AL - 'ILAAJ EDITORIAL BOARD, MSSN UCH, IBADAN

  Alhamdulillah!  On the 19th of August, this month, members of our Muslim Medical Laboratory Science Students’ family were officially inducted into the noble profession. We celebrate this milestone with great joy and pride, and we ask Allah ﷻ to make it a stepping stone to greater heights for each of them. We are especially grateful for all their invaluable contributions to the UCH Ummah throughout their journey as students—be it through graphic designs, organizing Al-Falaah runs, or serving tirelessly in different capacities. Your dedication and service have left a mark, and we pray that Allah counts it as ongoing charity ( sadaqah jaariyah ) for you all. May Allah ﷻ never leave you to your own affairs, but guide you always, grant you immense barakah in your careers, and make you sources of benefit to yourselves, your families, and the Ummah at large. Baarakallōhu feekum! Inductees: Adedapo Mujahid Adeniyi Aisha Agboola Ridwan Hassan Marufat Sulayman Monsurat by  the Ed...

 The digital revolution, accelerated by the global pandemic, has firmly embedded screen time into the fabric of student life. Several studies highlight the adverse effects of excessive screen time on students’ physical and mental health. These include: 1. Eye strain and discomfort, such as photophobia and lacrimation, which have become commonplace among students who spend hours engaged online. 2. Sedentary behavior, which increases the risk of weight gain, headaches, and poor posture. 3. Sleep disturbances, often caused by late-night screen use that disrupts natural sleep cycles. For Muslim students, this is particularly relevant, as inadequate rest can complicate religious observances such as Fajr prayers or fasting routines. 4. Psychological stress, including heightened levels of anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and loneliness, which has been closely associated with increased screen time. While digital platforms offer unprecedented access to knowledge, there are clear down...

Just some weeks ago, our women’s national football team won the WAR ON — no, not an actual war, but in this country, sport is the only battle the government seems eager to fight. They returned home triumphant, lifted high on the shoulders of a grateful nation, and were promptly rewarded with fat cheques, gifts, and promises that for once didn’t arrive in an IOU¹ envelope. But there was a small, inconvenient detail. Some of the foreign-bred players, perhaps not yet fully trained in the art of Nigerian silence, casually revealed that the team was still owed arrears from previous national duties. Translation: you can sweat, bleed, and wear the green and white until the jersey smells like history itself, but unless you bring home a trophy, your payment is negotiable.   The irony? On the very Monday their lavish rewards were announced, nurses were on strike. Somewhere in the country, a doctor friend of mine online made it known that they were supposed to perform three major surgeries — ...

Procrastination, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is "the action of delaying or postponing something."  It’s a word we all know—an act we are all too familiar with.  It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that we all procrastinate. Maybe not always, but certainly to a certain degree. There’s always something we’ve been putting off: that application we want to write, the new skill we want to learn, the topic we’re supposed to read, the call we’ve been meaning to make. I’m sure we can all relate to at least one of these. Procrastination in Islam Procrastination and laziness are among the bad habits associated with hypocrites (Munafiqoon). The Qur’an says regarding them: “When they stand for Salah (prayer), they stand with laziness.” (Surah An-Nisa 4:142) While procrastination is often brushed off as a harmless habit—“as long as the task is done before the deadline, it’s fine, right?”—this mindset is deeply flawed.  In truth, procrastination is a damaging habit, both to our p...

  According to the National Blood Service Agency, an estimated 1,230,000 units of blood are collected across several facilities each year—90% of which come from paid commercial donors. On Friday, 16th Muharram 1447 (11th July 2025), the Al-Ansar Foundation, MSSN UCH organised a blood donation drive aimed at providing life-saving blood for members of the ummah in need. The drive was conducted in conjunction with the UCH Blood Bank, which provided medical equipment, personnel, and financial support towards the success of the programme. The event, held at UCH Central Mosque, began with the ushering of donors to designated stations. Special arrangements were made for female donors to donate within the masjid, ensuring they felt more comfortable throughout the process. A copper sulphate test was conducted on intending donors to check for adequate haemoglobin levels. Eligibility screening also included questions about the last time they donated blood, their last menstrual period (for fem...

When we think of sports, exercise, or staying fit, we often picture the physical: running laps, lifting weights, sweating through effort. But for a Muslim, true strength starts much deeper. It begins with discipline, is guided by du’a, and is sustained by quiet, consistent dedication. In our fast-paced academic lives - especially as students juggling deadlines, personal growth, and spiritual responsibilities - building and maintaining strength, whether physical or spiritual, can feel overwhelming. But Islam reminds us that every meaningful journey begins with three essentials: discipline, du’a, and dedication. Discipline: The Structure That Shapes You Discipline is what turns actions into habits. It’s what makes you show up, even on the days you don’t feel like it. Like those mornings when you’d rather stay in bed than attend clinic or ward rounds, but you still show up, simply because you’ve trained yourself to do so. The Prophet ﷺ lived a life of beautiful discipline. He had routines...