Ahmed Salim Jn

  ASSALAMU ALAYKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH   Praise be to ALlāh , and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of ALlāh: The ‘holding fast” that is mentioned in the Qur’an is of two types: holding fast to ALlāh, and holding fast to the rope of ALlāh. ALlāh, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And hold firmly to the rope of ALlāh all together and do not become divided” [ Al ‘Imran 3:103 ] “and hold fast to ALlāh. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper” [ Al-Hajj 22:78 ]. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may ALlāh have mercy on him) said: I‘tisaam (holding fast) means adhering to that which will protect you and will ward off from you that which you dread and fear. ‘Ismah means protection and i‘tisaam means seeking protection. Hence fortresses are called ‘awaasim (sing. ‘aasimah) because they give protection and safety. Well-being and happiness in this world and the hereafter are based on holding fast to ALlāh and holding...

  Ómékpé Oñuak’oji'ye Ékpé Childhood was bliss. It was always rosy, especially for those of us who grew up listening to the optimistic tales of our teachers. We were taught through a poem that our parents should listen to us, their children, because we are the supposed leaders of tomorrow . Of course, we were supposed to lead tomorrow. But as I grew older, I decided to check the possible meanings of the English word tomorrow. One of its interpretations is “at some point in the future; later on.” Now, here lies the challenge, there are many points in the future. So, which of these points were we actually told we would lead? Tomorrow as “the day after today” feels obscure. It never truly comes, because we are always in today, and today will always have its own tomorrow. More importantly, I think the elders should listen to the cry of the young , for the young of today, are the elders of tomorrow . A good tree bears good fruit, and so does a bad one. But you don’t expect a tree to mir...

  They say it’s not about how far one has gone, but how well he's come. True as that may be, I’ve come to believe that no matter how well, it is never truly well enough until one dares to go farther, until one stretches beyond the familiar and reaches for the farthest possible. I know farthest is subjective, from the subject's stand point and scope field. Like many innocent children, I once dreamt of becoming a doctor, not the kind with a PhD , but a medical doctor, one that has earned an MBBS . It was a dream that glowed in my young heart. But as I grew older, reality began to say something different, wake up from your sleep and face me (so said, reality). I looked around, and not a single person in my environment reflected my dream. There was no example to follow, no one to say, “Yes, it can be done.” Having a dream is one thing, but seeing it come alive is another. And when one finally does, it becomes one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences in life. In the abse...

  ASSALAMU ALAYKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH   Praise be to ALlāh , and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of ALlāh. Firstly: The Muslim should spend his life always trying his best to do righteous deeds and make the most of his time to increase in good deeds and prepare for the Day of Resurrection , in obedience to the words of ALlāh, may He be Exalted: {And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as vast as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous} [ Al `Imran 3:133 ].  It was narrated that `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may ALlāh be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of ALlāh (blessings and peace of ALlāh be upon him) took hold of my shoulder and said: “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a wayfarer.” Ibn `Umar used to say: “When evening comes, do not expect to see the morning, and when morning comes, do not expect to see the evening, and take from your health for your sickness, and (take) from your life for your death.” Narrated by...

  Success, they say, is a process and not a destination. Each time we achieve a goal, we tend to set another, and the cycle continues. Ever since I first saw the blueprint of the bridge in my village, though it was constructed decades before I was born, I have been fascinated by it. I remember asking who the brains behind such an incredible work were. My teacher replied, “The Engineers.” He went on to list the various branches of Engineering and their roles in making such feats possible. Right there and then, I made up my mind, I was going to become a Civil Engineer . I wanted to Design and construct structures that would stand the test of time, I wanted to create structures that speak long after after I'm no more, I wanted to own a legacy. All through my secondary school years, I worked tirelessly with one goal in mind; to become an Engineer, a Civil Engineer. My first attempt at UTME didn’t go as planned, I missed admission even though I scored twenty seven points above the off...

  Across Nigeria, about 200 Colleges of Health and Teaching Hospitals tirelessly train and graduate Community Health Practitioners every year. These institutions produce skilled professionals equipped to bridge the gap between the health system and the people, the very frontline workers who carry healthcare into our villages, towns, and underserved communities. Yet, despite their vital role, a staggering number of these practitioners remain unemployed after graduation. Both public and private sectors seem to have turned a blind eye to their potential contribution. The reality is heartbreaking. After spending huge sums to complete their training and obtain licenses from the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN), many are left stranded, qualified but jobless, hopeful but forgotten. The few who find work in private clinics and hospitals are often grossly underpaid, earning far below what their knowledge, training, and service to humanity deserve. This w...

  ASSALAMU ALAYKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH  Praise be to ALlāh   The difference in inheritance is not based on the gender of the heir, but on three primary conditions:  1. The degree of kinship to the deceased :  Regardless of whether the heir is male or female, the closer the relationship to the deceased, the more an individual will inherit. For example, a deceased woman’s daughter is entitled to half the inheritance while the husband of the deceased only receives one fourth. This is because the daughter, as an immediate blood relative, is closer in relation than the husband. Therefore the amount of inheritance she receives is greater.  2. The generation to which the heir belongs: Children usually receive more inheritance than parents because they will confront future financial responsibilities, whereas others usually maintain the financial upkeep of parents. The system functions this way regardless of gender. Even though they are both women, the daught...

