Eid-Ul-Adha
Today marks another important date on the Islamic calendar, a day on which, like others of religious significance, we must reflect on our country and the world at large.
It is a feast of sacrifice of livestock but then such thoughts about our part of the world which is our country would go a long way in helping us contribute towards addressing the myriad of challenges besetting Ghana.
We can only practice our faith when we are not only healthy but gainfully employed and the security of our country guaranteed. These are factors we all must contribute towards achieving.
It is necessary to continue considering the importance of interfaith dialogue and relationship so that this attribute would wax stronger. Let us not take things for granted but rather explore ways of sustaining the foregone.
The Charge d’Affaires of the US embassy called on the National Chief Imam a few days ago, a gesture he said was in recognition of the contribution of the top clergy in maintaining interfaith harmony in the country. We should all pat each other on our backs for reaching this point and maintaining it over the years. Indeed there has never been in Ghana what is tearing others apart for which we must be thankful to God for.
Ghana is a beacon of peace because, among others, personalities like the Chief Imam, we the people and the leadership of the Christian faith trust each other.
Trust can only come about through transparency. Let us therefore as a people, especially belonging to different faiths, build trust among ourselves as this is an important ingredient for the sustenance of peace.
Let us all be grateful to God for how far he has brought us in terms of peace and stability. Every religion is based on discipline without which there is no faith to even belong to.
Christianity and Islam both belong to the Abrahamonic lineage and so there is no reason why friction should even occur between them as it often does in some parts of the world.
Today is about the commemoration of the sacrifice Abraham was about to do with his son Ishmael when an angel replaced him with a ram.
Abraham passed a test of faith. What about us? How many of us are ready to sacrifice for our country a creation of God? It is part of religious discipline which when translated into our daily activities in this ephemeral world would address the numerous challenges impeding the progress of society. Corruption would be eliminated when our faith is strong and we reflect upon the purpose of our creation and remember that this world is transient.
Muslims who are able to buy livestock for the sacrifice are enjoined to give a respectable portion of the animal to their neighbours who could not buy. Enjoying when our neighbours are forlorn unable to partake in the feast is abhorred in Islam.
We wish our compatriots especially, Muslims, a wonderful feast today.