Opinions

The Seriki Hausa of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, Alh Ahmed Haruna, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Amir (National Head) of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria Alhaji (Barr.) Alatoye Folorunso Azeez. The Seriki and his entourage were received at the National Headquarters by the Amir in company with the Missionary in charge Maulana Afzaal Ahmad Rauf. Also present were the President Alimosho Branch of Ahmadiyya Community Alhaji Abdulmujeeb Idris and the Branch Missionary Muallim Orekoya Luqman. Welcoming Alh. Haruna to his office, the Amir Sahib explained that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at is spread across the country with the largest concentration of active members in the South West. He added that the Jama’at propagates Islam as practiced by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and focuses on the establishment of, and maintenance of peace, provision of education to liberate the Muslim Ummah and the establishment of health institutions in different parts of the country. The Amir expressed his desire to have Friday sermons translated into the Hausa language in our mosques in the Alimosho area to take care of members of the Hausa community who pray in our mosques. He noted that this was already being done in some of our mosques in other parts of the state. The Missionary in charge, Maulana Afzaal Ahmad Rauf Sahib emphasized the need for all Nigerians to promote unity and religious tolerance. He urged Muslims to promote Islam rather than their tribes. Responding, the Seriki said that the Hausa community in Alimosho is divided into eighteen sectors. He added that all the eighteen sectoral heads assist him in running the affairs of the Arewa community in that part of the state. He said his community is in good terms with members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in the area and that quite a number of Hausas pray in Ahmadiyya mosques. He promised to join the search for interpreters to enable his members to benefit fully from attending Ahmadiyya mosques. In his closing remarks, the Amir expressed the Jama’at’s appreciation to the Seriki Hausa and reiterated the need for every Nigerian to see themselves as one. He urged the Alimosho Branch President and Missionary to follow up on the discussion held with the Seriki and to ensure that members of the Jamaat work hand in hand with the Muslim community in particular and the general populace to promote peace and good neighborliness.

Members of the Majlis Ansarullah Ahmadiyya Nigeria (Elders Forum of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community) have been charged to continually preach, uphold and display the beautiful teachings of Islam, thereby becoming change agents for a new Nigeria. The Amir (National President) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Alhaj (Barr.) Alatoye Folorunso Azeez gave the admonition at the 21st Annual National Workshop of the Elders Forum held at the Jamia Ahmadiyya, Owode Road, Ilaro, Ogun State. Barrister Alatoye who expressed his displeasure over the state of affairs in the country in respect to moral decadence and human degradation believed members of the Muslim organization, especially the elderly ones have a huge role to play, to right all the wrongs in the country, starting from the home front. He requested the elderly members to set the ball rolling by taking proper care of the family members’ needed provisions – food, clothing, and shelter, thereby building a solid family structure and by extension building a sane society devoid of social ills. The Amir emphasized on the need for the members to reform themselves internally and change the value system before striving to reform the society. “The annual workshop is an avenue to reinvigorate and reposition ourselves morally and materially, going forward. As elderly members of the Jama’at, we have a huge role to play for a better Nigeria. Remember we are the fathers to the mothers, youths, and children. We cannot vindicate ourselves from the social vices in the country. We must all wake up from our slumber and change the history of the country. “As fathers, we should overlook so many things as long as they do not violate Islamic principles. I receive whole lot of complaints on fathers and these are disheartening and pathetic. Let us display good behaviours to our family members, especially our wives. Our behaviours should be exemplary to others. Let us live above board. “As Ahmadis, let us start a process of value change through the seeking of Allah’s assistance. We should take a lead in reforming society. So many people have lost faith in the Country. As Ahmadi Muslims, we should never lose faith. We should work, preach and pray for our leaders so that there will be value change. It is not by physical force but through moral and spiritual force. Escalating immoral and violent acts through religious and ethnic lines should be totally discouraged. “Meanwhile, we do not have a monopoly of claiming superiority over others. We are all equal before Almighty God. On the overall, members of Majlis Ansarullah stand at a very strategic position to change the course of happenings in the country positively.” Transition to Eternal Life: Islamic Perspective Maulvi