Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has asked Muslims in the country to observe the Holy month of Ramadan which begins today, with soul-searching and deeper commitment to family.
He also asked the Muslims to be good Ambassadors of their faith, “because our humble Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) himself attracted adherents to Islam through personal examples of love, tolerance and justice. The best service we can to do Islam is to live by its teachings.”
In a goodwill message to Muslims, the former Vice President said that Ramadan should be a unique opportunity for Muslims to demonstrate greater self-discipline and compassion for the weak, the poor and the suffering.
He said that the 30 days period of fasting should be a reminder to Muslims that they should appreciate what it means for the poor to go without eating from morning to evening, and thereby appreciating the conditions of millions of ordinary Nigerians that go without eating daily.
He asked Muslims to use the Holy Month to increase their love and compassion for the less fortunate members of the society, saying that they should take the spirit of compassion beyond Ramadan by making it a permanent feature of our everyday life.
Atiku who also asked Muslims to pray for Nigeria and its leaders at all levels to overcome the challenges confronting the country, appealed to them to use the spirit of the Ramadan fasting period to promote tolerance, love and peaceful coexistence to higher and more enduring levels.
“The best public relations for our religions is our conduct towards others in terms of love and tolerance. We must be good Ambassadors of our faith, because our humble Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) himself attracted adherents to Islam through personal examples of love, tolerance and justice. The best service we can to do Islam is to live by its teachings.”
Abubakar enjoined Muslims to give support to one another, and give even greater support to the political authority in our country and various localities. [myad]