  Sequel to our previous article on the poor Welfarism of Community Health Practitioners in Nigeria and our promise to come up with achievable suggestions to better the plight of these professionals, we believe that among better approach and with urgency, the underlisted items are invaluable for better welfare of Community Health Practitioners. 1. The Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) must begin to take welfare issues seriously. It is not enough to regulate licensing and examinations while ignoring the financial realities of practitioners. If the Board can insist on mandatory continuous professional development, it must equally push for mandatory minimum wage compliance for Community Health Practitioners across government and private facilities. 2. The Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN) must rise above ceremonial conferences. Welfare and financial advocacy should take centre stage. If PENGASSAN can fight for oil work...

 ASSALAMU ALAYKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH  Praise be to ALlāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of ALlāh and his family. Praying in congregation. Prayer in congregation is obligatory for healthy men in the mosque, according to the more correct scholarly opinion. This is based on a great deal of evidence, including the following:  ALlāh says (interpretation of the meaning):  “When you (O Messenger Muhammad) are among them, and lead them in As-Salah (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salah (prayer)] with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which have not yet prayed, and let them pray with you” [Al-Nisa 4:102] The following points are made on the basis of this verse:  ALlāh commands them to pray in congregation, then He repeats this command a second time with regard to the second party or group, as He says, “and let the other par...

  As a Community Health Practitioner in Nigeria, the profession could really set you up for embarrassment you never signed up for. Everyone assumes healthcare workers should earn decently because of the importance of their work. Yet, in reality, the average pay of many Community Health Practitioners, especially outside major cities, is not only discouraging but in many cases falls below the minimum wage, despite the enormous responsibility of safeguarding community health. It is not unusual to see Community Health Practitioners earning stipends of ₦15,000 – ₦50,000 monthly in state or LGA employment, particularly in the first few years after qualification. Fact-check me. I dare say that a large proportion of CHPs in Nigeria earn less than ₦100,000 even after 5 years of practice. In urban centres, the situation is slightly better, but far from encouraging. Many Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEWs),  Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), and even Community He...

  ASSALAMU ALAYKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH   Praise be to ALlāh. Firstly:  Vows are of two types:  1 – Conditional vows, in which the vow is dependent upon something happening, as when a person says, “If ALlāh heals me, I will give such and such in charity, or I will fast such and such a number of days,” and so on.  2 – Unconditional vows (which are not connected to anything), such as saying, “I will fast such and such a number of days for ALlāh.”  Both types of vows must be fulfilled, if what is vowed is to do an act of worship.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of ALlāh be upon him) said: “Whoever vows to obey ALlāh, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Him let him not disobey Him.”   Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6696. The obligation to fulfil a vow is stronger in the case of a conditional vow, although it is obligatory to fulfil both types, as stated above.  Ibn al-Qayyim said:  If a person says: “If ALlāh delievers ...

  Community Health is not a second-rate profession in Nigeria. Rather, community health professionals are uniquely trained, academically qualified, and professionally licensed to practice as highly skilled health workers. Their scope of practice, guidelines, and limitations are well-defined. And Yes, Community Health as a profession in Nigeria has recorded several landmark achievements since its formal inception in the 1970s with the establishment of the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) and the training of various cadres of community health workers.  The establishment of the Community Health Practitioner Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) in 1992 (via Decree 61, now CAP C19 LFN 2004) gave legal backing to the training, registration, and regulation of Community Health Practitioners. This Formalization and Regulation of the Profession ensured professional recognition, standards, and ethics. From the first community health training program...

  Delivering healthcare in local communities requires a clear understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that arise when serving diverse populations. Effective interventions must be adapted to the social, cultural, and economic realities of each community to achieve lasting health improvements. Community health practitioners are central to this effort. They extend access to primary healthcare, particularly in underserved settings, and are well positioned to identify local needs shaped by demographics, geography, and socioeconomic status. They literarily take healthcare services to the places where people live and/or work. The concept of 'PHC under one roof' is very effective. Many communities face significant infrastructure and resource constraints, limited staffing, unreliable electricity, poor road access, and inadequate supplies. While these barriers cannot be overcome by health workers alone, community health practitioners can work creatively with available re...

 ASSALAMU ALAYKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH Praise be to ALlāh, And blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of ALlāh. Being truthful means speaking the truth and also saying things that reflect reality. Being truthful is one of the necessities of a human society, one of the virtues of human behaviour, and brings great benefits, whilst lying is one of the major elements of corruption in human society, and the cause of the destruction of social structure and ties, one of the most evil features of bad conduct, and causes widespread harm. Hence Islam commanded truthfulness and forbade lying. ALlāh says (interpretation of the meaning): O you who believe! Be afraid of ALlāh, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds). [Al-Tawbah 9:119] Ibn Katheer (may ALlāh have mercy on him) said (2/414): It means: be truthful and adhere to truthfulness, and you will be among its people and will be saved from calamity, and this will make a way out for you from your problems. ALlāh says (int...