Eid-ul-Fitr must make us better persons
Ghana’s Muslim community yesterday joined others across the globe to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan, which is the 30-day fasting period from before dawn until sunset.
Advertisement
As a follow-up to the celebration, the day was declared a public holiday in honour of our Muslim brethren to give them the opportunity to celebrate with one another in the spirit of devotion and coming closer to Allah.
The festival is commemorated by a large community-wide prayer service in the morning, followed by meals and conversation with friends and family. To ensure the participation of all in the festivities, a mandatory charity called Zakat al-Fitr is collected before the prayer and distributed to the poor and needy.
Eid is also a time for forgiveness and reconciliation. Muslims seek to mend strained relationships, reconcile differences, and foster unity within their communities. It's a reminder of the importance of forgiveness in Islam and the transformative power of compassion and understanding.
The Daily Graphic reported in its Wednesday edition that there had been drastic increase in the prices of livestock. In spite of this some Muslims managed with extra cash to buy animals for the festivities.
We are particularly enthused that during this time, Muslims are more than willing to share the little they have with others, hence the giving of the Zakat-al-Fitr.
For us, the act of giving and the willingness of others to give part of what they have for the comfort of others underline the good neighbourliness of not only the Muslim but the Ghanaian society as a whole. We must endeavour to nurture and use this enviable trait to fast-track our development as a people.
Indeed, people who are willing to share the little thay have would be willing to prioritise issues of the poor. This is what leadership must learn while we ensure that as a society, we inculcate this character in our children to build a country where the needs of others become the concern of everyone.
Thinking of the less unfortunate among us — both Muslims and non-Muslims — means we must all give our best in our various households, mosques, churches and workplaces, to ensure that we move such people from the present level we find them to a higher level.
We do not doubt the fact that we are not in normal times; the global community is grappling with economic difficulties which have partly been the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the more-than-two-years Russia-Ukraine war. It is thus imperative that we all work harder to ensure that the economy bounces back.
In this vein we add our voice to that of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, when he addressed the Muslim faithful at this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the Black Star Square in Accra yesterday. He urged our Muslim brothers and sisters and the entire country to uphold the principles of inclusivity for the equitable development of the country. We must also as a country, use the principle of Eid to eschew all forms of divisiveness that has the potential to destroy the unity and cohesion of the nation.
The President’s statement that Ramadan sought to inculcate in the Muslim adherent the spirit of sacrifice must be a guide to the citizenry to preserve the prevailing peace and stability of the country. We are aware of terrorist threats not only to our neighbouring countries but also our own country. We again note that the Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, said the country could not afford to lose its pride as a peaceful country, adding that we owe it to ourselves to uphold the principles of peace, fairness, justice, among other laudable traits which guarantee the peace of our nation.
The Daily Graphic thus enjoins all to be highly vigilant and also ensure that we report suspicious activities and persons to the rightful authorities to deal with.
While celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, an occasion we use to extend a helping hand to the poor, it is also a call on all, especially the youth, to preserve the peace, stability and progress of the nation with all our will and might, no matter the cost. The images of war-torn regions around the world, diseases, hunger and malnutrition; the inhumane conditions under which victims of war live; the abuse of the fundamental rights of people in war-ravaged areas, among many others, must prompt us to safeguard the peace and tranquillity of our nation.
We salute our Muslim brothers. Indeed, it takes discipline and commitment to go through 30 days of fasting. The Ramadan, no doubt, has inculcated in the Muslim adherent, the spirit of sacrifice, fellow feeling, commitment to ethical living, love of family and nation, and above all, God-consciousness.
The Daily Graphic encourages our Muslim friends not to abandon these values after the passage of the month of Ramadan, but keep such treasured moral principles, while urging other members of society to emulate these conducts for the benefit of our country. Eid Mubarak
