Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, has called on the Muslim community to inculcate the spirit of sacrifice and self-denial to significantly contribute to the sustainable development of the country.
Mr Yakubu said the Holy Qu’ran and the celebration of the Eid-Adha taught people all over the world the need to employ sacrifice as a virtue to properly relate with one another and help develop the nation.
“If we should individually imbibe the spirit of sacrifice in our daily dealings, most of our problems will be resolved. By sacrificing, we should not demand more than what the state can provide for our welfare and should be mindful about the needs of others”.
Mr. Yakubu
The Regional Minister indicated that when people focus on building the nation and practice what the Holy Quran teaches. He noted that, that’s the only way they can become disciplined. He also stated that such behaviors will prevent the general populace from doing evil and thereby reduce the indulgence of anti-social vices in society.
“The teachings of Islam are to stand the test of time. Eid-Adha therefore is a crusade and religious organizations have a role to play in spreading the message of honesty, probity, and accountability. Religious leaders must not only preach these virtues, but must be seen practicing them and be role models for their members.”
Mr. Yakubu
Meanwhile, he used the occasion to trumpet government policies. The Regional Minister noted that the government was committed to implementing policies and programmes geared at addressing the wellbeing of the vulnerable in society and asked the religious bodies to rally their people to embrace and support the programmes to succeed.
Mr Yakubu further called on Ghanaians to continue to work together to preserve the prevailing peace to ensure continued development and progress.
However, Alhaji Adam Yussif, the Regional Chief Imam who prayed for the leadership of the country, urged government to work towards implementing policies that promoted rural participation and development.
He urged Muslims to endeavour to imbibe in themselves the spirit of tolerance and eschew violence to ensure that they lived peacefully with other religious bodies and work to improve the lives of the less privileged.
Meanwhile, the former President, John Dramani Mahama has called on Muslims to be inspired to give back to society as they celebrate Eid-ul-Adha.
“As we safely celebrate with family and loved ones, may our prayers be answered and our sacrifices be acceptable to Allah. May we be inspired by the sacrifice to give back to humanity, something that is bigger than ourselves.”
Former Prez John Mahama
According to John Mahama, the celebration also “reminds us of the value of obedience, sacrifice and Allah’s divine mercy.”
“Above all, may Allah accept our prayers, heal our world and bless our homeland Ghana,” he concluded.
The celebration of Eid-ul-Adha is to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to Allah SWT and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
Depending on the country, the celebrations of Eid-ul-Adha can last anywhere between two and four days.
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