Hundreds of Muslims beautified the Black Star Square in Accra with colour and splendour as they gathered last Friday for the Eid prayers, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan in a festive atmosphere.
Clad in dominant white flowing garments, worshippers filled the expansive grounds, offering the special Salat al-Eid (Eid prayers) in congregation.
This was followed by a sermon (khutbah), during which clerics reminded the faithful of the significance of Zakat al-Fitr, a call to gratitude to Allah and to uphold righteousness beyond Ramadan, before official speeches commenced.
Marked on the theme: “Our Earth, Our Future”, the congregation exchanged warm greetings of Eid Mubarak”, embracing one another in unity.
The gathering, marked by devotion and reflection, brought together families, community leaders and dignitaries, reinforcing values of peace, compassion and togetherness as central to Islam and Ghana’s tradition of harmony.
Environmental stewardship
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, addressing the gathering, urged society to care of the environment, emphasising that it was both a moral and spiritual obligation rooted in Islamic teachings.
He explained that humans were stewards of the earth, entrusted by Allah to protect and preserve His creation responsibly.
Sheikh Sharubutu warned against destructive practices such as illegal mining, commonly called galamsey, deforestation and sand winning, describing them as contrary to faith and harmful to future generations.
He called for collective action to safeguard natural resources, stressing that environmental protection was not merely a civic duty but an act of worship and accountability, essential for sustaining life and fulfilling divine responsibility.
“Considering the growing environmental crisis facing our world today, it is imperative that we take collective responsibility to protect our environment. As believers, we must recognise that environmental stewardship is not a mere civic duty or responsibility but a moral and spiritual obligation rooted in our faith,” he said.
Peace, unity, shared humanity
The National Chief Imam appealed for unity across religious and ethnic lines, stating that all humans shared a common origin in Adam and Eve.
He rejected any basis for conflict rooted in differences, explaining that diversity existed to foster mutual recognition and cooperation rather than division.
“The reason for this diversity has been made succinctly clear so that in diversity you will recognise one another and be helpers of one another; so that your diversity will not give rise to conflict on the basis of your ethnicity or pride.
If we ever want to be proud, let us be proud to the extent that we can comply with what Allah has commanded,” he said.
The Islamic cleric highlighted the country’s peaceful interfaith relations as exemplary, but lamented global conflicts that caused suffering and displacement.
He urged Muslims to pray for worldwide peace and reminded all that true superiority lay only in righteousness and obedience to God, his message reinforcing the belief that coexistence, mutual respect and shared humanity must guide both national and global relations.
Social concerns, moral renewal
The Chief Imam raised pressing social concerns, particularly the decline in discipline among the youth, rising drug abuse and reckless behaviour such as dangerous motorbike riding during celebrations.
He warned that those trends threatened the nation’s future leadership and social stability.
Calling for urgent intervention, he appealed to the government to collaborate in addressing these issues through education, enforcement and moral guidance.
Sheikh Sharubutu stressed the need for responsible upbringing and community involvement in shaping young people.
He expressed gratitude to the President for fulfilling promises and reaffirmed his commitment to support initiatives that promoted national development and social order.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh