Jeleel Olawale
The former commissioner for Home Affairs and Tourism, Hon. Sikiru Ayedun and an Islamic group, Faith Centre of Nigeria have rejoiced with Muslims in the world on the Ramadan fasting. Ramadan which is the holiest month of every year for all Muslims. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. He said, according to Islamic belief, Ramadan is when the prophet Mohammed was gifted the Quran. During this time, Allah declared that the gates of Heaven were opened, and the devils were locked in Hell. "Muslims use the month to give away their earthly needs to bring them closer to God, which is why they fast from sunrise to sunset every day of Ramadan". Ayedun and the group, therefore, welcome the month of Ramadan with a heart filled with peace, harmony, and joy. "May the divine blessings of Allah protect and guide all Muslims as the sacred month commences". The starting date of the dawn-dusk fasting month of Ramadan is determined by both lunar calculations and physical sightings of a new moon. Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening It is also a time of prayers, during which Muslims converge in large numbers on mosques, especially at night. Ramadan is a holy month for the world’s more than 1.5 billion Muslims. According to tradition, Ramadan marks the time that Prophet Mohammed started receiving revelations from the Muslim holy book, the Qu'ran. Ramadan is one of the five “pillars” of Islam. The others are the profession of faith, “there is no God but God and Mohammed is his messenger", the obligation to pray five times a day, charity, and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a believer’s lifetime.
