The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, on Saturday led Thanksgiving Prayers for the successful performance of this year’s Hajj and safe arrival of Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife, Hajia Samira Bawumia.

The Thanksgiving Prayers which were offered at the Kanda residence of Alhaji Bawumia attracted hundreds of Imams and Muslim Clerics, leaders of the various Zongo communities across the country, friends and well-wishers of the family who congratulated the couple on their performance of the Hajj. The gathering thanked Allah for granting Alhaji Bawumia and his wife, His mercies for their journey to Mecca, the successful performance of the Hajj and for their return.

Sheikh Osman Sharubutu in a short speech to climax the event was grateful to Allah for His mercies and described Alhaji Bawumia as a son who had shown him all the respect and courtesies a father deserved.

“Before embarking on the Hajj, he (Alhaji Bawumia) informed me. We met at Hajj and prayed for the Nation. We didn’t meet there for politics; only one bond united all of us, which is that there is no God apart from Allah and the Prophet Mohammed is his only true messenger. On his return, Alhaji Bawumia came to my house to officially notify me of his safe return. He then joined me at the Central Mosque on Friday to pray with me and invited me to this Thanksgiving prayer event“, he said.

Continuing, the Chief Imam explained why he had taken time off his schedule to be present to lead the Thanksgiving prayers.

“The tradition of the Holy Prophet urges us to show utmost respect to our fellow Muslims. Again, the Muslim Ummah is a brotherhood and urges every Muslim to support fellow Muslims all the time except when he’s cheating another person, whether Muslim or not. Therefore, if you have a Muslim who has reached this status and still has his faith intact, then you have to support him when he organizes such an event and invites you.

“Alhaji Bawumia has shown that he is a son and keeps according me all the respect. I believe that such respect must also be reciprocated and it is for all these reasons that I am here to pray for him, his family, his household and the nation”, Sheikh Sharubutu added.

Alhaji Dr. Bawumia on his part thanked Allah for His mercies and favour which had allowed him to perform the Hajj and return safely. He noted that he was humbled by the fact that he had the opportunity to perform the Hajj with the National Chief Imam, describing the National Chief Imam as a treasure to all Muslims and the Nation.

“We went on the Hajj in the spirit of Unity of the Muslim Ummah. There is no politics in Hajj. We were all united under Allah and his Holy Messenger, Mohammed. That was the bond for everybody as we performed the Hajj and I am so happy that we have gathered here as Muslims and sympathizers to thank Allah for his Mercies and pray that Allah grants His Mercies to those who have not returned to also return safely”, he said.

Alhaji Bawumia thanked the Sheikh Sharubutu and all those present for their prayers. He urged everyone to continue praying for those who lost their lives in the performance of this year’s Hajj, for Allah to grant them Jannatul Firdaus, and asked that such prayers be extended to all friends and family who have departed this earth. He also prayed that Allah grants his healing mercies to those who were sick and those who suffered injuries in the performance of this year’s Hajj and for the missing to be found.