Muslims worldwide are celebrating the Eid el-Fitr today, marking the end of a month-long fasting during the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, had on Tuesday urged the Muslim Ummah to look out for the new moon of Shawwal yesterday.
The federal government had on Tuesday declared today and Monday as public holidays to mark the occasion. In his Sallah message, which he personally signed, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Daura, his country home, called on Nigerians to set aside their differences and strengthen the bonds of friendship and unity to keep the country together. He also thanked the citizenry who prayed for his recovery, irrespective of their religious, ethnic and political leanings. The president said the prayers had reinvigorated him to rededicate himself and his administration to the task of building a great Nigeria. Buhari further admonished Nigerians to lay aside their differences and sustain the unity of Nigeria by viewing one another as brothers and sisters from the same origin, citing the African proverb that says a family tie can only bend but can’t be broken.
He said: “On the joyous occasion of this year’s Eid el-Kabir celebration, I appeal to all Nigerians to rise against the odds, keep our prejudices aside and strengthen the bonds of friendship and unity to keep our country together. “Once again, I assure you that this administration, which has made the security, economic wellbeing and prosperity of all Nigerians its priority, will not rest on its oars until we see the Nigeria of our dream. I wish everyone happy Sallah celebrations.”
Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam compulsory for all Muslims of fasting age and it is ingrained in the Holy Quran. In obedience to the command of Allah, Muslims all over the world began a spiritual journey in denial of the comfort of life a month ago. During the period, there was empathy with the poor, display of shared humanity through the pangs of hunger, which do not discriminate between the rich and poor… a lesson in the fact that we are all human and equal before God. It was also a period of sharing, avoidance of negative attitudes such as backbiting, smoking, indulgence in the flesh, etc.
Above all, it was a time for prayer for the salvation of the soul. One of the requirements of this season is the injunction to exchange visits and gifts with friends, relations and family members. This is even more apt at a moment like this when the spirit of camaraderie and good neighbourliness is vanishing and peaceful co-existence among us is threatened. Eid Mubarak, therefore, provides us the opportunity to have a positive rethink, heal all wounds, rekindle and foster the bond of friendship among Muslims and between them and their Christian compatriots.
Ramadan reengineers and strengthens all true Muslims in faith and in good deeds. It is equally important to retain all these good deeds beyond the Ramadan. Thus, how well we have imbibed the lessons during the Ramadan is simply to continue those positive deeds. Our favourable disposition should not vanish with the end of Ramadan.
It should form our way of life, else the exercise remains a mere annual ritual. We must be steadfast in prayers for our country and the world at large especially in the face of global challenges like terrorism, hunger and depravations. Muslims must continuously be in a state of obedience to Allah’s commands, steadfast upon His will so that they will not be among those who worship Allah during the Ramadan alone.
Believers ought to know that the Lord of Ramadan is also the Lord of other months, Lord of all times and places. Also, they should understand that righteous actions are for all times and all places. There is the need to also remind the Muslim faithful that if Ramadan has ended, there is still voluntary fasting such as fasting six days in the month of Shawwal, fasting Mondays and Thursdays, three days in the middle of the month, the days of Aashoora and Arafat and others.
If the charities, kindness, almsgiving in Ramadan and Zakat ul-fitr have ended, there is still the obligatory Zakat and Sadaqah as there are many other open doors for charity and voluntary actions. As we celebrate Eid Mubarak, we ask that the entire world should join the Muslims to condemn and seek solution to global terrorism. We also urge the world to differentiate between criminality/ terrorist acts and Islam, and not lump them together.
Though they (insurgents and terrorists who claim to be Muslims) may profess Islam, the two are mutually exclusive. The world should see Islam from this prism and engage genuine Muslims to find answers to terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam. We wish all our readers happy Eid Mubarak.
