By Bukola Hameed
Eid-ul-Fitr: TMC congratulates Muslims, calls for sanity, tolerance, News Live Nigeria reports.
The Muslim Congress of Oyo State extends greetings and congratulations to all Muslims on this auspicious occasion of the 1445AH Eidul-Fitr celebrations which is a culmination of one month of resilience and spiritual fortitude. May the occasion herald the attainment of personal, communal, and national heights.
As celebrations proceed however, we would do well to remember that the essence of Ramadan, a period of spiritual rejuvenation, would be missed if we failed to adhere strictly to the lessons learned during the month-long spiritual sojourn, especially the act of providing for the needy.
Government at all tiers needs to help cushion the effect of the ongoing economic hardship in Nigeria by various means including extending palliative packages to non-government workers, while the rich continue, in the spirit of Ramadan, to help the needy in their own way.
Witnessing the glorious month is a divine privilege, never a right. The recent death of the Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba Mohood Lekan Balogun, during the glorious month is a telling reminder. While we pray for the repose of his cherished soul, we warn that continuing goodness is the only justification for seeking to enjoy the blessings of future Ramadan periods.
One important area demanding ready application of Ramadan lessons is in the unwholesome trend of paternal mismatch and the resulting recourse to confirmatory DNA tests. Muslims as well as adherents of other religions need to realize that only marital fidelity guarantees effective curtailment of paternity disputes and avoidable loss of hundreds of thousand on DNA tests which at any rate never removes the demeaning social stigma nor neutralizes the unceasing ill feeling. Almighty Allah encourages us to steer clear of promiscuous life if we must attain felicity here and hereafter. Islamic scholars would do well to prioritize this in their preachings.
In the same vein, the meddling of political powers in traditional chieftaincy, and of traditional ruling powers in religious leadership must be halted. These are social institutions with decidedly different though complementary roles. The imagined interference of the Government, for example, in the enthronement of the next Olubadan, or of the Soun of Ogbomoso, for example, in sustaining or unseating the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso Land can only ignite otherwise avoidable crisis. The ongoing tension concerning the cited examples and similar cases across Oyo State should therefore be handled with the maturity it deserves.
Of no less importance is the maintenance of sanity by acclaimed Islamic scholars especially on social media. In the light of the escalating and divisive rhetorics that permeate the social media, we call upon Islamic scholars to take initiatives that encourage discourse grounded in Islamic decorum. This would promote tolerance and unity, much needed to secure for our cherished Ummah a safe and vibrant future.
As we embark on the celebration of Eidul-Fitr this year, let us eschew violence and celebrate moderately. Muslims should see the period of Ramadan fast as a training ground for navigating the rest of the year. We wish everyone a happy Eidul-Fitr celebration. Eid Mubarak.
Engr Daud Oladosu
Waali (Coordinator)
TMC, Oyo State.