Eid-el-Fitr: JNI felicitates Muslims
Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar, has congratulated Nigerian Muslims for observing the Ramadan fasting which is gradually coming to an end.
The Director-General of JNI, Dr Khalid Aliyu, stated this in a press statement on Saturday in Kaduna, the Ramadan fasting would end either on May 1 or May 2 and would be followed by Eid-el-Fitr festivities.
Aliyu said JNI was grateful to the Almighty God for sparing the lives of Muslim faithful who took part in the Fasting.
“Certainly lessons have been learnt in this year’s Ramadan fasting.
“Muslims are enjoined to sustain the virtuous acts they had acquired and to remain self-disciplined, dedicated and ever God-fearing in all their endeavors,“ he said.
Aliyu reminded Muslims of the importance of giving Zakatul-Fitr — ordained alms giving at the end of Ramadan Fasting—despite the hardship in the land.
“Zakatul-Fitr should be given from today to the needy before the commencement of the Eid prayer.
He said if done appropriately, it would serve as an expiation of the various shortcomings committed in the course of observing the Ramadan fasting.
He also reminded Muslims of the ‘Sitta-Shawwal fasting’ — six days of recommended fasting that follows Ramadan — as recommended by the Prophet Muhammad.
Aliyu cautioned Muslims to always bear in mind that the Lord of Ramadan is still and shall remain the Lord of other months.
“We must, therefore, all be reminded to keep to the ordinances of the glorious Qur’an for the prestige of Muslims.
“We would also like to implore all to treat with caution on travelling home for Sallah festivities given the pervasive security challenges in the country,” he said.
He called on the government to exert more efforts in attending to all forms of criminality and deal appropriately with agents of destruction and fragmentation in every nook and cranny of the country.
“Government should be up and doing and heed the different wake-up calls to improve the security architecture, tackle ravaging economic hardship and transparently address the seeming unemployment problems in the country, “ he said.
He said if the advice was heeded, it would help to reinvent the spirit of patriotism and commitment to the ideals of national goals.
He appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to as a matter of urgency resolve the lingering issues between them.
“Parents, students and the entire nation have been adversely affected by this nightmarish impasse.
“The time has come for all the critical stakeholders, especially the Federal Government to nip the national malady in the bud, once and for all.
“Continued closure of our universities spells doom for our nation and aggravates the current security dilemma.
“Nevertheless, we must continue to intensify our prayers for Nigeria and its leaders, especially now that the 2023 general elections are fast approaching,” Aliyu said.
