Ramadan: Masari calls for prayers for peace, prosperity

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has urged Muslims to utilise the holy month of Ramadan to pray for peace, unity and prosperity in the country and the world in general.

The governor made the call in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Abdu Labaran, on Thursday in Katsina.

Muslims the world over commenced fasting in the holy month of Ramadan on Thursday.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad.

Fasting is the third pillar of Islam in which Muslims observe 29 or 30 days of abstinence from eating, drinking and sexual intercourse from sunrise to sunset with the hope of earning Allah’s blessings.

Labaran quoted Gov. Masari as saying “I am calling on Muslims in the country to use the Ramadan period to pray for the nation and its leadership.

“As a period of devotion, there is no better time to dedicate to Nigeria than now, in view of the insecurity challenges threatening its corporate existence.

“As a period of intense devotion and introspection, it is incumbent on us to use religion for the advancement, not the dismemberment of our nation.

“This, we can do by imbibing the lessons which the month of Ramadan seeks to teach us, especially showing love to one another regardless of religious inclination, assisting the less privileged and placing our collective interest over and above individual considerations.

“We must remember that a nation is only as good as its leadership, which means we cannot wish evil for our leaders and expect prosperity for the nation.”

Masari called on Nigerians to continue to support government’s effort at improving the living conditions of people and moving the country forward.