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Friday Sermon: Reflections on Life: Mr. Tunde at Seventy-five

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By Babatunde Jose

Reflection is a practice and a skill which can be learnt and developed over time. It allows us to create a pause between our thoughts and often emotional responses and actions. Reflection helps us gain perspective, come to terms with events, learn from our experiences and enjoy moments of gratitude.

At its heart, self-reflection is setting aside time to think deeply and evaluate your thoughts, attitudes, motivations, and desires. It’s examining your emotions and behaviors and then asking yourself, “Why do I feel and act this way?”

My reflections on life is a walk through events, experienced and my gratitude to Almighty Allah for preserving me to this day and I believe He will make my days to be long and continue to grant me good health for the remaining period on this divide.

We need to reflect on these five thoughts daily: One, that we are subject to aging, second, to ill health, third to death, fourth that we will be separated from everything that is dear to us and fifth that we are responsible for our actions.

I owe Allah the gratitude because many were born on the same day, same hour and same minute, but many were recalled home by Allah. They did not commit any offense; they did not sin nor incur the wrath of God. They were simply not destined to live. I therefore thank Allah for His benevolence.

Let us therefore start from the beginning: My grandfather, Amusa Brimoh Jose entered in his Let’s  Diary:  “This is to certify that Wulemotu  Atinuke , wife of my Son, Sunmola, delivered male child between Saturday night and Sunday morning, the 25th December 1949, Christmas day. The naming ceremony took place on Sunday 1st January 1950, New Year day and the child was named Brimoh Babatunde Bodunrin Jose. “

Incidentally, my grandfather, Amusa Bromoh Jose, formerly of Ojubanire Lane, Agarawu, Lagos Island, had settled in his new house at 51 Olonode Street, Sadu, Yaba Estate, in 1930. When I was born, my grandfather had only 4 children, Yekini, Limota, Sunmola and Mosunmola. My father, Sunmola (later Isma’il) was the second boy, his elder brother Yekini Alabi Jose, would later change his name to Albert Alabi Jose Esq, retired as Chief Registrar, Oyo State High Court and died in 1993.

In my reflections, there had been many deaths in the immediate family to warrant thanksgiving to Allah. Just as my father had 10 living children when he died, there had been the death of many members of the family.

Shortly after I was born, in February, 1950, my uncle’s wife Ebun (later Mama Isiaka) had a female child who was named Ayisatu Morenike. On Thursday 13th July, Ayisatu died at about 3pm and was buried on Friday 14th July. She later had a male child on 1st November 1953, named Isiaka. He was raised as my father’s child and lived with us all his life. Isiaka died of liver cirrhosis in 2021, and his mother died a few years ago at the ripe old age of 95. Different strokes!

I lived with my grandfather and my other siblings until I went to the boarding house in 1958. In that house of many rooms were my uncles late Mustapha and Bolaji Jose, both sons of my great grandfather’s brother Momodu Bakare. There was my favorite uncle Saula Ashafa who used to take me to the cinema. Of course I would have slept during the show and he would carry me home on his shoulder. Brother Saula lived to 80 before he died.

Brother Saula was the son of my father’s big uncle ‘Dad’, Ambali Ashafa, son of my grandfather’s sister, Sabitiu (Mama Oloka). Memories of holidays with him can never be forgotten. Unfortunately, three of his younger children with whom we played together are no more; Captain Tunde Ashafa, Bisi Gwadabe and Seki.

In that same house at Olonode lived the children of my grandfather’s late brother, RAB Jose (Teacher): They were brother Iso Jose, a man of many parts; a magician, mystic, aladura and later native doctor. He used to conjure rice and meat for us. And his brothers, Semiu Jose (Seaman) and Bros Sunmi, Esco Jose, who attended Kings College and a fine table tennis player. He suffered spinal tuberculosis, also known as Pott’s disease, which caused a hunched appearance. They are all of blessed memory.

And we also had an uncle from our family at Alayaki lane, Baba Massey. A most rascally fellow till he died. Among other exotic professions, he was a magician (Professor Massey) who used to perform on NTA, later he became a mystic and opened Massey Mystic Center at Ijanikin, later he went into herbal medicine and finally berthed as the Oluaiye of Ogboni Ibile, which he registered on his Mercedes S Class. He returned from an Ogboni meeting when he slumped and died in his car.

