Tema, Sept 30, GNA - Imam Alhaji Salley Idrisu Sika, Deputy Imam of the Tema Metropolis on Tuesday said a sanctified life should be a perpetual trait even after the holy month of Ramadan. "I challenge you to lead holy lives even after this month of Ramadan, self sanctification and holiness since Allah is not only for the month of Ramadan but also in all the other 11 months of the year,", he said. Imam Sika gave the advice after leading a congregation of thousands of Muslims in a prayer to mark this year's Eid-Ul-Fitr at the Tema Sports Stadium.

Eid-Ul-Fitr is a feast on the first day of Shawal, the tenth month of the Islamic year, to mark a month long period of fasting by Muslims. The day is celebrated with prayers, visits, cultural displays and other activities throughout the world for a successful completion of 30 days fast by Muslims.

It is a thanksgiving day when Muslims assembled in a brotherly atmosphere, give thanks to Allah for helping them to fulfil their spiritual obligation of fasting, which must manifest itself in a humanitarian spirit.

The Muslim who has completed the fasting expresses thanks to Allah by means of giving alms to the poor and needy on the Eid-Ul-Fitr day. Imam Sika told the beautifully dressed congregants that the successful completion of the fasting was a manifestation of Allah's acceptance of their worship and urged them to maintain the spiritual and moral strength they had gathered during the fast. He said humanity must continue to observe divine laws and bring all the perceptual organs of the body under control, so that they would not be used for any evil deeds during the rest of the year. "As Muslims, we must observe complete obedience and submission to Allah. Fasting inculcates self restraint, self purification, God consciousness and good character," Imam Sika said. He called on Ghanaians to hold on to the good character of tolerance, patience and co-existence, learned during the month of Ramadan.

He urged the congregants to maintain peace, unity and tolerance before, during and after the December elections. Mr David Quaye Annang, Tema Metropolitan Chief Execute advised that no religious group should allow their members to be used to foment trouble as the country prepares to go to the polls in December. He stressed on the need for secular education and urged parents whose children were not in the classrooms to take advantage of the Government's Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme and send their wards to school.

Mr Annang expressed his worry about the poor sanitation in some parts of the Metropolis and advised residents to adhere to cleanliness, since cleanliness was next to Godliness. He advised against political violence saying "your political opponent is not your enemy."