On behalf of the Islamic Medical Association of Uganda (IMAU), I would like to welcome you to our newly redesigned website www.ima-uganda.org. As indicated in our motto on the home page, we are on Allah’s selfless health service. We recognize that Allah has given us a privilege by teaching us medical knowledge and wisdom, which we must use to serve Him. We strive to do this selflessly as a vocation and a calling. We believe Allah has made us into health professionals so that we serve Him. For us, serving Allah means remembering and obeying Him while taking care of the health needs of His created human beings. As we serve Allah in our different health professions, we take this service as an act of worship or ibadah, where we appreciate Allah’s favours upon us. This increases our devotion and love for Allah as we perform our work.
“Say: Truly my prayers and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are all for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds.”
Holy Qur’an 6:162
Allah guides us to be united and protect each other as we serve Him. This is because He created a bond of affection among us which we must utilize in His service.
“Should they intend to deceive you – verily Allah suffices you. He it is that has strengthened you with His aid and with the company of believers. And moreover, He has put affection between their hearts: not if you had spent all that is in the earth could you have produced that affection but Allah has done it: for He is exalted in might, Wise.”
Holy Qur’an 8:62-63.
“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah stretches out for you, and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brethren; And you were on the brink of the pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make His signs clear to you: That you may be guided. Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity. Be not like those who are divided among themselves and fall into disputations after receiving clear signs. For them is a dreadful chastisement.”
Holy Qur’an 3:102-105.
“The believers men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy for Allah is Exalted in power, wise.”
Holy Qur’an 9:71
Our mission, related this guidance from Allah is to have united, Islamic conscious Muslim health professionals who use Islamic teachings to promote a healthy and productive life for all. One of our objectives in the IMAU constitution article 3 (c) states as follows:
To unite all Muslim medical professionals including medical and dental practitioners, nurses and midwives, pharmacists, allied health professionals and other auxiliary health professionals to each other and to encourage them to know each other and to work together in the promotion of Islamic principles and practices in health care.
We endeavor to be Islamic conscious in whatever we do in the service of our communities. As indicated in our vision, we strive to be a sound, credible, reliable and trustworthy Association of Muslim health professionals with excellence in Islamic health service delivery.
In this context, sound, as given in one of the definitions of this word in Webster’s dictionary, means morally strong, honest, honorable and loyal to Allah, His Messenger and those entrusted with authority including leaders of our association.
This new IMAU website is a contribution towards our vision, mission and motto. It is in line with the first objective in our constitution 3(a) which states that IMAU is established:
To be an agent, guide, vehicle and driver to increase the provision of the highest possible quality Selfless Health Services for Allah and our country.
We pray to Almighty Allah to guide us in our work and make this website beneficial to His people we are serving.
Professor Magid Kagimu PhD,FRCP,
Executive Director,
Islamic Medical Association of Uganda.