Muslims mark Eid-ul-Fitr
Muslim in Ghana will today converge on prayer grounds across the country to observe the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers, which marks the end of the 30-day Ramadan.
They are assured of forgiveness of their sins from Allah on the Eid-ul-Fitr day, so Muslims, young, old, males and females, put on their best apparel, mainly white, for the prayers.
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The Islamic scholars (Imams), who lead the prayers, give sermons on the religious, domestic and social obligations of Muslims.
In Accra, they are expected to gather at the Independence Square for the national event where speeches will be delivered and prayers will be said for the national and the Muslim community in the world for peace, development and social cohesion.
The National Chief Imam, Dr Shiekh Osumanu Sharubutu, is expected to deliver a special message to the Muslim community while government officials will use the occasion to underscore the need for peaceful co-existence, especially for the upcoming 2016 general election.
Fraternal messages are also expected to be delivered by other religious faiths such as the Catholics, Methodists, and Pentecostals.
After the prayers, the Muslims will retire to their various homes to enjoy specially prepared meals such as rice and chicken, rice balls and pounded yam “fufu” with chicken light soup.
Later in the day, the various ethnic groups and their chiefs on horseback will parade through some principal streets, showing off their cultural outfit.
The month of Ramadan
Each year, Muslims use the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, known as Ramadan, to observe 29 or 30 days fast.
This annual activity is one of the five "pillars" of Islam. Muslims who are physically able are required to fast each day of the entire month, from sunrise to sunset.
The evenings are spent enjoying family and community meals, engaging in prayer and spiritual reflection, and reading from the Quran.
National Chief Imam
In his pre-Eid-ul-Fitr message, the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, has called for the deepening of religious tolerance in the country.
He said human beings were all created from Adam so their religious differences should not create conflict among them.
Sheikh Sharubutu, who conveyed the message to the Daily Graphic through his administrator, Alhaji Adam Musah Abubakar, said “religious tolerance is a necessary condition for peace and development in every society”.
“Advancement in the quality of life of human beings is dependent on certain conditions, which include peace,” he said.
Referring to the Holy Qur’an, Sheikh Sharubutu said Allah instructed Prophet Muhammed to say to the disbelievers “to you belongs your religion, and to us belongs our religion”, which was a mark of tolerance.
He aso said religious tolerance was an embodiment of the traditions of Prophet Muhammed as he exemplified by the way he coexisted peacefully with Christians and Jews.
Therefore, he said it was crucial for Ghanaians to accommodate one another, irrespective of their religious, ethnic or political differences.
Purpose of fasting
In an interview with the Daily Graphic on the significance of the Ramadan, Master Salam Abudlahi, said the period had helped him to develop and strengthen his self-control so that “I can resist wrongful desires and bad habits, and therefore, guard against evil”.
Beside that, he said the period had helped him to attain closeness to God.
Samira Rahaman said the Ramadan had taught her to be more charitable and generous, adding, “I have learnt to give, and not to take and the deprivation of fasting has made me learn to empathise with those who are suffering”.
