work for university graduates, for they are best equipped to take advantage of such opportunities. Allah alone grants success.