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Ramadan: Muslim cleric urges Nigerians to have fear of God
The Imam of Ikole Ekiti and Egbeoba commumity, Alhaji Abdulazeez Alabi, on Tuesday appealed to Nigerians to always put the fear of God in their conducts.
Alabi said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikole-Ekiti that the fear of God is the only solution to the immoralities currently plaguing Nigeria.
He said this as part of the advice to the Muslim faithful currently observing the Ramadan fasting and prayers.
He said that many Nigerians had misplaced the fear of God in their heart and had been indulging in criminal activities.
Alabi advised Muslims to consider the fasting as a period of repentance and sober reflections.
The Islamic cleric noted that peace should be an essential sign of the Ramadan period.
“I want to advise Nigerians to imbibe the fear of God in all their activities and actions.
“The holy Quaran teaches us to have the fear of God in our heart before we take any decision.
“I want to appeal to those people who are fond of indulging in various forms of immorality to desist from such behaviour,” he said.
Alabi noted that during the fasting period people were always devoted to prayers, visited the mosques regularly and shied away from vices.
He, however, observed that once the fasting period was over they would continue with their wayward lifestyle.
“I have been praying to Allah that He should bestow His fear in the heart of Nigerians to enable us to have a better society and country as a whole.
The Islamic cleric urged Nigerians to imbibe the lesson of the Ramadan by living peacefully with one another, maintaining that meaningful progress and development could only be achieved in an environment of peace.
Alabi appealed to the Muslim faithful to always learn to give out to the people who are less privileged such as the poor and the orphans during the fasting period.
“The month of Ramadan is definitely a month of sharing and solidarity.
“As one of the five pillars of Islam, this month represents four weeks of charity, frugality, and piety during which Muslims must show selflessness and support to the poor.
“The caring and sharing values have been sanctified by the Prophet in his various Hadiths,” he said.
He prayed that Nigeria should become a better country where its citizens would have the fear of God and obey His commandments.