Abdus Samad Awwal who delivered the theme lecture: Transition to Eternal Life: Islamic Perspective emphasized that members should be more concerned about the hereafter rather than mundane affairs which are ephemeral in nature; hence the need to commence the cleansing of our hearts and souls. “Our souls are our most precious possessions. Therefore, we should cherish and care for them more than any other possession. It is only part of us that does not remain in this world after death; everything else remains, only our souls, which dwell within us, enter into the life to come. It is clear therefore that our greatest concern and interest in this life should be the purification of our souls.” Be Alive to your Responsibilities – Adeoye Welcoming participants to the three-day program, the leader of the elders’ forum, Alhaji (Engr.) Abdul Waheed Adeoye urged members to be conscious of the onerous and challenging responsibilities before them as members of the elders’ forum. He stated that the roles of the elderly within the family, society and the country at large cannot be over-emphasized. He admonished members to be good ambassadors of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in their respective domains. Other Thought-Provoking Lectures Some of the other lectures also delivered were: “The Holy Prophet (SAW) and the Institution of solat” by Muallim (Barr.) Mutiullah Akinsanya; “Darsul-Quran: Transition to Eternal Life in Relation to the Verse” by Mr. Adewale AbdurRahman; “Man is Mortal” by Magistrate Mudathir Maruf; “Will Making in Islam” by Dr. AbdulMajeed Hassan-Bello, the National President Qadha Board (Arbitration Committee); and “Lessons from the Companions of the Promised Messiah(as) with particular reference to Maulana Abdur Raheem Nayyar” by Barr. Muhammad Rizwan. There were also Health Talks on “Prostate Gland and its complications” by Dr. Saliu AbdulWaid Niran; and “Viral Haemorrhagic Diseases with Particular Reference to Lassa Fever and Ebola Viral Disease” by Dr. Taofeek Adedayo Sanni. Other dignitaries that attended the event include: “The Naib Amir (Deputy National President), Finance and Administration, Alhaji Mufadhil Bankole; Naib Amir Tabligh and Tajneed (Preaching and Census), Dr. Abdul Lateef Busari; Naib Amir Ta’lim and Tarbiyyat (Educational and Moral Training), Alhaji Tajudeen Onabanjo; Rtd. General Seidu Balogun (former Governor, Ogun State); former Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Alhaji Hussein Sunmonu; and the General Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Alhaji Abbas O. Iromini. About 700 members of the body across the country attended the workshop.

Barely forty-eight hours after attending the National workshop of the Majlis Ansarullah at Ilaro, the Respected Amir sahib went to pay a courtesy call to the Executive Governor of Nassarawa State, Engineer Abdullah A. Sule at the State capital in Lafia, Nassarawa State. On the Amir’s entourage were the Naib Amir, Finance and Admin, Engr Mufadhil Bankole Sahib, Naib Amir Tabligh and Tajneed, Dr. Busari Abdul Lateef, the former Naib Amir for the  North, Dr. Habeeb Yekeen, the Secretary External Affairs, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, Nassarawa Circuit President, Brother Jubrin Ahmad, Nassarawa  Circuit Missionary, Muallim Akintola Misbahuddeen, Abuja Circuit President, Alhaj Sanusi Ahmed, Central Mubaligh of Abuja, Mukarram  Maulvi Nasir Mahmood, Former Abuja Circuit President, Alhaj Atanda, Abuja Circuit Missionary, Muallim Nuhu Abdus Salaam, Naib Sadr North for Majlis Khuddam, Brother Ajimoti Abdul Mujeeb, and many others. The Amir Sahib and members of his entourage were received by His Excellency in one of the conference rooms inside the Government House. The meeting with the Governor started with the opening prayer which was led by the respected Amir Sahib and recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Muallim Nuhu Abdus Salaam. The reporter did the introduction of Amir’s entourage and the Amir gave a glowing address which the Executive Governor and members of the State Executive Council listened to with rapt attention. In his address, the respected Amir Sahib appreciated the Executive Governor for granting our request to pay him a courtesy call despite his very tight schedule and the short notice. Amir Sahib appreciated, as well, all the previous Governors of the state for granting Ahmadiyya Jama’at permission to operate in the state as a religious body. The respected Amir Sahib informed the august gathering that out of the 5 Ahmadiyya- owned secondary schools in the country, three of them were located in Nasarawa State and they were the Ahmadiyya College at Umaisha, Ahmadiyya Community Secondary School Ara and Ahmadiyya Community Secondary school at Onda, all within the state. Further addressing the Executive Governor and members of the state cabinet, the Amir highlighted the beliefs of the Ahmadis as the same with the mainstream Muslims as we believe in one Allah; the Holy Prophet Muhammad, on whom be eternal peace; as Khattaman Nabiyyin; we uphold the five pillars of Islam and the six articles of faith. That the difference would be in the areas of understanding and interpretation of some injunctions and verses of the Holy Quran. He reiterated that the founder of the Jamaat, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Alayhi salaam was an obedient follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alayhi was salaam. Amir Sahib informed the audience about the focal point of Khilafat e- Ahmadiyya which was to establish and preach peace all over the world as Islam abhors violence but permits self-defense. He referred to what His Holiness had done and still doing; going to the Capitol Hill in the USA, House of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Congress in  Germany and Canada and other world powers where he told them to embrace peace and jettison violence and manufacturing of arsenals and war ammunition.  