It is Ramadan, the 9th month of the lunar calendar. In this month as has always been the case since 624 AD when it was made compulsory, Muslims all over the world will mark the Ramadan Fast by abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from sunrise to sunset, for 29 or 30 days.
Fasting the month of Ramadan was made (wajib) compulsory during the month of Sha’ban, the 8th Month, in the second year (624AD) after the Prophet Muhammadu PBUH and other Muslim faithful migrated from Makkah to Medina.
In Ayah 183 of Surah al-Baqarah, it is stated that: ‘O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous’.
Ayah 184 says ‘Fasting is for a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey during them, then an equal number of days are to be made up. And upon those who are able to fast, but with hardship, a substitute is feeding a poor person each day. And whoever gives more, it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew”.
It is incumbent on every adult Muslim who is healthy to observe fast which is one of the five pillars of Islam with the other four being shahada (article of faith), salat (five daily prayers), Zakkat (alms) and pilgrimage to Mecca- throughout the month.
The benefits of fasting are enormous. As an enabler of the purification of hearts and minds, fasting aside from having numerous religious benefits, also has huge health importance including the fact that it lowers cholesterol, improves blood sugar level and helps in improving the digestive system.
Indeed, the world is stepping into a month of spiritual reflection, devotion and self-improvement where Muslims are instructed to double every act of good deed to earn the enormous blessings and abundant favours of Allah.
As a newspaper, we join the over 2 billion Muslims all over the world to welcome this holy month which provides ample opportunity for people to seek forgiveness for their sins.
But we won’t forget the fact that this year, some Muslims in Nigeria and other parts of the world will mark the Ramadan Fast under agonizing pains.
In Nigeria, a significant percent of the over 80 million Muslims will mark the Ramadan Fast under food scarcity and other accompanying hardship. The economy is at its worst point ever. Prices of foodstuffs and other essential commodities are increasingly getting out of the reach of the common man. It has never been this bad.
Not only will Nigerian Muslims observe this year’s Ramadan under skyrocketing prices of foodstuffs and other essential commodities, they will also contend with the intractable security challenges. Just a few days ago, bandits abducted 287 primary school pupils at a school in Kuriga community of Chikun local government area of Kaduna state leaving their parents, some of whom are observing the Ramadan Fast, in pain of an unimaginable proportion.
In Gaza for instance where Israel has continued its war on Hamas, hundreds of Palestinian Muslims will observe the fast under extremely difficult circumstances including in refugee camps. We feel their pain and call for unconditional ceasefire.
As Muslims in Nigeria join their counterparts all over the world to welcome this month and importantly observing this very important religious obligation, we wish to remind all that this is the month of forgiveness where Muslims are commanded to give charity, make more du’a and recite the Holy Qur’an so as to reap the enormous blessings of Allah.
This newspaper enjoins Muslims to ensure they pray for an end to the current security challenges bedeviling the nation. They should also pray for Allah’s blessings and mercies to abide in the country, pray for the economic prosperity of Nigeria. But above all, they should obey Allah’s command on Muslims to give enormously, out of the abundance of what He bestowed to them.
There is no contesting the fact that the current hardship in the country in the face of rising cost of foodstuffs, underscores the need for those with the means to assist the less privileged.
Ramadan Mubarak to the over 2 billion Muslims all over the world!
