The ceremony dubbed “Marhaba Ramadan” is aimed at creating awareness about Ramadan and why all Muslims need to fast during the holy period.

It featured students of the Ghana National Mosque, who are trained in partnership with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Jil-Al-Quran, to recite scriptures of the Holy Quran and hymns known as the Ramadan Nasheed.

They also used the opportunity to pray and show solidarity with Palestine in the ongoing conflict with Israel.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

The Personal Assistant to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Mohammed Marzuq Abubakr Azindoo, reiterated that Ramadan was a period of revitalisation of their faith in Allah and spiritual cleansing and, therefore, urged all Muslims to fast according to the tenets of the religion.

Doing that, he said, would allow them to be recognised by Ghana and the rest of the world as a blessed people.

“I am here to appeal to you to conduct yourselves in a manner that would reflect the three things mentioned in the verse,” Sheikh Azindoo said.

“One, we should prove to the whole world that we are men and women of faith.

That we are ready to fast not just because we want to fast but because we have been ordered to do so,” he said, admonishing them to: “carry out a manner of fasting that will attract the reward of piety.”

Significance

A Management Board Member of the mosque, Sardauna Alhaji Ali Kadiri English, said the festivities were necessary to bring all Muslims together to get them to know one another, engage in camaraderie and convey goodwill messages while creating awareness of Ramadan and its protocol.

“Normally, we say Ramadan is a school.

You go to school to learn something and when you learn, you put it into practice. 

So we go into Ramadan to learn, and when we are done, we put it into practice.

 That means your way of life that will sustain you and help worship Allah better,” he explained.

He added that the non-Muslim community could also emulate some of the core principles of Ramadan because they existed to make society a much better place.

This includes abstinence from violence and social vices, giving out to charity and helping the poor. 

Smiles 

A representative of Qatar Charity Ghana, Isma-il Sualah Laari, said the goal of his outfit was to collaborate with the National Mosque of Ghana and other partners, such as the Jil-Al-Quran and Hudai Foundation, to bring smiles to the faces of all Muslims as they entered into the holy month. 

“We are getting into the month of Ramadan and it is meant to bring happiness to all irrespective of your background.