By Mohammed Baba Busu
Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman, of the Niger Council of Traditional Rulers, has urged the Muslims to emulate Prophet (AS) Ibrahim’s good virtues as they celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir.
According to the Etsu Nupe, these lofty virtues include sacrifice, obedience and submissiveness to the will of Allah, to be successful in the worldly life and the hereafter.
He appealed in his Sallah message to the Muslim Ummah in his domain and Nigerians, in general, to mark the Eid-el-Adhah celebration at the Eid-el praying ground in Bida on Sunday.
Abubakar said, “Today’s celebration is a commemoration of total submissiveness and obedience to the will of Allah, as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail.
“It is also a lesson on the virtue of keeping our promises to Allah and our fellow men.
“Prophet Ibrahim (AS) made a vow to sacrifice his son to Allah, and when it was time to fulfil the promise, he didn’t back out. That is a strong virtue worthy of emulation.
“It was in appreciation of that gesture that Allah converted what would have been a human sacrifice to that of a sheep.’’
The traditional ruler advised the Muslims to shun societal ills and to always endeavour to do good, for the betterment of all.
“Societal ills like bribery, corruption, drunkenness and gambling do not do any good to man, society, or the Muslim faithful, hence all believers are enjoined to avoid them,” Abubakar admonished.
He implored the Muslim Ummah in his domain and the country at large to reflect on the significance of the celebration, which bordered on encouraging piety, sacrifice and love, without which, according to him, no state or society could advance.
Abubakar appealed to the wealthy individuals in the country to assist the less privileged to enable all and sundry to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir with relative ease.
He said, “God has endowed wealth on people not for themselves and their immediate families, but for the benefit of the entire society.
“The present socio-economic predicament that we are facing requires such assistance from well-to-do individuals in the country.”
Abubakar charged the Muslim faithful to pray to God to assist President Bola Tinubu, and other elected and appointed leaders to overcome both the current economic meltdown and security challenges bedeviling the country.
The Etsu Nupe also advised the people of his emirate to always monitor the movements of their children, to stem the habit of drug abuse that was rampant among the youths
“With fervent and ceaseless prayers by the adherents of the two major religions in the country, I am sure we will witness the peaceful conduct of general elections in the country,” he added.
The royal father also prayed for a successful Hajj and safe return of all the pilgrims who had gone to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the pilgrimage. (NAN)
