Young people have been admonished to give necessary care and attention to the elderly and their aged parents in order to strengthen their health and make them live longer.
The admonition was given by Dr Adbul – Haadi, Tihamiy, a guest speaker at the 28th anniversary Ramadan Lecture of Ola -Olu Muslim Society of Nigeria, held at the Wings Schools Central Mosque, Iwo, in Osun State.
Dr Abdul -Haadi Tihamiy, a Consultant Neurological Surgeon at Federal Medical Center Abeokuta in his lecture emphasized the importance of caring for the elderly and aged people, saying, young people who obey Almighty Allah in this regard enjoy unending blessings.
Speaking on the topic, “Ageing And The Care of The Elderly: Prophetic Tradition and Orthodox Science’, the guest speaker described old age as a period of a degenerating entity in which a person undergoes a process of growing old.
According to him, Islam already explains and mandates the young people to manage the different stages of ageing of their aged adding that at age 64 the process of decline in man sets in.
“Old age is inevitable, hence, I admonish young people to show care for the elderly and their old parents, this is very important because those who obey Almighty in this regard will certainly enjoy the blessings of God.
“Islam believes in caring for old and elderly people, it also mandates them on the need to care and manage the different stages of their old parents. Between the age of 45 to 64 is described as middle age, while old age begins to set in at 65, there is the need for people to spend their youthful days well so that ageing will not be too difficult for them to manage.”
The Muslim Cleric said some of the ways of caring for the old people include giving them attention, provision of quality food, drugs, regular media check up, monitoring the kinds of food they eat and so on
He urged the elderly and aged people to engage themselves in healthy living such good exercise, taking food that will strengthen them among others.
Speaking, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Dhikrullahi Adetona Olurode said essence of the Ramadan Lecture was to create awareness on the need for young people to imbibe the lesson of Ramadan and to honour their parents during old age by caring for them.
“The Ramadan Lecture was aimed at bringing together the less privileged in the society to benefit from the medical outreach of the the Muslim Society.”
He urged the young people to take care of their aged ones in order not to loose the values that bind us with them in terms of extended family relationship.
” I urge everyone to live by the lesson of Ramadan and the message of the lecturer and also try to be kind to other people now and after Ramadan.
Also Speaking, the Olupo of Oluponna, His Royal Majesty, Oba AbdulRafiu Mosobalaje, Bamgboye II, Ilufemiloye Ariwajoye I, of Ayedire Local government, Osun State, lauded the initiative and efforts of professor Lai Olurode on the well organized Ramadan lecture.
He described the programme as historical and capable of rekindling the lost values of family members, adding that it will go a long way to refresh the memory of the new generation on the need to take care of the elderly and their aged parents.
A member of the medical outreach, Dr Seriki Jide who is a medical consultant described the outreach as beneficial to the people of the community, adding that it was essentially to cater for Primary Health Care issues.
According to him, the concept at the community levels was to provide drugs to the less privileged and to identify cases beyond the primary health issues and make referral to teaching hospitals like Bowen.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to ensure they administer the drugs given to them in accordance with necessary proscriptions.
The occasion of the 28th Anniversary Ramadan Lecture was used to honour late Otun Imam of Iwo land, Sheikh Adiatullah Bello Alaye a.k.a Yagboyaju
