MY ANCESTORS ORIGINATED FROM A SMALL BORDER VILLAGE (BETWEEN GAMBIA & SENEGAL) IN THE NORTH BANK DIVISION OF THE GAMBIA CALL KERR BIRAM VILLAGE.
IT WAS FOUNDED BY OUR GREAT GRAND FATHER,BIRAM WUDEH WHO WAS ALSO THE ALKALO OF THE VILLAGE UNTIL HIS DEAD.
UNTIL NOW,ITS OUR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO SERVE AS THE ALKALO OF KERR BIRAM.
MY GRAND PA WHO I AM NAMED AFTER SERVED AS THE LONGEST SERVING 'ALKALO'(VILLAGE HEAD) IN THAT WHOLE SURROUNDING.
MY FATHER AS A BUSINESSMAN MIGRATED AND SETTLED IN A NEAR BY TOWN CALLED FARAFENNI AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OF HIS KIDS WERE BORNED INCLUDING MYSELF.
MY MUMY IS ORIGINALLY FROM SOUTHERN SENEGAL, A TOWN CALLED SOKON WHICH IS ABOUT 70 MILES FROM BANJUL THE CAPITAL OF THE GAMBIA.SO I AM MORE OR LESS A SENEGAMBIAN.

MY EDUCATIONAL HISTORY        

AT AGE 5, I ENTERED PAPA KEBBA MEMORIAL NURSERY SCHOOL-FARAFENNI WHERE I SPENT 2 YEARS(1988-89) AND WENT TO FARAFENNI PRIMARY SCHOOL(1990-1996).AFTER MY PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVING CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION, I WENT TO FARAFENNI JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL(1996-1999)WHERE I SERVED AS THE HEADBOY DURIN G MY TIME,THUS I BUILT A STRONG ACADEMIC/SOCIAL FOUNDATION IN MY HOME TOWN FIRST BEFORE MOVING TO THE GREATER BANJUL AREA TO START EXPLORING MY REAL TALENTS (SEE ATTACHED ACHIEVEMENTS ON HOME PAGE).KNOWING THE TYPE OF TALENTS AND POTENTIALS I HAVE,I CHOSE THE SCHOOL OF MY DESIRE, ST AUGUSTINE'S  SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL(1999-2002)(STILL SEE ACHIEVEMENTS ON HOME PAGE).I SHORTLY ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF THE GAMBIA AND LATER LEFT TO STUDY FRENCH AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AT ALLIANCE FRANCO GAMBIENNE AND QUANTUM ASSOCIATE/GTMI RESPECTIVELY BETWEEN 2002-2004 BEFORE COMING TO THE USA.

FOR I HAVE INDEED ENJOYED THE TIME I SPENT AT ALL MY ALUMNEES AND NEVER REGRETED ENROLLING IN ANY OF THEM.BUT I ENJOYED THE 3 YEARS I SPENT AT ST AUGUSTINE'S THAN ALL OF THEM.FOR IT HAS BLOWN ME AROUND THE WORLD LIKE THE WIND AND CHISELLED ALL MY ROUGH EDGES.FOR I MET THE BEST FRIENDS AND MATES AS WELL AS TEACHERS WHO INDEED MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE.JUST CONCACT ME VIA EMAIL IF U WANA KNOW MORE ABOUT ME.       

MORE ABOUT ME:

BY TRIBE,I AM A WOLLOF AND BY RELIGION,I AM A MUSLIM.FOR WE ALL HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES BUT WE SHOULD USE THEM AS OUR STRENGTHS,COMPROMISE WITH EACH OTHER'S OPINIONS AND BELIEVES   AND MEET AT A VERY STRATIGIC POINT(ALL OF US RECOGNISING/UNDERSTANDING AND ACTING UNDER THE BELEIVE AND PRINCIPLE OF HUMANITY) RATHER THAN FIGHTING WITHIN OURSELVE.

MY RELIGION ISLAM IS INDEED A TRUE RELIGION THAT TEACHES US TO DO WHAT IS GOOD AND DO AWAY WITH WHAT IS BAD.IT TEACHES UNITY, PEACE, LOVE, FREEDOM, PROSPERITY, RESPECT AND HARD WORK.