I started my primary school at Yaba Methodist in 1955 and enjoyed every bit of the time spent there. All my mates that we lived on my street have since died; Damola Oluwole, Olu Dada whose auntie Olajumoke Dada was married to the late Henry Fajemirokun. But I still recall the names of some of the others like Jide Keleko and Kayode Sofola who are still very much alive. I left Methodist after standard one for Mayflower Junior School, Ikenne in 1958.

Mayflower was a different experience entirely and there were all sorts of characters that gave one a lifetime of experience in human nature. Lifelong relationships were forged in the school. Akin Aloba remains a cherished friend, his late father Ebenezer Williams was my father’s friend and member of the fraternity of the pen. Our friend Agboola Anjou, ala, ‘delicate millionaire’ died last year long after he had retired from service as a pharmacist.

I remember Ademola Adeoba, son of late Justice Adeoba, my father’s friend, and uncle of former Lagos Deputy Governor, Sinotu Ojikutu. Demola died shortly after his father’s death.

There was also Kunle Martins, Eja Osa, son of late Ambassador ‘Pehin Martins. Kunle lived with us throughout, as his dad was abroad in the diplomatic service. Kunle dropped out of secondary school to join the army. He left as a sergeant to work with Bemil Securities and later left for the United States where he fell ill and died.

In Mayflower, I interacted with some people in the senior school, one of them was Late Godwin Oke, a handsome fella, had an infectious smile and was the vocalist in the school band. He was married to Doyin Okupe’s older sister.

There was tall, gangling Soji Osilowo, ‘no molest’ on the soccer field. I caught up with him in Port Harcourt in 1976, when I went to serve. He took very good care of me but unfortunately died in an accident going to Lagos in his Fiat Climatizata. May his soul rest in peace.

My sojourn in Ahmadiyya Grammar School, Eleyele is a story for another day. Top on the list were the Elegbede brothers, Waliu and Wasiu both departed and Rafiu, who retired as a Colonel in the Army. They were the children of Daddy Ukashat Elegbede, late of 8 Bola Street, Ebute Metta, where we spent many memorable days during school holidays. Daddy was the brother of Alhaja Alake Jose, Mama Sadu, my grandfather’s wife and mother of my auntie Late Mosun Ogunjobi, nee Jose. Anti Mosun (Mama Enitan) died a few months after my dad in 2008.

Talking of Bola Street, memories were made in our escapades with friends who later died, among them Segun Adebo, Mexico (Ajasa oko Risi), Navy Commander Tunde Alabi, Banana, Egbon, Admiral Babatunde Elegbede, Colonel Razak Adekunle Elegbede who married Erelu Dosunmu, and Justice Abiodun Kessington, ‘Na Bob’, all of blessed memory.

But they were the good old days. I should not forget to mention late Major (Dr) Sola Odunubi, Samsi Ope and Air Commodore Toyin Ojibara. Ina lil;ah wa ina ilehi rajiun.

Here, nearer home, many have also gone. There are many lessons learnt from the interactions with these good people. There is the issue of accommodation, learning to live with people and tolerating their foibles and idiosyncrasies.

There is also the development of resilience and adaptation to any environment you find yourself in. I spent time in Awka/Amobia as a corper, 1st set in 1973, where there was no electricity or pipe borne water; making myself happy with my battery operated portable record player.

Another experience learnt is patience, subru, translated as suru. I learnt that a man can never hurry the sun rise. With patience, a man will surmount the highest tribulation. In Birmingham, where I enrolled for a doctorate, which I later abandoned; for days and sometimes weeks, my only company was my 8-Track tape and Amstrad quad player. This went on for months until I met uncle Tunde Okunnu. He was God-sent. Uncle Tunde returned to Nigeria and later died. He was the junior brother of my Big Uncle, Alhaji Femi Okunnu. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdous.

Perhaps the most important lesson is the need to be near our maker: Thanking God and constantly asking for forgiveness of sin either by omission or commission. And also Quisque fortunae suae faber est; that everyman is the architect of his own fortune.

Alhamdulillah, ‘Tunde kekere’ of Junior school, and ‘small boy Jose’, beating bata drum at Mbari Club, Ibadan in the play ‘Village of Ewa’ 1964, has come of age. In Sha Allah, Mr Tunde, as my old man used to call me, will be 75 on Christmas day. All praise to Almighty Allah.

