The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ramadan

  • Ramadan: Buhari urges misguided brothers to embrace peace

    Ramadan: Buhari urges misguided brothers to embrace peace

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Muslim faithfuls nationwide as they enter into the holy month of Ramadan.

    Buhari urged Muslims to use the period of Ramadan to promote love & peace as taught by the Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW).

    The President called on Nigerians to pray for the return of peace, love and prosperity throughout the country as Muslims start the 2015 Ramadan fast.

    In a congratulatory message released on his behalf by the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, President Buhari implored Muslims to seek maximum benefits from the Ramadan period “by being helpful to all manner of people, learning and following the true message of the religion as taught by the Holy Prophet.”

    The President in his message directed an appeal to the perpetrators of violence and destruction in the name of Islam all over the world to desist from tarnishing the name of the religion.

    “As we make collective efforts to bring to a permanent end the menace of the Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin countries, let me use this auspicious occasion to appeal to our misguided brothers to drop their arms, embrace peace and seek a better understanding of Islam during this Holy period and beyond,” Buhari said.

    The President prayed to Allah to bring peace and harmony to all parts of the country and the world at large.

    “I wish all our citizens a blessed Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem Mubarak,” the statement summed.

     

  • Nigeria joins world Muslims to begin Ramadan

    Nigeria joins world Muslims to begin Ramadan

    Nigeria joins 13 Arab countries and other African nations to begin the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

    Islamic authorities in Tunisia, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Yemen, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Palestine and Lebanon announced Wednesday as the last day of the month of Shaaban and that today marks the beginning of Ramadan.

    In Africa, Islamic authorities in Nigeria, Uganda, Chad, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo and Ethiopia also announced that Ramadan starts today.

    During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. It is a time of self-examination and increased religious devotion.

    Throughout the fasting month, Muslims are urged to perform extra prayers, recite the Quran, give to the poor and refrain from indecent behaviour.

    Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, said yesterday was the final day of the lunar month of Sha’aban.

    The beginning and end of Ramadan depends on the sighting of the new moon.

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, who is the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) last night announced the sighting of the new moon heralding the month of Ramadan 1436AH.

    Alhaji Abubakar said various reports for the sighting of the new moon were received from Muslim leaders and organisations across the country, which were duly verified and authenticated by the National moon sighting committee.

    The Sultan implored the Muslim Ummah to devote themselves to worship and offer fervent prayers for the new leadership in Nigeria to succeed in steering the affairs of the country.

  • Ramadan: Prices of fruits go up in Kano

    Ramadan: Prices of fruits go up in Kano

    Barely 24 hours to the commencement of Ramadan fasting, prices of fruits, particularly orange have gone up in Kano, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    A survey conducted in Sabon Gari, Yankaba and Yanlemo markets, all in Kano, revealed that fruits sellers have increased the prices of fruits.

    According to the survey, a bag of orange which cost N6, 500 a week ago is now being sold for N7, 700.

    The survey shows that a set of 10 oranges cost N200 as against N150 last week.

    A medium size of the commodity which cost N20 last week now cost N30.

    One of the fruits sellers at Sabon Gari Market, Malam Najib Mohammed, attributed the increase in the prices to sudden increase in the cost of transportation.

    ‘’Most of the truck drivers have travelled to their respective villages to see their families before the commencement of the Ramadan.

    ‘’The price increase may also be attributed to shortage in supply of fruits to the market in an attempt to create artificial scarcity to maximise profit when the Ramadan fast commences,’’ he said.

    Another fruit seller at Yankura Market, Malam Suleiman Abba said the fruit sellers had to increase the price to recover their money and make profit.

    He explained that the prices of other fruits like Banana and Pineapple had also been increased slightly.

    “Hopefully, the prices will come down, especially watermelon when the commodities begin to flood markets soon,’’ he said.

  • Ramadan: New moon likely today

    Ramadan: New moon likely today

    The new Moon is likely to be seen today signaling the beginning of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan.

    The National Space Research and Development Agency in a statement yesterday by its Head of Media, Mr. Felix Ale, said the moon will be seen today with the first crescent in Abuja appearing at 6.45pm to 7.15pm with sunrise at 6.22am and sunset at 6.42pm.