He advised that we should see ourselves as brothers and not as enemies. He said Islam did not allow any Muslim to act wrongly or misbehave to any Non-Muslim on account of a difference of religion. Some of our social and humanitarian activities carried out under the umbrella of the Humanity First; such as education for all, light for all, health for all, portable water for all, disaster recovery, the welfare of the internally displaced persons, orphanage, etc. were mentioned by the Amir Sahib to the Governor. The respected Amir Sahib presented three requests to the Executive Governor which were: one; an invitation of his Excellency to our National annual Jalsa Salana at Ilaro which holds in December every year and two; an invitation to our international Jalsa Salana at London which holds in August of every year and three; the strong support by the Governor as our spiritual worldwide leader was billed to visit the country in 2021. Amir Sahib wanted the Governor’s support in terms of facilitation in reaching out to Government departments and Ministries and possibly making the Presidency, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives accord His Holiness the respect he deserves which other bigger countries have accorded him. That they all need to listen and learn from the peaceful message of His Holiness which other countries have benefitted from.  Amir Sahib prayed profusely for the success of the Governor in his administration and for peace in the state. He prayed for the security of lives and properties in the state for the Government functionaries of the state especially, the Governor. Amir Sahib prayed for peaceful co-existence among the people. He prayed for the progress and development of the State under the incumbent Governor. Nine of the Jama’at’s publications were presented to his Excellency as gifts. The Executive Governor, Engineer Abdullah Sule responded by reciting Ta’awudh and Basmallah and welcomed the leadership of the Jamaat. He said he was expecting very problematic issues when he received our request to visit him but that he was humbled and mystified when all we have come to do was to truly pay him a courtesy call and offered him Islamic literature as gifts and then prayed for him and the state. He felt elated and honoured. The Governor said he was not a new person to Ahmadiyya as he had known Ahmadiyya many decades ago when he was in the secondary school in the 1980s as he used to pray inside our Mosque located in his town, Akwanga. Akwanga is just about 50 kilometers to Lafia, the State Capital. That the Jamaat’s mosque in Akwanga was the biggest in the area. ‘’Your College in Umaisha has hosted me twice when I went there for political campaigns and the school had produced many notable elites in the state’. He said. He said he also came across the Jamaat ul Ahmadiyya

Ramadan is a holy month out of the 12 months in the Islamic calendar. It is the month of fasting (saum) which is one of the five pillars of Islam. Looking down into the history of Islam, Ramadan has been the practice of Muslims worldwide since time immemorial and so Muslims hold this month in very high esteem and deem it fit to always adhere to all practices that are spiritually favorable in this blessed month. Adherents of other faiths may wonder why Muslims hold this month in high esteem because it is glaring that in this special month the remembrance of God Almighty is more intense. Hence, Muslims seek the favors, mercy, and forgiveness of God Almighty in all sincerity. God Almighty has said in the Glorious Quran that “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous” This verse of the Holy Quran gives an insight into why Muslims give full attention to this blessed month. Ramadan is not just an ordinary month but a month that every Muslim brethren always longs for, a month that comes with a special notice. The remembrance of Allah the Almighty is intense, nights become sleepless and are spent at the threshold of The Almighty In this month, the heart subdues itself to religious doctrines, the doors of unnecessary social gatherings are closed and the heart of man becomes cold from the worldly pursuits. Muslims’ hearts are filled with the love of God. How then would a man want to miss from the great bounties of such a spectacular month, the doors of heaven are opened and that of hell is closed- a month everyone is mindful of his thoughts, actions, and selfish desires. Ramadan is a month of spiritual reflection and self-improvement in which the rich remember the poor. No Muslim wishes to miss out of the great blessings embedded in this holy month. Shaitan is chained for he