YESTERDAY, Muslims throughout the country celebrated Eid-Ul-Adha, one of the important events on the Islamic calendar.
Eid-Ul-Adha is a festival of sacrifice and it arises from Abraham’s obedience to God when he was asked to sacrifice his son Ishmael as a testament of his faith in the Almighty Allah.
And when Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, God intervened and brought him a ram in place of his son, hence the sacrifice of rams during the festival.
The President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, joined hundreds of Muslims in Accra to celebrate the festival and implored them to let the spiritual virtues of Abraham — obedience, faithfulness, love for God, kind-heartedness and love for one another — be written on their hearts.
As the President said, this festival of sacrifice should bring about the spirit of self denial, which will position our Muslim brothers and sisters to receive the bountiful blessings of Allah the Merciful.
On this occasion, which marks the end of the ritual of the Hajj, we need to remind ourselves, as Maulvi Dr Wahab Adam said, of the importance of unity, mutual co-operation and co-existence, despite our political, religious and ethnic diversity.
For, although the Eid is a celebration for Muslims, it provides an opportunity for them to share their joy, peace and goodness with all. Muslims, on this day, share the animals they slaughter and their food with all, even non-Muslim neighbours.
Mankind today lives in an inter-dependent world where followers of various religions go to school together, work together and live in the same neighbourhood, making peace, which Muslims show abundantly on this occasion, a necessity.
We would like to congratulate not only our Muslim brothers and sisters but also all other religious groups who have made it possible for the country to enjoy religious tolerance and peace.
When we take a look at what is happening in some of our neighbouring countries where religious intolerance has brought about strife and death of hundreds of innocent people, then we in Ghana must count ourselves blessed.
As the Chief Imam, Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, said at the prayer grounds, we must be mindful of our constitutional role, rights and responsibilities as religious men and women and also acknowledge the government’s efforts at creating a democratic culture to enhance good governance.
We would want to call on Muslims to use this wonderful occasion to rededicate their lives to live in peace and harmony with all and continue to make the necessary sacrifices to push this country forward.
We want to join all Ghanaians to wish our Muslim brothers and sisters Barka da Sallah.
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