ISLAM IS A TRUE RELIGION- NOT A FAKE ONE

ISLAM IS A GOOD RELIGION- NOT A BAD ONE

ISLAM IS A PEACEFUL RELIGION- NOT A REBELIOUS ONE

ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF ALLAH- NOT FROM MANKIND

ISLAM IS A STRONG RELIGIO N- NOT A WEAK ONE

ISLAM IS A UNIFYING RELIGION- NOT A DIVIDING ONE

ISLAM TEACHES MORALITY- NOT IMMORALITY

ISLAM PROMOTES HARDWORK AND DISCOURAGES LAZINESS

ISLAM EMPOWERS WOMEN AND CHILDREN BUT DOES NOT DISRESPECT THEM

ISLAM IS A PURE RELIGION-PURE IN ITS PURESS FORM.

ISLAM IS A FLEXIBLE RELIGION- NOT A DIFFICULT ONE

AS STATED ABOVE,IN SHORT, ISLAM TEACHES US TO DO WHAT IS GOOD AND LEAVE WHAT IS BAD.THE WORD ISLAM IN ITSELF MEANS PEACE,AND TOTAL SUBMISSION TO THE WAY TO ALLAH (GOD).A PERSON WHO PRACTISES ISLAM AS A RELIGION IS CALLED A MUSLIM..A COUNTRY WHOSE MEJORITY OF THE PEOPLE ARE MUSLIMS IS KNOWN AS A MUSLIM STATE WHERE AS A COUNTRY WHOSE PEOPLE PRACTICE ISLAM AS A WAY OF LIFE IS CALLED AN ISLAMIC STATE.FOR WHICHEVER OF THEM WE BELONG TO ,THERE SHOULD EXIST A COMMON UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN US.WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPROMISE WITH EACH OTHER.

AS MUSLIMS,OUR WAY OF LIFE HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR US BY ALLAH A LONG TIME AGO.WE ARE SURPOSE TO LIVE THE SIMPLESS AND HAPPIEST LIFE DEVOTING AND TOTALLY SUBMITING OURSELVE TO ALLAH AS WE ARE TOLD IN OUR HOLY BOOK (THE QURAN) THAT MANKIND AND JINS ARE BROUGHT TO THE UNIVERSE FOR NO REASON BUT TO WORSHIP ALLAH.

ALLAH IS THE CREATOR OF THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING IN IT FOR MANKIND.

ISLAM IS THE RELIGION OF THE MUSLIMS

THE QURAN IS THE BOOK OF THE MUSLIMS

MUHAMMAD (S.A.W) IS THE PROPHET OF THE MUSLIMS

SHARIAH IS THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE MUSLIMS

OUR DUTIES AS MUSLIMS

BEFORE ONE CAN BE CLASIFIED AS A MUSLIM,THERE ARE FIVE BASIC DUTIES THAT HE/SHE HAS TO CARRYOUT.THESE FIVE DUTIES INCLUDE

-HAVING SHAHADAH-BELIEVING AND HAVING THE INTENTION THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND MUHAMMED IS THE PROPHET OF ALLAH

-CONSTANT  PERFORMANCE OF FIVE DAILY PRAYERS AT THE SPECIFIED TIME AND PLACE PREFERABLY.

-FASTING FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY DAYS DURING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN ONCE EVERY YEAR.

-GIVING OUT ZAKAT TO THE POOR AND THE NEEDY ONCE EVERY YEAR IF YOU HAVE KEPT ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY OR ARTICLE SUCH AS JEWERLY AND IF YOU ARE A FARMER YOU GIVE OUT OF WHAT YOU GREW.

-PERFORM PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA ATLEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE TIME IF YOU HAVE THE FINANCIAL,MENTAL AND PHISICAL MEANS AND ABILITY TO DO SO.

