Message from the Africa Federation Chairman,
Alhaj Shabir Najafi, welcoming the Holy Month of Ramadhan
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
…… And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month, the month of Ramadhan, the month of fasting, the month of submission, the month of purity, the month of putting to test, the month of standing in prayer, in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance to the people, and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator ….
(Extract from the Dua to welcome the Holy Month)
‘O’ People! the Month of Allah (Ramadhan) has approached you with His mercies and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all the months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are best among the days; its nights are best among the nights, its hours are best among the hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honours from Allah, the Merciful.
[Sermon delivered by the Holy Prophet of Allah].
We are approaching the most awaited and spiritual month – The Holy Month of Ramadhan. This is a Month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is forgiveness and whose end is Freedom from fire.
Fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan has a deep spiritual dimension of compassion and self-sacrifice. Fasting also plays an important role in making us more conscious of the plight and hunger of the under privileged, poor and displaced persons.
Our obligations for the month of Ramadhan include helping the needy even more so that they too can perform fasting and other devotional deeds with lesser pain in this month. Just as we are guest of the Almighty in this Holy Month, let us also invite the poor and needy into our fold and share with them the blessings that our Lord has bestowed upon us. While we fast and abstain from eating, and drinking in obedience to our Lord, let us remember the poor who suffer throughout the year because they have no or less means to survive.
Similarly, I would like to remind all on the obligation to pay Zakaat-e-Fitrah at the end of the holy month of Ramadhan and for it to reach to the deserving people.
Let us all take the opportunity and blessings of this month and give more in Charity (Zakaat, Sadaqah and Welfare Assistance) for the needy and deserving members of our Community as this significantly has greater and multiple rewards from Allah (SWT) than in ordinary days as quoted by our Holy Prophet (SAWW) – Ramadhan is an honorable and blessed month, and the rewards for generosity are multiplied in it.
I request members of our community in Africa to remit their Hukuk to the member Jamaats of the Africa Federation in your respective cities or to the AFED Secretariat for centralized management and disbursements in areas where such funds are spent properly and responsibly. Your support will be very much appreciated.
Let us also take the opportunity of this Holy Month to build stronger ties and develop closer inter-faith relationships with other communities in our regions, and build bridges of unity through the get-together religious and social functions, like communal Iftaar with our Muslim brothers and other communities of different faiths and cultures. Africa Federation Secretariat will be pleased to support and assist member Jamaats in such activities which brings about closer relationships with our fellow Muslim brothers and other faiths.
May this Ramadhan bring to us peace, harmony and prosperity, brighten our minds that we may reflect deeply for seeking God-Consciousness and make this world a better place for everyone to live together in peace and social harmony – Ameen.
Finally I urge all members to donate generously to their local Jamaat’s funds especially during the holy month when Jamaat organize various religious and social programmes for the benefit of its membership
Let us remember all our Ulemas, past leaders, volunteers and all marhumeens with Sura-e-Fateha for the maghferat of the departed souls, without forgetting Muslims in conflict ridden hotspots in the World and pray to the Almighty to grant them peace and succor
With Salaams and Duas,
Shabir Najafi
Chairman