RAMADAN. Ustadz Najeeb Razul (left), Islamic law expert in Central Visayas, greets fellow Muslim leaders, Nurdin Basang (center), of the Tausug Association in Cebu City; and Ustadz Salim Danny Daham of Islamic Propagation Society in Cebu, Inc. at the sidelines of the Inter-Faith Convergence for Peace in Our Elections at the Archbishop's Residence in Cebu City on May 6, 2019. The entire Muslim community in the country marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan on Monday. (Photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY -- Muslim leaders in Cebu have offered prayers and sacrifices for peaceful, honest, and clean mid-term elections on May 13 as they joined the entire Muslim community in the country in marking the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
Ustadz Najeeb Razul, Islamic law expert in Central Visayas, called on his fellow Muslims to be faithful in celebrating the month of fasting, prayers and self-discipline in the face of modern technology.
“Ramadan is a venue by which we, Muslims, will be able to change our lives. Mundane things are temporary. We don’t live long here,” Razul, also an Imam, said at the sidelines of the Inter-Faith Convergence for Peace in Our Elections at the Archbishop’s Residence here.
Razul said he prayed at start of the Ramadan that the electorate will “study the attitude of the candidates in next week’s election if they (candidates) are really pro-God, pro-people, and pro-Constitution”.
“Our prayers in this coming election is that the Muslim community, together with our own brother Christians, the Jews, the Hindus, will all be united and have a synchronized effort to be able to achieve peace and live with prosperous life, and we may pray to God almighty,” he said.
Malo Manonggiring, regional director of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos in Central Visayas, said in a message sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that he hopes “forgiveness, understanding, and unity in diversity of all mankind” reign in every Muslim’s heart in exercising the Islamic faith during the month of Ramadan.
Ijoden Saripada HadjiAzis Mamacol, secretary of the Cebu Islamic Center (CIC), reminded his fellow Muslims that aside from observing the holy month, the May 13 elections is also approaching.
“I have hopes that Muslims will vote and contribute to the clean, honest, and most especially peaceful election,” Mamacol said in a separate message sent to the PNA.
Mamacol said the entire Muslim community in the country is praying that “candidates who will win in May 13 elections will bring the true spirit of leadership in the country.”
He said he is also yearning for a peaceful conduct of elections in Mindanao.
The secretary of the Islamic center here with hundreds of Muslims as members said non-Muslim Filipinos can expect an Islamic greeting of “Ramadhan Mubarak,” which means “Happy Ramadhan.”
“Ramadhan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the month in which the Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad, our Islamic Prophet. Ramadhan is the month in which Muslims will do "fasting" during daylight hours, from dawn to sunset,” Mamacol noted, adding that “fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam.”
“Aside from fasting, Muslims must not do harm to others, must strengthen their faith to Allah, must be honest, must repent, and must always be in peace, as our everyday greetings ‘Assalamo Alaikom,’” he concluded.
Muslims in Cebu started gathering in their mosques last Sunday, May 5, but they officially started the celebration with a fast at predawn on Monday, May 6, after the committees tasked with moon-sighting for the start of the annual fasting failed to spot the new moon.
They will start their prayers on Monday night. (PNA)