Barka Juma’at and a Merry Christmas

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Ramadan and Lent: Comparing Two of the World’s Most Important Religious Observances

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By Babatunde Jose

Religion is an integral part of the lives of many people worldwide, and two of the most widely observed religious observances are Lent and Ramadan.

Western writers sometimes refer to Ramadan as “the Muslim Lent.” This is a grave error, though there are superficial similarities, significant differences and deep resemblances between Ramadan and Lent.

What is Fasting? Fasting is essentially giving up food (and something else) for a period of time in order to focus your thoughts on God. Fasting is found throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, over fifty times!

Fasting has a rich history in the bible, serving as a powerful way to connect with God. In the Old Testament, people often fasted in times of deep sorrow or when they wanted to humble themselves before God. Take David in Psalm 35:13, for instance—he fasted to express his humility before the Lord. In the New Testament, fasting becomes a way to draw closer to God, centering one’s heart and mind on Him. Jesus exemplifies this in Matthew 4:1-2, fasting for 40 days in the wilderness to prepare for His ministry.

Fasting often goes hand in hand with prayer, creating an intentional time of worship, like in Acts 13:3, where early Christians fasted and prayed together, or in Luke 2:37, where a widow faithfully fasted and prayed day and night.

In Islam Fasting is the hallmark of Ramadan. The Qur’an says Muslims should fast during the month of Ramadan because that is when the Qur’an was revealed (2:185). Fasting is obligatory for every Muslim, with certain exceptions (2:183-185). The Qur’an and Hadith  offer specific instructions on how and when the fast is to be practiced. For example: “eat and drink until you can tell a white thread from a black one in the light of the coming dawn. Then resume the fast until nightfall” (2:187).

Many Christians fast during Lent, although fasting is not a universal Christian practice. The Bible gives no specific instructions on a season that Christians are required to fast. Christian denominations have various traditions regarding fasting. For example, the Catholic Church in the United States instructs: “Catholics in the United States are obliged to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays during the season of Lent.”

All Muslims throughout the world observe Ramadan, regardless of their sect, school or nationality. Christian observance of Lent varies greatly among Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants. Some Christians, including many Baptists and the Pentecostals, do not observe Lent at all.

Ramadan focuses on self-discipline, devotion to God and generosity toward the needy. During Ramadan, Muslims cultivate complete obedience to God, sensitivity to God’s sustenance and empathy for those who are poor and hungry, hence the emphasis on sadaka, zakat and almsgiving during Ramadan.

Lent focuses on penitence and preparation for Easter. The climax of Lent is Holy Week, which commemorates the last week of Jesus’ life, including the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. The model of Jesus as a suffering servant is held up for Christians to follow (Phil 2:5-11).

Both Ramadan and Lent end in a joyous festival. Ramadan concludes with the Festival of Fast Breaking, Eid ul-Fitr. Muslims offer special prayers to God and alms to the poor. Lent ends with Easter, the festival of the Resurrection which celebrates new life in Christ.

Sincere faith is crucial for both Ramadan and Lent. The intentions of the Muslim determines the validity of the Ramadan fast (2:184). Jesus teaches that true fasting is of the heart, not merely of outward action (Mt 6:16-18). Pope John Paul II wrote about Lent: “The main current of Lent must flow through the interior man, through hearts and consciences.”

More worship participation and personal acts of piety mark both Ramadan and Lent. Despite their similarities, Ramadan and Lent operate in very different theological frameworks. But there is still deep resemblance between them.

Both Muslims and Christians connect increased devotion to God with religious acts of purity and self-sacrificial service. Fasting is placed in a larger context of God’s gracious provision. For both, true worship is a matter of faithful and joyful commitment to God, not mere conformity to religious rules.

Lent is 40 days of reflection and preparation observed by Christians, while Ramadan is a month-long (29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the new moon) period of fasting and spiritual reflection observed by Muslims.

One of the most significant differences between Lent and Ramadan is their timing. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days, leading up to Easter Sunday.

The timing of Lent is calculated based on the spring equinox, which falls between March 19 and 22. In contrast, Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which follows a lunar cycle. As a result, the dates of Ramadan change every year. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset for the entire month.