himself fears this glorious month. God Almighty brings Himself closer to mankind and hears the supplications of the supplicants. On one occasion, the Holy Prophet(sa) said, “If you knew the excellences of Ramadan and what Ramadan entails one would always wish that Ramadan should continue till the end of the year”. Fasting does not mean just refraining from food or drink but also moving far from activities that void one’s fasting. To solely remain hungry from morning until evening is not considered fast. The Promised Messiah(as) has stated, “Through the practice of fasting, God Almighty desires for a person to decrease one form of nourishment and increase in another form of sustenance. A person observing the fast should always be mindful of the fact that observing the fast does not simply mean that one should remain hungry. Rather, one should remain occupied in the remembrance of God Almighty in order to develop a state of inclination towards God and detachment from the world.” The Promised Messiah (as) states, “Therefore, a fast means that a person should refrain from the physical food that nourishes the body and acquire another form of food that is the means of comforting and nourishing the soul. Those individuals who observe the fast purely for the sake of God and do not do so as a mere tradition, they should remain engaged in praising God Almighty and also seeking His protection.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 9, p. 123) The Holy Prophet (sa) has also stated that God Almighty does not require for you to simply remain hungry (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Saum, Bab Man Lam Yada’ Qaul al-Zur wa al-amal bihi fi al-saum, Hadith 1903). Moreover, God Almighty has also stated in the very first verse pertaining to the injunction that fasting has been prescribed so that one may become righteous. However, what is righteousness? It is to abstain from spiritual and moral weaknesses. As I have just mentioned, the Holy Prophet(sa)  has stated that God Almighty does not require for one to simply remain hungry. The observing of the fast should develop a standard of righteousness within a person, through the means of which one is then able to protect themselves from all forms of spiritual and moral weaknesses, otherwise it is meaningless to fast. Furthermore, the Promised Messiah(as) has elaborated on righteousness on one occasion in the following manner: “To become truly righteous it is necessary that after having abstained from the more manifest form of sins, such as adultery, theft, usurping the rights of others, pretentiousness, arrogance, scorn of fellow beings, miserliness, one should eschew all low morals and should make progress in high moral values.” In other words, one should make a concerted effort to abandon these ills. By abandoning these lowly vices, one should then adopt excellent morals. The Promised Messiah (as) further states, “One should behave towards his fellow beings with politeness, courtesy and sympathy and should cultivate true fidelity and sincerity towards God Almighty. (This is vital for righteousness and spirituality. One ought to have a true and loyal relationship with God.) “One should constantly seek occasions of beneficent service.” This encapsulates both the rights owed to God Almighty and fulfilling His injunctions, and also fulfilling the rights owed to mankind. In other words, one should serve in such a selfless manner whereby it would be obvious that indeed, such a person is serving only for the sake of God without any vested interests. Ramadan is a revered month that comes with enormous blessings. Unfolding the meanings of the last phrase of verse 184 of Surah Baqarah “La’allakum tattakuun”, it is stated that “the real object of fasting is, first, to be saved from harm and suffering, and secondly, to be saved from sin and evil”.(Five- Volume Commentary, vol. 1 p. 237) Fasting also protects one from spiritual and physical harms. And health wise it is beneficial for the body. The Night of Majesty (Lailatul Qadr) is a rare blessing that comes during the period of one of the odd

In December 2019, the first cases of patients with pneumonia-like viral illness were identified in Wuhan, China. Subsequently, a novel human-infecting coronavirus (termed SARS-CoV-2) was identified as the causative agent for the illness1. Since then 210 countries and territories have reported cases of COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease-2019), with global cases topping 4 million and close to 300,000 confirmed deaths (WHO COVID-19 Situation Report – 112, 11th May 2020). With the COVID-19 pandemic raging across the globe, multiple avenues of treatments are being developed and tested for efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. As of yet, there are no universal cures against COVID-19 and the search for an effective vaccine still continues. What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is the official name assigned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to a large family of viruses called coronaviruses that are believed to have been originated in bats2. Through genetic mutations, these viruses are thought to have spilled over from bats to other animals, and subsequently mutated further to infect humans. Over the past 20 years, two