ByIduozee Paul, Benin correspondent
An lslamic scholar in the departmentof religions, Faculty of Arts, University of Benin, Edo state, Prof. Lateef KayodeAdeyemo, has said the month of Ramadan, a fasting period recently observed by Muslims is a time Muslims help to feed and show love andcare to fellow faithful while also purifying themselves for more blessings fromAllah..
The associate professor of IslamicThought and Civilization in Uniben made this explanation at the Second Editionof her Annual Ramadhan IFTAR SA’lM, a collect ie fast breaking for aboutof 250 fasting Muslims. The breakfastfeast consisted of an assortment of food, drinks and fruits, and featuredQur’an recitations, special Dua, quiz. The event organized by the National
Council of Muslim Youths Organization (NACOMYO), EdoState chapter at Evbohuku
Community, in Edo state alsoincluded presentation of prizes and gifts.
According to Prof Adeyemo who, delivered the lecture, there are spiritual benefits derived from observing the fast.
Fast include abstaining from taking food, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, drugs and other things that will not make Allah to forgive them. He said the Ramadan month is an era of caring and giving to the poor and the less privileged in the society.
“The essence of this event is to talk about the 9 to 10 days of Ramadan and how to show love, by giving to fellow Muslims towards the end of the month, and to serve as forgiveness for
whatsoever errors that may have been committed since the commencement of Ramadan with fasting and prayer. To also create ways for Muslims to have enough food to eat and to drink in order for them to enjoy their Salah. These are what they must observe in the month of Ramadan.”
“The programme is held once in a year with an annual lecture. For a whole month during the fasting,you keep away from food, drugs, drinks and others. There are spiritual gains in it, like;
Good health, economic gain and purification.It helps you to hear more from Allah or God. During
this period youths are restive because Allah wants them to enjoy his good blessings
and to avoid all forms of sin. It helps to see what the needy, poor and less privileged are going through in the society and it is a period of assisting the poor in the society.
“If you fast, Allah will reward you with all your needs,”Adeyemo said.
In an exclusive interview, the former chairman, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Mallam Yusuf Bako, described the event at the time of feed, help and show love to fellow Muslims who could not afford money to get what they will use to break their fast. He disclosed that, the essence is make heaven and purify the wealth Allah has given them here on earth.”
“If you can help one soul to breakfast like feeding the entire universe,” Bako explained.
In his remarks, president of the National Council of Muslims Youth Organization (NACOMYO), Ibrahim Momoh, said the reason of the occasion is to bring Muslims together to show them care, love and give to themselves to enable the purpose of Ramadan become more friendly and fruitful and to have more faith in Allah.
“The event is a youth focusedone, which attracted a lot of Muslims in Benin city. The Ramadhan is like aschool training programme for Muslims youth to take them lessons of brotherhoodin love, giving, care and faith in Allah. We have decided to take this lecturebeyond
Ramadhan. Is where learn or trainand you are expected to put what you have learned into
practice. Those things you havegained during the lecture training,” he said.
At the end of all the activitiesfood and other gifts items were given to those who attended the occasion.