ISLAM DOES NOT ONLY STOP AT THE ABOVE AS IT IS A COMPLETE WAY OF LIFE. IN ADDITION TOTHE ABOVE,ISLAM TEACHES US TO HELP EACH OTHER,WORK HARD FOR OUR DAILY LIVING,HAVE SYMPATHY FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN,RESPECT EACHOTHER'S BELEIVES,RESPECT OUR ELDERS AND WHOEVER IS IN AUTHORITY OVER US,LEARNING IN OTHER TO GAIN MORE KNOWLEDGE,ALWAYS HONOURING OUR PROMISE,LOOKING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER,DO WELL WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS,AVOID KILLING,STEALING,LYING,CHEATING,ADULTRY AND PURIFYING OUR SOULS TOWARDS THE WAY OF ALLAH,THIS WE DO BY SMOOTHENING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER(HUMAN BEINGS) AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ON EARTH WHICH ARE BROUGHT BY ALLAH TO US AND FOR US.IN SHORT,EVERYTHING WE DO IN OUR DAILY LIFE(THE WHOLE 24 HOURS)WE SHOULD BELEIVE TO BE DOING IT FOR ALLAH.IF WE HAVE THAT BELEIF,WE WILL ALWAYS FEAR ALLAH AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT.EVERYONE OF US WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN DEEDS AND SHALL BE ACCOUNTED FOR THEM BY ALLAH ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.THEREFORE,LET US TRY TO DO GOOD SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED OR SURPRISED WHEN THAT DAY COMES.ISLAM IS A VERY EASY AND FLEXIBLE RELIGION THAT ONE REALLY ENJOYS IF HE/SHE PRACTICES THEIR DUTIES AS MUSLIMS.

A POINT OF CLEARIFICATION

NOW ADAYS,A LOT OF PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST BELEIVE AND TAKE ISLAM AS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT TO DISTABILISE THE WORLD.THIS BELEIVE IS TOTALLY WRONG,ISLAM IS A VERY PEACEFUL RELIGION.INFACT,THE WORD ISLAM ITSELF MEANS PEACE.SO THERE IS NOWAY THAT MUSLIMS WILL CONTRADICT THEMSELVES BY KILLING A MASS NUMBER OF PEOPLE INCLUDING THEMSELVES.ISLAM IS AGAINST KILLING AND EVEN DOES NOT COMPROMISE WITH THE ACT ATALL.ACCORDING TO SHARIAH(ISLAMIC LAWS) WHOEVER KILLS,MUST BE KILLED.

ISLAM THEREFORE CALLS FOR RITIOUSNESS,PEACE,UNITY,FREEDOM,PROSPERITY,HARDWORK,EDUCATION, AND LOVE FOR EVERYTHING.ALL OF THESE ARE LEFT FOR US TO PRACTICE BY OUR PROPHET (S.A.W).AS REPORTED IN A HADITH,OUR PROPHET (S.A.W) LEFT FOR US THREE THINGS TO LEARN FROM(THE QURAN,THE SUNNAH AND THE HADITH)

THIS PIECE WAS COMPILED BY PA OUSMAN JOOF AS A SHOW OF HIS GRATITUDE AND APPRICIATION TO ALLAH FOR GIVING ME ISLAM AS MY RELIGION.IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PLEASE OR HURT THE FEELINGS OF ANYONE BUT TO ENLIGHTEN THE PEOPLE ABOUT ISLAM.EVERYTHING WRITTEN HERE IS EXTRACTED FROM THE KNOLEDGE I LEARNT FORMALLY(IN SCHOOL) AND INFORMALLY(ATTENDING ISLAMIC GATHERINGS AND DISCUSSIONS)SO I DO NOT INTEND TO MISLEAD OR MISINFORM ANYONE. IF EVERYTHING IS OK,I PRAY THAT ALLAH HELPS US TO DIGEST IT PROPERLY AND IF ANYTHING IS WRONG OR MISLEADING,I ALSO SEEK FOR ALLAH'S FORGIVENESS AND PRAY THAT HE HELPS US ALL TO KNOW THE FACTS AND SHARE IT WITH ALL FELLOWS.ANEN

I PROMISE TO WRITE MORE ABOUT ISLAM,ALLAH,THE PROPHET (S.A.W)AND THE QURAN AS TIME ALLOWS ME.BUT FOR NOW I WILL STOP HERE.THANK YOU FOR READING AND PLEASE FORWARD ALL COMMENTS AND/OR SUGGESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS ARTICLE OR THE WHOLE SITE IN GENERAL TO paousman146@yahoo.co.uk YOUR INPUT IS VERY VALUABLE AND WILL BE CONSIDERED ALOT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU.