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Muslims
celebrate Eid
By ABDULFATAH OLADEINDE
Friday, November 27, 2009
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| •As
Muslims mark the Eid-El-Kabir today, ram sellers eagerly await
buyers who appear to have been forced to stay away by the
financial meltdown.
PHOTO: OLUFEMI KAYODE
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Nigerian Muslims will join their brethren across the world today
to observe the Eid-el-adha (festival of sacrifice), a re-enactment
of the submission to Allah by Prophet Ibrahim.
Prophet Ibrahim received a commandment in his vision to sacrifice
his only son, Ismail, as a reminder of a vow he made to Allah while
seeking to be blessed with a child. And as he made to fulfil the
vow, Allah provided a ram which was sacrificed instead of the boy.
The commemoration of the event, was revived by Prophet Muhammed
centuries ago and it is the biggest annual festival held by Muslims.
The festival of sacrifice, which holds on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah,
the 12th month of the lunar calendar, involves observance of a two-rakat
prayer at praying grounds and slaughter of rams by adult Muslims
who have the means to perform the act.
The Eid comes a day after about three million Muslims on pilgrimage
to Saudi Arabia observe the ‘standing at Arafat,’ an
act acclaimed to be largest gathering of human beings across races
in a spot and at a time.
While the pilgrims engage in the final rites of the hajj rites in
Minna and Mecca today, others in various countries will converge
on praying grounds to offer prayers.
Thereafter, rams will be offered in sacrifice and meat shared among
relations, friends neighbours.
Messages of goodwill have been pouring in for Nigerian Muslims as
they join their counterparts all over the World to celebrate the
Eid-el-Kabir.
Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has appealed to adherents
of religious groups in Nigeria to continue to live together peacefully
and display love towards one another as only this can make the country
to progress.
Dr Saraki, who made the appeal in his Eid-el-Kabir message to all
Muslims in the country, urged them to emulate the good teachings
of Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) which harped on good neighbourliness,
sacrifice, love, righteousness, humility and total submission to
the injunctions of Almighty Allah.
He called on Muslim faithfuls nationwide to be prayerful and reflect
on the import of the Sallah celebration as a mark of God’s
love for all.
Dr. Saraki also advised Nigerians, irrespective of religious affiliation,
to show love and move away from always being negative about our
country, using the example of South Africa and Brazil where the
people always feel proud and say good things about their countries.
“I think it is important for us, as Nigerians, to give thanks
to Almighty God. As I keep on emphasizing, we do not talk a lot
about good things that happen in Nigeria; we are so quick to talk
about the negative things and I think as a country, we have achieved
a lot.
“This period is for Muslims to give praise to Almighty Allah
and thank Him for what we have been able to do in Nigeria and I
am sure greater things would come. We should move away from
always being negative about our country”, Saraki explained.
The message, he said, was for us, as Nigerians, to begin to appreciate
Nigeria; appreciate those good things and talk about good things
always so that Nigeria can move forward.
The Governor also urged Muslims to see the Sallah celebration beyond
mere festivity but that which symbolizes great spiritual devotion
and rededicate themselves to the injunctions of love and perseverance
as exhibited by Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.W) through the sacrifice made.
Gov. Saraki expressed appreciation to the people of the State for
their continuous support to his administration and enjoined them
to eschew politics of bitterness and destruction as the nation approaches
the 2010 general elections.
He assured that his administration would continue to live up to
expectation in the bid to turn around the economic fortunes of the
State.
While congratulating the entire Muslim Ummah in the State for witnessing
yet another Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Dr. Saraki appealed for caution
and orderliness so as not to disrupt the public peace during the
festive period.
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