During Lent, Christians may choose to give up certain foods or activities as a way to purify themselves and prepare for Easter. Some Christians also fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

During  Ramadan the fast is broken each evening with a meal called “iftar.”

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim life.

The purpose of Lent and Ramadan also differs. The purpose of Lent is to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and to prepare for the celebration of Easter. It is a time of penance, prayer, and self-denial, during which Christians seek to draw closer to God. Lent is also an opportunity for Christians to reflect on their lives and make changes that will help them live more closely to their faith.

In contrast, the purpose of Ramadan is to deepen one’s spiritual connection with Allah and to strengthen one’s faith. Muslims believe that Ramadan is a time of heightened spirituality, during which they can purify their souls and seek forgiveness for their sins.

Lent and Ramadan also involve different practices and rituals. During Lent, Christians may attend church services, pray, give alms, and participate in other spiritual practices. Some Christians also choose to abstain from certain foods, such as meat or dairy, during Lent. In contrast, during Ramadan, Muslims may perform additional prayers, read the Quran, and engage in acts of charity.

It is also common for Muslims to break their fast with family and friends, which is an important social aspect of Ramadan.

In conclusion, Lent and Ramadan are two of the world’s most important religious observances, experienced by millions of people worldwide.

There are two other types of fast we need to mention. Yom Kippur and Daniel’s Fasting. Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is just one of the few fasts that are a part of the Jewish religion, Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld said. It’s considered the holiest day of the year and is observed eight days after Rosh Hashanah.

The rabbi said it’s a 25 hour fast that’s mandated in the Torah for men, women, boys over the age of 13 and girls over the age of 12. The fasts require observers to refrain from all food and drink (even water). Depending on which sect believers follow, bathing and physical contact with the opposite sex can also be prohibited.

Herzfeld said believers typically spend this period of fasting in a synagogue praying. It’s a time for repentance and asking God for forgiveness.

When the period of fasting is over, people feast and go back to regular eating and drinking.

Daniel Fast begins with the biblical story of the prophet Daniel and his three friends who were brought to the king of Babylonia’s palace. They were to train for three years to be the king’s servants.

The king offered them food, but Daniel did not want to “defile” himself with the king’s food, so he and his friends committed to eating only vegetables and water.

Rev Lavarin says the scripture doesn’t mandate the Daniel Fast for Christians, so it’s a voluntary journey.

Although Daniel and his friends fasted for 10 days during their time with the king, there was another fast that he did for 21 days. Lavarin says there isn’t a set amount of time that people tend to participate in the fast but the range is three days to 21 days.

Rev Marc Lavarin says the Daniel Fast consists of eliminating meat (including fish), dairy, wine and added sugars and eating vegetables and fruits and drinking water. The reverend likens it to being vegan.

May God accept our fasts, devotion, godliness, piety, compassion towards our fellowmen, and reward us abundantly during the holy months. May He preserve our lives and prepare for us a table full of all the desirables to make Ramadan a fulfilling exercise.

Unfortunately, many have hoped to partake in this Ramadan but Allah has called them home. One such person is our sister and friend, a schoolmate from primary school and associate during our sojourn in the United Kingdom, late Alhaja Mulikat Mojisola (Molly) Amusan-Ogbara. Wife of our friend and brother, Omogoriola Ogbara, a retired Honorable and old Grammarian. Moji joined in the celebration of the Mayflower Junior School 59/69 set ReUnion party last January. Photos and video clips showed her dancing and making merry, but Allah had written that she would be leaving us. Moji’s death is more painful as her mother, Alhaja Amudalat Amusan, a Muslim leader in her own right is still alive in her 90s. Moji was her eldest child. Inna lillah wa ina ilehi rajiun. Moji left last Thursday 13th February and was buried on Friday 14th and a farewell prayer was held for her last Sunday 16th. May Allah admit her to Jannatul Firdous.

Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanatan wa fil Aakhirati hasanatan waqina ‘adhaban-nar. “Our Lord! Give us in this world (that which is) good and in the Hereafter(that which is) good & protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”(Quran 2:201)

Barka Juma’at and Happy weekend

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Friday Sermon: Return to Gaza, Lamentations of Palestinians and the Curse on Israel

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By Babatunde Jose

Strong winds and heavy rain pummeling Gaza’s survivors. Winter weather conditions are worsening the plight of Palestinians sheltering among the enclave’s ruins.

