Selflessness, faith and sacrifice which are the three spiritual lessons associated with the Eid-Kabir provides a perfect time for all Nigerians, especially citizens of the Northeast to deeply reflect on the sacrifices made by soldiers, other armed forces as well as volunteers who gave up their lives in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram insurgents, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima has said.
The Governor stated this in a sallah message sent to journalists by his spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau.
Shettima said while the Eid Kabir was meant for Muslims to emulate Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) who offered to sacrifice his only son, Ismail (Isaac) in obedience to the command of Allah out of absolute faith and selflessness, the sallah should also be used by Nigerians to take exceptional note of how many soldiers, police men, staff of the DSS, personnel of the Customs and Immigration manning borders as well as civilian volunteers, particularly the civilian JTF in Borno and hunters across the Northeast offered their lives in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in order to secure the lives of other Nigerians.
The Governor said all those who offered their lives not only acted selflessly but also demonstrated so much faith in the Nigerian project because they fought and died for their country against the perpetrators of evil.
Shettima called on Muslims in Borno State and across the country to use the sallah period to acknowledge the sacrifices made by these patriotic Nigerians and pray for the repose of their souls.
He also called on citizens who live around families of any killed soldier, other security men, youth volunteers and hunters, to make special time to visit survivors of these heroes, condole with them and extend kind gestures to them in a very respectful manner which their dead ones highly deserve.
“If we examine the Eid-Il-Fitr, we will notice three key lessons: faith, sacrifice and selflessness, all of which were exhibited by our noble Prophet Ibrahim (Alaihi Salam) whose level of faith was well acknowledged by the Holy Quran and the Bible as well. In obedience to Allah’s command, Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) was ready to slaughter the only son he got at very old age which showed uncommon faith. The son, Prophet Ismail (Alaihi Salam) was also willing to be slaughtered in obedience to his father and that showed sacrifice.
”For Allah’s intervention by ordering Prophet Ibrahim to slaughter a ram instead, Muslims now emulate that by sacrificing ram in the Eid-Il-Kabir and in doing that, Muslims part with their funds to buy rams and make sacrifices to demonstrate faith and a portion meat from sacrifices are meant to be shared to the needy by way of selflessness. For me, the whole lessons in this Sallah are perfect for us to remember the manner in which our soldiers in the military, police men and women, men of the DSS, Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence, Civilian JTF and hunters gave their own lives mainly to keep Nigerians safe and to secure Nigerian territories from permanent occupation by insurgents. In the remarkable story of these highly patriotic Nigerians, there are lessons of faith, sacrifice and selflessness which are very identical with those conveyed by the Eid-IL-Kabir.
”We have an obligation of reaching out to the families of these heroes to give them shoulders to cry on, acknowledge the extraordinary courage of their loved ones and celebrate the Sallah with them by extending hands of goodwill in the most respectable manner that their loved ones very well deserve after giving up their own lives so that we can live,” Governor Shettima was quoted to have said.”
Comments