AL - 'ILAAJ EDITORIAL BOARD, MSSN UCH, IBADAN

  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...

Adequate knowledge about the concept of duʿāʾ is vital to the life of every Muslim — not just because duʿāʾ is a way to get the things we want, but because it is a matter of ʿaqīdah (the set of beliefs that a Muslim holds onto with total conviction). Many have strayed from the right path due to the perception that their prayers go unanswered. Some have committed shirk, seeking help from entities other than Allah in a bid to have their prayers answered. Many have also fallen prey to sheikhs who misguide them and take advantage of their desperation. We must know that for duʿāʾ to be accepted, two conditions must be met: 1. Ikhlāṣ (sincerity) 2. Following the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Glad Tidings from the Prophet ﷺ The lecturer began with a ḥadīth that brings glad tidings: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who offers supplication in which there is no sin or severing of ties of kinship, but Allah will give ...

Former Nigerian Head of State and two-term civilian President, General Muhammadu Buhari, was laid to rest this week, just a day after his passing. As the country mourns, flags are lowered, and tributes pour in, many Nigerians are not only grieving the man—but mourning the persistent state of our nation. Buhari's name will forever be etched into Nigeria’s history—not just as a military ruler, but as the man who returned to power in 2015 on a wave of widespread hope and a bold promise: Change. For many, it felt like a new dawn. After years of disappointment, here was a leader believed to have the discipline, simplicity, and moral backbone to redirect Nigeria’s course. But a decade later, many of the same issues remain. And for some, the hopes that once burned bright have grown cold. Buhari’s passing is, for me, not just the end of an era—but a painful reminder of the illusions we’ve repeatedly bought into. After watching the promises of change dissolve into the familiar fog of econom...

We live in a world we can leave at any time— with a whisper, a twist in the road, a silent call from the unseen. And yet, we measure every word as if it were currency in a marketplace that won’t exist tomorrow. Why do we cower from truth? Why do we let it sit in our throats, unsaid— like guests uninvited to the dinner table of ambition? Is it fear? Fear that a moment of honesty might strip us of applause, or close a door we never truly wanted to walk through? We swallow our souls to secure positions in futures that may never come. And call it wisdom. Call it strategy. Call it networking. But it’s fear— dressed in expensive language. How strange: To fear the loss of imagined power more than the erosion of our real selves. We act like this world is permanent. As if each breath is under our control. As if we are the masters of time— not its brief passengers. Tell me, what does it profit a person to gain the whole world but silence their truth into extinction? Speak, even if your voice sha...

I vividly remember the first time I finished a storybook — it was a recommended text back in nursery school. Then came the structured readings of primary and secondary school, and later, literature recommended for major exams like JAMB. (The Last Days at Forcados High School, anyone?) Whether or not you consider yourself a book lover, chances are you’ve read a novel or storybook at some point. And if you’re like me — someone who reads for pleasure — you’ve probably gone through dozens, if not hundreds, of them. But here’s a question we rarely ask: How do these stories actually get to us? We know them as books, but behind every story that reaches readers lies a process — publishing. What Is Publishing, Really? At its core, publishing is the process of making content — written, visual, or audio — accessible to the public. It spans writing, editing, design, printing, marketing, and distribution. Traditionally, publishing meant printed materials like books and newspapers. But in today’s di...