‘Worse than hell’: Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza since a ceasefire came into effect last month, pausing Israel’s 15-month assault and genocide. But most people found their homes destroyed or heavily damaged.

“What they met was a catastrophe, horrific destruction. The [Israeli] occupation destroyed all the homes, shops, farms, mosques, universities and the courthouse,” said  Osama Abu Kamil, a returnee.

After a year of conflict, two-thirds of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed, leaving behind 42 million tonnes of rubble and a mountain of health risks. Life in Gaza is worse than hell.

Medical evacuations and humanitarian aid have been flowing into the Gaza Strip through Rafah and the Karem Abu Salem crossing in the south, but they are not enough, especially tents and other humanitarian supplies.

The convoys are carrying a variety of essential items including food, tents, and sanitation products. Some of the tents are being sent to the northern part of the Strip to provide shelter for displaced families who are currently living in open spaces, struggling to cope with harsh weather conditions and a lack of necessities.

The World Health Organization estimates 14,000 Palestinian patients are waiting urgently for evacuation to receive advanced care outside Gaza, including 5,000 children.

The Israeli attacks and destruction are “a conspiracy against the refugee issue aimed at erasing it entirely”.

Arab League says in a statement that remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appearing to suggest the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi soil showed “a complete detachment from reality”.

“The kingdom affirms that the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes,” said the Saudi  Foreign Ministry.

Perhaps like you, a number of emotions welled up in me as I watched a calculating charlatan suggest that America “will own” Gaza and that, for their own good, more than two million Palestinians would be evicted from their ancestral homeland to make way, presumably, for a horde of fanatical Israeli settlers and voracious real estate moguls.

One cannot but be angry at the audacity of a preening braggart who knows nothing about Palestine or its history but claims to have the best interests of Palestinians at heart while he intends to “clean out” Gaza and, in effect, erase them and their history.

“The US will take over the Gaza strip,” Trump said. “We will own it…you [Palestinians] just can’t go back.” The raving of a luni!

There is only destruction and rubles to “go back” to, since for 15 months, Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. More than 60,000 Palestinians, mostly infants, children and women, have been killed. More than 100,000 people have been injured – in mind, body, and spirit – often grievously. But the fact remain that it is their land, holus bolu, and they are going nowhere. No chance for a repeat ‘nakba’.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has “caused an epidemic of traumatic injuries with no rehabilitation services available,” the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini said last week. “Now, Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world — many losing limbs and undergoing surgeries without even anesthesia,”

Israel’s Assault Has Orphaned 19,000 Children in Gaza. Israeli forces have killed at least 2,100 babies and toddlers between 0 and 2 years of age in the first 10 months of Israel’s genocide. Doctors who have gone to Gaza on service trips have said that they constantly saw children shot in the head during their time in Gaza’s crumbling health facilities.

UNRWA has estimated that at least 10 children in Gaza are losing one or both legs per day in Israel’s attacks. This estimate doesn’t include children losing arms or hands, so the true number of children losing limbs each day is likely higher.

History will hold President Biden and his administration’s officials responsible for enabling the Israeli genocide in Gaza. For more than a year, he remained unmoved by the far-right Israeli government’s systematic campaign of slaughter, ethnic cleansing, forced starvation, and mass destruction that he sorry to say supported and excused.

Now, Israel is busy razing the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu and rancid company are determined to turn much of it into dust and memory, too – with the enthusiastic complicity of America’s entrenched political and media establishment.

That wanton brutality has not bothered Israel’s atrocity-excusing allies nor their defining disregard for the grotesque number and manner of Palestinian deaths.

To ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank and replace them with a string of seaside resorts has been the end game since 1948. And a succession of Democrat and Republican presidents has enabled Israel – with a spigot of arms and dependable diplomatic cover – to realize its dream of ridding Gaza and the West Bank of Palestinians once and decidedly for all.

It was a dream shared by the decrepit and recently departed Joe Biden, his duplicitous Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and craven Democratic Party “elites” who feigned interest in a phantom “two-state” concoction as they rearmed Israel to the hilt and voted down – again and again – ceasefire resolutions at the United Nations Security Council.