    “From the far North, Maiduguri’s appearance of first crescent will be between 7.23pm to 7.53pm, with sunrise at 5.57am and sunset at 6.21pm. Kano and Katsina will experience the first crescent at 7.14pm to 7.44pm and 6.46pm to 7.16pm.

    “The sunrise for Kano will be 6.15am and sunset 6.40pm, and for Kastina, the sun will rise at 6.18am and set at 6.44pm.”

    Also yesterday, the League of Imams and Alfas comprising clerics from the SouthWest, Edo and Delta states urged Muslims to watch out for the moon today.

    This is part of the communiqué issued after its meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    It was signed by its Secretary-General, Sheik A.O. Aladesawe and Publicity Secretary, Sheikh Habeebullahi Adam Al-Ilory.

    Besides, the group also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and subsequent inauguration.

    Although the clerics acknowledged that going by the track record of the president as a former head of state, they had no doubt that he would perform, they however urged him to fulfill his electioneering promises.

    The group said, “As a worthy and an exemplary Muslim, we urge our president to live up to his campaign promises as we are ready to support him with prayers.

     

     

  • Ramadan: Islamic scholar appeals to traders over price hike

    Ramadan: Islamic scholar appeals to traders over price hike

    A Kaduna-based Islamic Scholar, Sheik Sambo Rigachikun, on Tuesday appealed to traders in the country not to increase the price of food items during the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan.

    Rigachikum made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

    He said traders should not use the period to inflict suffering on innocent people, saying it was unfortunate that traders always take advantage of spiritual festivities to exploit the people.

    “Give discount to people and Allah will bless you,’’ the scholar admonished, adding that the Ramadan period was a time to seek the bounties of God and not to oppress people.

    “In the Arab countries, once Ramadan and major Islamic festivities are approaching, they declare discount on all goods.

    “Also in the western world, they also give discount on their goods once they are marking major Christian festivals.”

    Rigachukun lamented that rather than to seek the blessings of God, traders in the country prefer to exploit the opportunities to make life more difficult for Nigerians.

    “The present economic situation in the country is very difficult for a poor person who is living from hand to mouth just to survive.

    “Traders should fear Allah not to increase the price of food items so as to earn from the abundant blessings in the month of Ramadan.”

    The cleric advised Nigerians to pray for all political office holders in the country for Allah’s guidance and wisdom, to improve on the nation’s security, peace and stability.

    He urged the new administration at federal and state levels to fulfill their electoral promises to the people, adding that the electorate must also be patient with their leaders.

  • Al-Shabaab threatens to attack Kenya during Ramadan

    Somali terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, said on Thursday that it was planning to attack neighbouring Kenya during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins June 17.

    A senior al-Shabaab commander told newsmen on condition of anonymity that they were planning to give Kenyan non-believers a true taste of Jihad (the holy war) in the next few days and weeks.

    “Attacks were mainly planned in Kenya’s north-eastern province that borders Somalia,’’ he said.

    However, the group claimed it already infiltrated the region.

    “We will keep targeting and destroying Kenya’s education sector and business sector,’’ the al-Shabaab commander said.

    According to the commander, the terrorists are also threatening to attack Kenyan troops stationed in southern Somalia in coming weeks.

    Al-Shabaab has targeted Kenya since 2011, when Kenyan troops entered Somalia to help the government fight the group.

    Al-Shabaab killed 152 people at a university campus in Garissa in April and no fewer than 67 people at a Nairobi shopping mall in September 2013.

  • Muslims told to continue doing good after Ramadan

    Chief Imam of the Lagos State House of  Assembly, Hon Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef, has urged Muslims to continue living a righteous life even though the Ramadan month has ended.

    Speaking in Lagos, Hon Abdul Lateef said that Muslims need to understand that the essence of fasting is for them to be righteous and fear Allah.

    “The month of Ramadan is a season to train Muslims to abandon their food so that they can abandon greed. If you can look at your own food and not move near it from morning till evening, it will assist you to avoid what belongs to someone else.

    “Also, if you are looking at your wife and you can’t touch her from morning till night because you are fasting, that will also help you to abstain from other people’s wives,” he said.

    He added that the month of Ramadan also teaches tolerance and patience because both are needed to avoid sins and overcome trials.