such coronaviruses have caused highly pathogenic outbreaks in humans: 2002 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak caused by SARS-CoV and 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak caused by MERS-CoV. SARS CoV-2,like its predecessors, infects human cells found in the respiratory systems, leading to common symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath. However, in severe cases, the disease progresses to pneumonia and multi-organ failure, ultimately leading to death. The rapid spread of the SARS CoV-2 is what has set it apart from other coronaviruses, leaving nations across the world scrambling for ways to reduce its transmission. Furthermore, there are no known treatments to either prevent or treat the disease, with disease management limited to supportive care3. As we all watch the pandemic affecting people close to us, we are left to wonder when a treatment will become available to cure us of this disease? Disease and its cure – the Islamic perspective The Holy Qur’an explains that Allah the Almighty is the source of health for those who are sick as Prophet Abraham (as) told his people, ‘And when I am ill, it is He Who restores me to health‘ (Holy Quran, 26:81). This injunction is further corroborated by a Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) as is narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra), ‘There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 5678, Book 76, Hadith 1). While human effort result in the discovery of new treatments for diseases, it is Allah the Almighty in His infinite compassion and grace Who has given mankind the intellect to support these endeavours and He guides those who seek them to fulfilment. Allah’s compassion for His creation provides hope that while the situation maybe dire, He will provide the necessary cures. Though, human effort is indeed needed which is channeled towards research efforts that attempt to better understand human diseases and use that knowledge in the development of treatments. The Fifth Caliph and worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) clarified the purpose of these efforts in his message to students conducting research during his 2016 tour of Germany, ‘Every person is going to die one day, however it is very important that we use our brains to try and find cures for the illness and ailments that cause so much suffering and to try and improve the quality of people’s lives. This is the essence and true spirit with which research should be conducted.’ (From ‘A Personal Account’ by Abid Khan — Huzoor’saa tour of Germany 27th Aug – 10th Sept 2016 — Part 1, under ‘Student classes with Huzooraa page 20-21). With this hope that a cure, God willing, will be found, we relate some of the efforts that are being performed around the world for curing COVID-19. Furthermore, millions around the world are praying for the success of these scientists — it is this combination of effort and prayer that attracts the mercy of Allah. Repurposing Drugs Although a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 will serve as the most effective strategy for long-term infection control, repurposing of drugs designed to treat other conditions may offer quicker solutions to control the pandemic. While the treatment landscape for SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly evolving, a number of candidate therapies are already being evaluated in human patients by both government-funded organizations (for example NIH in USA, NIHR in UK, and CIHR in Canada) and pharmaceutical companies. Here we describe some of the current therapies being tested for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and detail the absolute need for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Chloroquine One of the promising agents touted widely in the media is the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. These two drugs are most commonly used for treating malaria and autoimmune conditions, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. While malaria (caused by a single celled Plasmodium ) is biologically very different to coronavirus, the drugs have different effects on human cells which can disrupt the ability of pathogens to infect cells and also limit their ability to replicate4. Hydroxychloroquine was first tested as a possible treatment against coronavirus infection back in 2002, after the emergence of SARS outbreak5,6. At that time, the drug was only tested in laboratory cell cultures and no randomized control studies were conducted in actual patients. Similar to its effects against SARS-CoV, chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine has now also shown promise against SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory settings7–9. Early clinical studies seemed to suggest it could be quite effective in patients infected with SARS-CoV-210, which created much enthusiasm that it could be used as a treatment for COVID-19 patients. These were preliminary observational studies and were not the high-quality randomized trials that are typically used to assess effectiveness. Despite the limited clinical data, the US Federal Drug Administration approved the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients. Soon after, conflicting evidence for the efficacy