Biden and Blinken stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Netanyahu like obedient manikins while Israel vented its killing lust against largely defenseless Palestinians and Gaza was reduced to uninhabitable, dystopian-like rubble.

In words and deeds, Blinken and Biden set the egregious stage for Trump’s demented gambit.

I doubt that the Israel-is-always-above-reproach crowd who populate CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times opinion page will remember that senior Biden administration officials were also negotiating with Israel to drain Gaza of Palestinians but reached for a palatable euphemism called “civilian safe passage”.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ethnic-cleansing-drenched remarks have revealed that stages two and three of the so-called ceasefire agreement that set the terms for the possible reconstruction of Gaza are a cynical farce and at best a transparent sham.

Bereft of even a hint of humanity, Trump and Israel’s racist cabinet will make sure that Gaza will not be rebuilt. Working together, they will guarantee that Palestinians remain exposed and vulnerable to the harsh, unforgiving elements, deprivation, disease, and want.

 

For some, no homes, no jobs, no schools, no hospitals, no libraries, no playgrounds, will, inevitably, translate into no hope. But, they will not move from their ancestral land.

Palestine’s fate and future will be resolved by Palestinians in quiet conversation amid the ruins wrought by the “international community” who, for generations, has condemned and abandoned them to the rabid wolves.

The Yorubas have a saying that whatever is beyond our power is better left to God. There is no doubt the Palestinian issue has defied human intervention, with the lackadaisical attitude of their Arab brethren some of whom find it impossible to look the oppressors and their supporters in the face and tell truth to their power and the political and material impotence of the Palestinians make it imperative that the matter should be handed to the final arbiter. God.

The curse on Israel

Psalm 109 is a psalm in the Book of Psalms. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 108. In Latin, it is known as “Deus, laudem”. It is attributed to King David and noted for containing some of the most severe curses in the Bible. It has traditionally been called the “Judas Psalm” as noted in the New Testament. The New Oxford Annotated Bible titles this psalm as one of the Imprecatory Psalms against deceitful foes. Today this Psalm is very appropriate to be invoked against the Israelites for the pains caused the Palestinians.

Psalm 109

1 My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, . . . . . 7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. 8 May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. 9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.10 May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven[a] from their ruined homes.11 May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12 May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.13 May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.15 May their sins always remain before the Lord, that he may blot out their name from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.17 He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing—may it be far from him.

21 But you, Sovereign Lord, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. . . .

Yes! God should not remain silent in the face of the horrendous calamity that has befallen the Palestinians. From the rubles of Gaza, Palestine must surely rise again. In Sha Allah.

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend

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Friday Sermon: The Thin Red Line Between Life and Death: Remembering Dr ‘Bob’ Ade Owolade

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By Babatunde Jose

“You arrived naked and you will pass out naked.

You arrived with nothing and you will leave with nothing.

Your first bath, someone washed you and your last bath, someone will wash you. This is life.”

That thin line or veil that exists between life and death is acceptance. In life, we fight many tests, many obstacles. Often, fighting only makes the inevitable, harder.

There is a thin line that separates life from death, but once it is crossed, it becomes as large as an ocean, and so treacherous that it is impossible to cross back.

What is the space between life and death called? The word liminal is defined as the space in between. Often it’s the space in between living and dying.

It is said that people living deeply have no fear of death. …No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away. …It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone. …The boundaries between life and death are at best shadowy and vague.

The last days or hours of a person’s life are sometimes called the terminal phase. This is when someone is “actively dying”. Everyone’s experience of dying is different, and some people will die suddenly or unexpectedly. Therefore, not everyone will experience active dying.

A vegetative state is another aspect of what we consider the gray zone between life and death. Medically, this is when sufficient damage to the brain has occurred, where the person isn’t aware of and can’t respond to their surroundings. It is often called a state of coma. Many people pass this stage before giving up the ghost.

“May God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can and the wisdom to know the difference.” “Dying is nothing to fear. It can be the most wonderful experience of your life. It all depends on how you’ve lived.”

We all live our lives from within one of the Three Zones of Living: the Complacent Zone, the Survival Zone, and the Comfort Zone. Typically we bounce in and out of each of these zones throughout our life.

Many people believe that death marks the end of life and that there is nothing beyond it. Others believe that death is merely a transition to another dimension of existence. Ultimately, the relationship between life and death is complex and multifaceted.