    Ramadan also teaches mercy and compassion, he said.

    He urged Muslims to continue in their good deeds of helping and feeding their neighbours including Muslims, Christians and the idol worshipers.

    He noted that the issue of bombing in the country has got nothing to do with the Islamic religion.

    He said Islam is a religion of peace which does not preach war or violence.

    He told Muslims to open a new chapter in their lives and  devote same to Allah.

  • Minister urges Muslims to uphold Ramadan lessons

    Minister urges Muslims to uphold Ramadan lessons

    Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has urged Muslims to always uphold the lessons of Ramadan by intensifying the reading of the Holy Qur’an and imbibing its teachings, even after the holy month.

    In a statement yesterday, he said: “Since it was during the month of Ramadan that Almighty Allah (SWT) sent down the Qur’an as a kind of mercy to humanity, our Muslim faithful should continue to honour the holy month by making the Holy Quran their number one companion.”

    The minister said Nigerians should continue to preach peace and speak with one voice against the security challenge in the land, irrespective of their ethnic, religion and political differences.

    He said: “As Ramadan ends with today’s Eid-el-Fitri, I urge all Mumineen and Muminat to note that since the great Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH), described Ramadan fasting as a shield against vices, they should remain guided by that one month of total abstinence and keep away from those vices they abstained from during the fasting period.

    “Having observed the fast, read the Quran, listen to Hadith, our Muslim brothers and sisters must continue to imbibe the lessons of the Holy Month of Ramadan by being their brother’s keeper.”

  • Ahmed: don’t discard lessons of Ramadan

    Ahmed: don’t discard lessons of Ramadan

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged Muslims to ensure that the lessons of kindness, fear of God, spirit of helping the needy imbibed during Ramadan continue.

    Speaking to Muslims in his Eid-el-Fitri message, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, Governor Ahmed said beyond festivity, they should pray for the restoration of peace in the country.

    The governor noted that if Muslims do not imbibe the lessons as a life-long experience, the exercise would have be a futile one.

    “As Muslims,we must sustain our devotion to Allah, uphold the teachings of the Quran and Prophet Muhammed.

    ‘’It is also important that those in authority translate the culture of piety, devotion and submission to the will of Allah into ensuring a society free of want, poverty and hunger”, he said.

    Governor Ahmed also advised Muslims to shun vices, especially violence, which could hinder harmonious existence with people of other faith.

    “It is not a mistake that God made people of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds to co-exist in the country; it is for a purpose.

  • Ramadan charities help Malawi Christians

    Ramadan charities help Malawi Christians

    Taking advantage of the spirit of sharing among Muslims during the Holy month of Ramadan, hordes of needy Christians are flocking to various designated Iftar distribution centers alongside their Muslim counterparts amid the deteriorating standards of living in the southern African nation.

    “In most of the centers designated for distribution of the foodstuffs to needy Muslims since the beginning of Ramadan, we are overwhelmed by growing numbers of Malawians of other faith groups who are coming to benefit from this level of goodwill,” Sheikh Abdu Fattani, National Chairperson of Islamic Relief Agency, told OnIslam.net.

    “We are moved by this development, because it clearly indicates that our helping hand extends even beyond the Muslim community. Our religion is glorified by this,” Fattani said.

    Islam is the second largest religion in Malawi after Christianity. It accounts for 36 per cent of the country’s 16 million population.

    Along with serving the poor Muslims during the month of fasting, the Muslim community in Malawi has offered help to the needy of all other faiths in the secular, but diverse religious southern African nation.

    Fattani said the development is also fostering unity among Malawians of all faith beliefs.

    He said: “If both Muslims and Christians could come together during Ramadan and get food for their sustenance, without feeling discriminated, to us as a Muslim community signifies unity.

    The gestures by Muslim charities were commended by some influential leaders within the Christian community as a “bridge” towards enforcing unity among diverse religions.

    “Muslims giving out food to needy Christians during Ramadan is a wonderful development that we applaud. This shows how benevolent Muslims can be during Ramadan. And this calls for us Christian leaders to rethink our attitude towards Islam and Muslims,” Bishop Brighton Malasa, Chairperson of the Anglican Council of Malawi (ACM), a mother body of the Anglican Church in the country told OnIslam.net.