An Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Mohammed Lamin Abdul-Hamid, has asked Muslims to use the month-long Ramadan fast which commenced across the globe on Tuesday, as a golden opportunity to grow physically, morally, spiritually and emotionally.

He reminded Muslims to use the opportunity to seek the overwhelming blessings of Allah to renew their resolve to contribute to national development efforts.

“We pray that Almighty Allah would give Muslims the strength and the capability to be able to take full advantage of this blessed month,” he added.

Delivering a sermon, Sheikh Abdul-Hamid, who is the Imam of the Bilal Bun Rabah Mosque at New Fadama, a suburb of Accra, urged Muslims to use the opportunity to touch the lives of needy and the poor in society by sharing and caring.

“Brothers and sisters, Ramadan is a month of unique features and overwhelming blessings and forgiveness. It brings hope, love and consolation to the Muslim Ummah. Ramadan is a month of patience, self-restraint and righteousness. The Prophet (pbuh) said: if anyone insults you or wants to fight you (in this month), say ‘I am fasting’ ‘I am fasting’ (Bukhari and Muslim).”

“Almighty God has made it obligatory (Fard) for every Muslim to fast because He doesn’t want us to miss the rewards. Guess what, nothing is compared to fasting after the five daily prayers. That is why God chose a full month of 29 or 30 days and made it compulsory for Muslims to fast. Almighty Allah says.”

“Brothers and sisters, another very important area we need to avail ourselves of in this glorious month is feeding the poor, the orphans, widows, and the most vulnerable families in our communities. A lot of people out there do not have what to feed on during ‘Iftar’ and ‘Sahur’. It is just fair that we have to extend our kind generosity to them.”

“Remember, our worth in the community is not measured by the big mansions, high titles or posh cars we own, but rather it is measured by our ability to touch other people’s lives and make them smile. The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: “He is not a believer, who eats his fill whilst his neighbour on his side goes hungry” (Bukhari) think about it!” Sheikh Hamid recalled that last year by this time, there was a countrywide lockdown, all public places for gathering such as; educational institutions, firms, churches, schools, mosques, restaurants, beaches, borders, airports were under severe lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding “Our rights to liberty, freedom of assembly and freedom of movement, as well as freedom of worship in the mosques, were curtailed.”

“Worse still, the communal spirit, euphoria and the excitement that are usually associated with Ramadan were seriously affected last year due to the lockdown restrictions, yet by the grace of Allah, we were able to sail through successfully.”

“We had to observe the Ramadan fasting, ‘Tarawih’ prayers and the Eid celebrations indoors with our families. It was the greatest misfortunes ever that had claimed the lives of millions of people within this short time.”

He said this year, the story was completely different, adding “we welcome Ramadan with a renewed energy and ecstasy. Although some of the COVID- 19 restrictions are still in place to check the spread of the disease, the ban on praying in the mosques has been relaxed and the situation is gradually getting to normalcy.”

Sheikh Abdul-Hamid urged Muslims not to lower their guard on the COVID-19 protocols but to continue to observe them to stop the spread of the disease in the communities.