AL - 'ILAAJ EDITORIAL BOARD, MSSN UCH, IBADAN

 On the 12th of Rabiul Thani, 1447 AH (4th October 2025), sisters from MSSN UCH, Agodi-Gate Area Council, and beyond came together for a truly radiant experience. The theme of this year’s MSSN UCH/AGAC Sisters’ Seminar was “Az-Zahraa”, the epithet of Fatimah Az-Zahraa (RadhiyaLlahu anha), the daughter of the Prophet  ﷺ . It was held at the UCH Central Mosque, with over 300 attendees present. The programme began with the memorisation of a verse from the Qur’an, Surah An-Nur, verse 35, where Allah says: “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly white star lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.” The keynote speech, deliv...

Paediatrics 1 was a ghetto of postings. And it wasn’t even about the people; they were mostly nice. I remember us discussing that they were just very principled, and as long as you did at least the minimum expected of you, you should be fine. But that minimum—Lord help you if the consultant ward round was on Monday and you “locked out” during the weekend. By the time you came back to your senses, it would be 9 a.m. on Monday, and the consultant would be asking, “Whose patient is this?” Usually, the probability of being asked to present your patient was highest if your patient happened to be the first reviewed. That often depended on how much of a hurry the consultant was in. You could even risk answering “yes” to having clerked the patient and get away without being asked to present. But Lord help you if the consultant had enough time in the world. “Tell me about your patient.” My story was a crazy one. Three of us were assigned a patient. Two of them decided to split the clerking pres...

Nigeria has celebrated yet another Independence Day. As everyone and every organisation sent out their flyers with pictures of the green and white flag flying high and proud, I sat and imagined the perspective of a seventy-year-old man on all of this. He must have been there, a starry-eyed young lad, as the nation officially gained independence from the British colonisers. He must have witnessed the birth of a country with its name, its flag, its coat of arms, and its freedom. As a teenager, he must have lived through the country’s golden age. He must have marvelled at Cocoa House, built from the revenue of Nigeria’s thriving agricultural exports. He must have watched as the discovery of oil toppled everything over. He must have seen the time when a good income, a house, and a nice car were almost guaranteed for every graduate; when people stood tall and proud and happily called themselves citizens of this nation. He must have witnessed the transfer of power from military rulers to ele...

During the time of the Prophet ﷺ and the early pious predecessors, Tawheed (the absolute Oneness of Allah)   was fully understood. Later on, it became necessary to explain it in terms of its components. From the essence of Tawheed is Ar-Rububiyyah , which is the firm belief that Allah alone is the Creator of the universe and its Designer. He gives life and death as He wills. He is the Provider, the All-Powerful, and the Possessor of infinite strength. “And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: Allah. How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allah, Who created them)?” [Surah Az-Zukhruf: 87] “Say: Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne? They will say: Allah...” [Surah Al-Muʾminūn: 86-87] None denies Allah’s Lordship except the atheist, who claims to reject His existence while knowing deep down that He exists. They may substitute terms such as “nature,” “force,” or “the force of nature” to mask the truth. This denial is not b...

Nine years ago, Tim Urban, in his TED Talk Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator , shared the responses he received after writing a blog post on the same topic. Surprisingly, the messages didn’t come only from struggling students but also from highly accomplished professionals such as engineers, nurses, and PhD candidates, people who seemed to be thriving. Yet, they weren’t writing to celebrate their success despite procrastination; rather, they lamented what procrastination had cost them. Urban highlighted a striking truth: many chronic procrastinators manage to succeed. They spring into action when faced with looming deadlines, career-threatening risks, or the fear of public embarrassment. If you’re one of them, you might recall nights fueled by adrenaline, stressful and chaotic, but productive enough to meet the deadline just in time. But what happens when there is no deadline? When procrastination isn’t contained by external pressure? When nothing triggers that frantic, last-m...

Mawlid  or Mawlid Nabiyy, is a festival celebrated by many who believe it is an act of love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. However, a closer look at our religion's foundations reveals that this celebration is, in fact, an act of bid'ah , an innovation in matters of faith that is not permissible. This is a difficult truth for many, but our love for the Prophet should inspire us to follow his way, not to invent new ones. The evidence for this position is rooted in the Prophet's ﷺ own teachings and practices. Consider the hadith narrated by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Madeenah and the people had two days when they would play and have fun. He said, ‘What are these two days?’ They said, ‘We used to play and have fun on these days during the Jaahiliyyah .' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Allah has given you something better than them, the day of Adhaa and the day of Fitr . (Eid Al A...

  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...