Muslim faithful mark Eid-ul-Fitr with prayers
Last weekend, Muslims across the country ended their 30-day Ramadan fasting with prayers for Allah’s blessings upon the citizens and leadership.
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The prayers were also used to commemorate the annual Eid-ul Fitr celebration.
At the Tema Sports Stadium, Benjamin Xornam Glover writes that the Metropolitan Chief Imam, Abubakar Adams, who led the Muslim community in the prayers advised the Muslim faithful to renew their minds after undergoing a month-long fast.
He also urged Muslims to contribute meaningfully towards making society better.
The Metropolitan Coordinating Director, Michael Owusu Amoako, called on Muslim parents to invest in the education of their children and also advised young people to take their education seriously in order to take advantage of emerging opportunities.
He called on the public, including parents in the Muslim community, to embrace the government's initiative on Free SHS to educate their children in order to give them a better future.
The Member of Parliament for Tema East, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, was optimistic that the period of fasting would bring blessings to the community in Tema.
Wa
From Wa, Emmanuel Modey reports that in an address as part of activities to mark the end of the Ramadan, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Issahaku Tahiru Moomin, called for peace and unity among the people to foster rapid socio-economic growth and development.
The MCE said for some years now the peace and unity experienced in the Wa Municipality had ensured some amount of progress, especially in the education sector, with massive improvement in the Islamic schools.
This year for instance, he said the first three best results in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) was achieved by Islamic schools. He said, this was what the tenacity of purpose and unity could bring to the people.
Alhaji Tahiru Moomin also called on the people to continue with the sacrifice they had made throughout the period of Ramadan in whatever they did after the fast.
Leading the Muslim faithful to offer special prayers to Allah, the Chief Imam at the Wa Central Mosque, Ahmed Alhaji Yahaya Nanjo, prayed for the President and government. He also prayed for peace and unity to ensure rapid development.
Sunyani
From Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital, Biiya Mukusah Ali reports that as early as 6:30 a.m., hundreds of Muslims from the Sunyani Municipality converged on the Sunyani Jubilee Park to join the rest of the world to observe the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers.
They were joined by the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Ansu Kumi, and the Dwantoahene of the Sunyani Traditional Council, Nana Takyi Abeam, to mark the Eid prayers.
On behalf of the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Mr Kumi presented GH¢5,000, gallons of cooking oil, 10 bags of rice and boxes of canned fish to aid their celebration in the municipality.
The Deputy Bono Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Baba Seidu, who led the prayers, prayed for protection and wisdom for the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and ministers of state, safe delivery for expectant mothers, repentance for criminals and the unemployed to acquire decent jobs.
He encouraged Muslim communities to continue to uphold their holiness and integrity despite the end of the 30-day fasting.
For his part Mr Kumi, charged Muslims to continue to pray and contribute meaningful to the development of the country.
He urged them to continue to promote peace and unity in the country to help facilitate development.
Bolgatanga
Gilbert Mawuli Agbey reports from Bolgatanga that thousands of Muslims gathered at the National Festival of Arts and Culture Park to offer prayers to Allah after a successful Ramadan fasting period.
The prayers were led by the acting Regional Chief Imam, Sheikh Alhaji Yussif Umar Mahoud Imam, who prayed for the government in its quest to develop the country.
He also prayed for lasting peace in all trouble spots in the region, so that the people can live peacefully.
Addressing the gathering, the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, urged Muslims to endeavour to be peace ambassadors in homes, communities and institutions as per the teachings and principles of Islam.
He called for continuous prayers for peace in Bawku, Doba-Kandiga, Bongo and Bolgatanga, adding "as a region, we cannot realise the needed development without peaceful co-existence.
"As a government, we would continue to commit ourselves to creating a society of opportunities for all irrespective of social circumstances."
Koforidua
From the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, Haruna Yussif Wunpini writes that hundreds of Muslims last Saturday converged at the Koforidua Central Mosque in the New Juaben South Municipality, to offer prayers to mark the end of the 30-day Ramadan.
The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yussif Amudani Sulemana, who led the prayers called on Muslims in the region to live together in peace and unity with one another and with other faiths.
He urged Muslims to continue abstaining from negative practices as enshrined in the Holy Quran, as they had done during the Ramadan.
Touching on the present difficult economic situation in the country, the Regional Chief Imam said his outfit would continue to pray for the nation and asked Almighty Allah to intervene in addressing the economic challenges.
Alhaji Sulemana prayed for the President and the entire government machinery to enable them properly administer the country.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, who together with the New Juaben South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Isaac Appaw-Gyasi, joined the Muslims to observe the prayers, said since the Muslims had successfully gone through the 30-day Ramadan, they should use the occasion to pray for the country.
He reiterated the government’s efforts to address issues of inequality in Zango communities with the establishment of the Zongo Development Fund.
The Gyasehene of New Juaben, Nana Twumasi Danquah, who represented the Omanhene, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, assured the Muslims that the paramountcy would always rally behind them in whatever they would do to ensure their welfare.
Tamale
From the Northern Region, Mohammed Fugu reports that the Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Shaibu, joined hundreds of Muslims in the region to offer prayers to end this year's Ramadan and to celebrate Eid-ul Fitr at the Tamale Jubilee Park.
The prayers were led by the Northern Regional Deputy Chief Imam, Sheikh Baba Dua.
Sheikh Dua urged Muslims not to return to their bad deeds because the Ramadan was over, but strictly adhere to the tenets of Islam and lead lives worthy of emulation.
In his address, Alhaji Shaibu congratulated Muslims on the successful completion of the Ramadan and reminded them to continue to peacefully co-exist to enhance the peace in the region.
He also urged Muslim clerics to continue to preach peace and not relent in their efforts because Ramadan had ended.