In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. —Proverbs 12:28

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. —Proverbs 14:12O

After a vertebrate dies, many of its organ systems, tissues, and cells remain functional while its body no longer works as a whole. We define this state as the “twilight of death” − the transition from a living body to a decomposed corpse.

Today as we commemorate 20 years of the passing of our brother, husband, father, friend and cousin (which was how we introduced each other), Dr. Bob Adeboye Owolade, we take cognizance of many traditions, and belief that the soul lingers on Earth for 40 days, engaging in a journey of purification, judgment, or preparation for its ultimate destination, which may be reincarnation, heaven, or another form of afterlife. However, 20 years is enough for Bob to get to his ultimate destination. Wherever he is, we wish him eternal rest and peace till the day of Resurrection…

It is said that during the 40 days of contemplation, the soul of the departed could wonder and appear to loved ones who have not been informed of its demise. Ade appeared to his niece in New York and when asked, he claimed to be there on a short visit and was going back soon. The lady did not see him again until she learnt from home that he had died. Such is the way of wandering souls.

Ade was everything rolled into one, a friend, an in-law, a brother, a co-traveler in the good life, a fine guitarist and lover of good music, a footballer in his school days and a veritable fan of Arsenal Gunners. But above all, Ade was a fine gynecologist and obstetrician as attested to by the many patients who passed through his hand. Even in Swaziland he was the preferred doctor to the wives of the King until he died.

We remember him today because his death reminds us of the thin line between living and death. Sometimes we regard such a phenomenon as mysterious, considering the manner in which the angel of death visits the victim.

Bob’s death was one of such incidents. Here was a man who woke up in the morning from the same bed with his wife without any sign of ailment. The wife, my amiable sister, was also a doctor in the service of Swaziland Health Services as a Consultant Anesthesiologist. They had their morning coffee and Bob left for Mbabane Clinic where he was a consultant. He had a problem patient whom he needed to see that morning. After a day at the clinic, he bade the staff farewell with instructions that they should come for him in case his patient developed any complication.

Ade got home and met his wife who was already preparing dinner. He sat on the bed fiddling with the television to get the DSTV Supersports channel for the day’s match between Manchester United and Arsenal. While at this, his wife called him that the food was ready. Unbeknown to her Bob has crossed the thin line. He had crossed the luminal. Yetunde entered the room with the intention of making him stand up to come to the table but met another wonder of God. She was alarmed because all of a sudden he became incoherent bordering on speaking in tongue.

The poor wife was afraid and had to call for an ambulance from the clinic. By the time they got to the clinic, event took another dimension. Arrangement had to be made to transfer Bob to Pretoria in South Africa, a distance of over 300 miles. At the hospital in Pretoria, he was in the ICU with all the ubiquitous tubes and wires all over his body. In all honesty, the first picture that was sent to my phone was so scary; I was in Pakistan. Two days later my son Pappi Jose, who was in school in SA called to inform me that Bob had passed on.

Many thanks to the Ambassador our uncle Dr. Tunji Olagunju, who made the necessary arrangements for the body to be freighted back to Nigeria and for my sister and the three children, including Pappi to come home for the burial. These were harrowing days. His schoolmates at Government college, Ibadan, University of Ibadan, and Ain Shams University, Cairo and the friends and Eku’lu crowd of Mbabane, Eswatini all played important roles during his rights of passage.

We thank God for his life, though short but impactful, his children, Damola, Dotun and Dino and of course we thank God for standing by our sister Yetunde and for helping her lift the burden Bob left for her. It had been a journey powered with God’s Mercies.

May I join you in sharing the Psalmist delight when he said in Psalms 145:8-17: The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; Slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: And his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; And thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, And talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; And thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, And holy in all his works.

To our sister, Yetunde, the children and the entire families we say Aku iranti. Didun didun ni iranti olododo.

Inna lillah wa ina ilehi rajiun. With total submission to the will of Allah, we announce the passing of Major Fatai Shittu Rtd, 2nd Vice President of Anwar-ul-Islam Movement of Nigeria who crossed the line to meet his maker last Tuesday, 4th February. The late Major Fatai Shittu was from our Iseyin Mission and a pillar of the Movement. May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Jannatul Firdous.

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend

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