The edifying lessons of Eid el-Fitr

Islam provides that Ramadan fast be observed until the crescent for the month of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is sighted, which could be on the 29th or 30th day of Ramadan. The occasion marked the end of the month-long fasting. Muslims in the past month, as the Islamic injunction requires […]

Islam provides that Ramadan fast be observed until the crescent for the month of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is sighted, which could be on the 29th or 30th day of Ramadan. The occasion marked the end of the month-long fasting.

Muslims in the past month, as the Islamic injunction requires them to, have lived a life of moderation and self-denial, refraining from negative conducts and other acts that run contrary to the teachings of Islam. Ramadan, as usual, is a period when Muslims seek closer ties with Allah through diverse acts of worship that include recitation of the Qur’an, charity work, observance of prayers at night, alms-giving, seeking for forgiveness for their sins and so on.  
The end of Ramadan should not mean an end to the virtues of benevolence, good neighbourliness and tolerance that characterised the private and public life of Muslims during the month. They should not consider the end of Ramadan as a welcome opportunity to go back to bad habits. The celebration of the Eid el-Fitr itself should be done in moderation as a practical expression of its lessons.
The injunction to share with others during Ramadan even the little that was available to us is an entreaty to eschew selfishness, greed and covetousness, which are bad deeds that have existed over the years to hamper the development of the self and the Nigerian society. Provision of Zakat el-Fitr or the poor rate payable by Muslims in the staple food of their respective communities to the poor and the indigent at the end of every Ramadan fast is equally one religious duty that underscores the need to care for others, especially the underprivileged, which is the basic message of Eid el-Fitr. This also strengthens a good sense of altruism in the giver.
Nigerian Muslims should on this occasion pray for their leaders to be guided and be imbued with the wisdom and capacity needed to bring about good governance. The leadership of the country has repeatedly let the nation down at critical times. Eid el-Fitr is a period for leaders to reflect on the state of the nation and strive to fulfil their obligation of making the living condition of Nigerians better than what it is at the moment. Leaders should lead by examples and be sensitive to the aspirations of citizens to decent life, good education for children, clean and portable water, constant and affordable power supply, and good prospects for employment.
Those entrusted with power should exercise it for the common good of the people they lead, which in specific terms should translate into the provision of basic amenities and infrastructure that will improve their living condition. Conversely, on the part of the ruled, what is expected is obedience to law and order to enable everyone to go about his/her business peacefully. Furthermore, in the spirit of the season, Muslims should uphold the virtue of peaceful co-existence with adherents of other faiths and re-commit themselves to the pursuit of religious tolerance and societal rebirth. Hosting visitors across religious boundaries during this festive period could similarly facilitate the building of strong bridges of understanding in the multi-faith Nigerian society.
Insecurity has remained one of the greatest challenges facing the country in the past few years. It was incredible that in spite of the holiness of the month of Ramadan during which Allah exhorts believers to show love, kindness and mercy to all, the spate of bombings and suicide attacks kept escalating. The occasion of this year’s Eid el-Fitr should be used to offer special prayers, seeking Allah’s divine intervention to bring the long-standing insecurity of lives and property in many parts of the country to an end. We encourage government to continue to explore all non-violent options including dialogue to engage the insurgent groups with a view to ending the intractable crisis.