By Mohammed Baba Busu
Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger Council of Traditional Rulers, has called on Muslims to use the Eid-el-Kabir to pray fervently for the peace and unity of Nigeria.
He stated this in a Sallah Message at the Eid praying ground in Bida on Wednesday.
He expressed optimism that Nigeria would be the ultimate beneficiary of the spiritual lessons from the Sallah.
Abubakar said with prayers and fear of Allah, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and love, Nigerians would tolerate one another.
The traditional leader called on the citizens to build bridges of brotherhood for the benefits of the nation’s unity.
Abubakar appealed to Muslims to emulate Prophet Ibrahim’s virtues of sacrifice, obedience and submissiveness to the will of Allah, to be successful in life.
“Today’s celebration is a commemoration of total submission and obedience to the will of Allah, as exemplified by Prophets Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail.
“It is also a lesson on the virtue of keeping our promises to Allah and to our fellow man,” Abubakar said.
“Prophet Ibrahim 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,’’ he said.
Abubakar advised Muslims to shun societal ills and always endeavour to do good, for the betterment of all.
He implored the Muslim in the state and the country to reflect on the significance of the celebration.
He noted that without piety, sacrifice and love, no state or society could advance.
”The significance of the season should be beyond the festivities but the real essence is to encourage piety, total commitment to Allah, self-discipline and sacrifice, ’’ he said.
He admonished Nigerians to strive to live in peace with each other, irrespective of religious , political, cultural and ethnic affinity.
According to him: “We should also continue to be our brothers’ keepers, to collectively bolster peace, unity and even socioeconomic development of the country.
“The Almighty Allah has created us in different ways, with varying potentials and faiths, cultures and ethnicities.
“But, our rich diversities should serve as our formidable unifying factors and not dividing ones.
“The Almighty Allah has not made a mistake by creating us together in Nigeria,” he said.
He appealed to Nigerians to shun all acts capable of breaching peace and unity.
“Peace is the veritable tool of national development and without it no nation could prosper to greater heights.
Abubakar appealed to wealthy individuals in the country to assist the less privileged, to enable all and sundry to celebrate Eid-el- Kabir with ease.
“The present socio-economic predicament that we are facing requires such assistance from well to do individuals in the country.”
He said, “God has endowed wealth on people not for themselves and their immediate family, but for the benefit of entire society.
He charged Muslims faithful in the continue to pray to God to assist President Bola Tinubu and other elected and appointed leaders to overcome the current economic meltdown.
He also charged the people in his domain to send their children to school to acquire both western and Islamic knowledge.
Abubakar prayed for the safe return of Muslim Ummah who are in Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s pilgrimage(NAN)
