Written By Anthony Boakai
Brothers and Sisters in Islam
Assamalu Alaikumu Alaikum (Peace Be Upon You)
I take refuge in Allah against Satan the rejected. In the name of Allah Most Gracious,Most Merciful. May Allah peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be upon Him) who taught us what we knew not. May Allah be pleased with him, his household, his companion and those who continue to follow his footsteps until the Day of Judgment (Isha-Allah).
May Allah forgive our sins, may he give us good health, daily bread to strength us to fast correctly, guide us to the right path and lead us to control our feelings, eyes, ears, tongue, nose, movement and reward us with paradise for our good intention to fast only for his sake, amen or Amena (may it be so).
Brothers and sisters in Islam, the Qur’an advices us who are subjected to death and thereafter give accounts of our deeds,to constantly remind each other about our shortcomings because we are limited as human.
The fact that we can eat, excrete, sleep, weak up, and at times forget, is a clear proof that we need to keep reminding each other about our mistakes as Muslims
.As Muslims around the world begin this year’s annual Ramadan this week, I would like to call on fasting Muslims everywhere to maintain their religious commitments to Almighty Allah during and beyond the Holy Month of Ramadan.
I am making this passionate plea because I have observed over the years with great surprise that some Muslims are in the habit of limiting their five times daily prayers to only the fast month instead.
By all accounts, this ugly practice has no place in Islam. I am touched by the increasing number of Muslims who see the practice as a normal way of adhering to Islamic beliefs, to appeal to them not to be selective in theirdaily worship services but rather remain consistent in the performance of their prayers in line with the teachings of the Holy Qur’aarn and the practices of the Prophet.
As the former Interim President of the University of Liberia Muslim Students Association (ULMSA), I am similarly advising unmarried Muslims who often separate during the fast month and re-unit at the end of the month, to stop because Islam does not support fornication.
I am further urging Muslims to abide by the Muslim tradition of dowry a woman which is more rewarding than living together without dowry in defiance of Allah’s command.
I am also pleading with my fellow Muslims to uphold their religious belief because the Ramadan is categorized into three as follow: . The first 10 days come with mercy, the second 10 days come with pardon and the last 10 days come with redemption of Muslims who keenly observe the month with the fear of Allah.
As some of us may be aware, the Qur’aan strongly advises us to avoid the use of abusive languages during the Holy Month of Ramadan which nullify our fast and deny us the huge benefits that come with the fast month every year.
Let me repeat here for the sake of continuous reminder, that during the month of Ramadan, we, fasting Muslims, shall religiously stay away from eating, drinking, smoking, gossiping, bearing of false witness, cheating and other forms of wrongdoingsthat can spoil our fast; such as our failure to suspense bed relationship with our wives from sun rise to sunset.
It is equally important for me to emphasize that besides the search for a special night known as “The Night of Power,” which comes during the course of the last 10 days, the revelation of the Qur’an began in the Month of Ramadan and lasted for 22 years, 2 months and 22 days.
Since cleanliness is 50% of Islamic religious practices I wish to sincerely advise all of us fasting Muslims to stop brushing our tooth and spiting on the streets, in the traffic, work places, market grounds, public and private business centers during the Holy Month of Ramadan and thereafter because these practices are unhygienic, unpleasant and most importantly, contradict the position of Islam on cleanliness.
Wasalaamu Alaikum (And Peace Be Upon You too).
Signed:________________
Bro. Anthony L.M. Boakai, Sr.
Instructor
Department of Mass Communication
African Methodist Episcopal University
34 Camp Johnson Road, Monrovia, Liberia
E-mail: boakaianthony60@gmail.com