Muslim leader in Preysal prays for world peace, happiness

The head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) in Preysal prayed for world peace and urged Muslims to "sing the praises to Allah" for safeguarding them during the pandemic.

Maulana Ibrahim Bin Yaqub mentioned the war in Ukraine and called for an end to the bloodshed and catastrophe. The religious leader called for Allah to provide "a complete cure against this catastrophe which has enveloped the world."

He further called for healing the world of every ailment and bringing peace and contentment to the hearts of the world's peoples.

"Change the hearts and minds of the friends of darkness and Satan. Make them realise that the only slogan that can change our restless world to peace, love, and harmony is 'Love for all, hatred for none,'" Yaqub said.

"The act of terror, extremism and barbarism can never solve the world's problems. Those who claim to love God Almighty, and yet continue to spread the message of hate and divisiveness, are certainly far away from Him."

He spoke at AMC's headquarters on Monday during its Eid-ul-Fitr celebration.

Yaqub, a Ghanian, said the covid19 pandemic decimated the world and devastated the lives of millions. He added that "for two solid years," people were confined to their homes.

Yaqub recalled that during the peak of the pandemic, people became very venerable, weak and frightened.

He said many witnessed many horrific incidents and saw their loved ones die from the virus.

"But Allah, who is gracious and merciful, safeguarded us. In this regard, we must show our overwhelming gratitude to Allah for having protected us and removed all obstacles from our pathways of progress," Yaqub told the packed congregation.

"Let us together sing the praises of Allah. Let us congregate in the Houses of Allah as we used to do before the pandemic. Our Allah is awaiting us in the mosques. He will surely receive us with open arms, for he is the remover of every calamity and tribulation."

He told worshippers that true Eid is when they recognise the less fortunate and share the blessings and bounties bestowed upon them by Allah.

Yaqub said, "Let us, therefore, recognise the destitute, the poor, the needy, and the downtrodden amongst us in this critical period of our lives."

Referring to Islamic texts, the leader said the main objective and purpose for fasting in the blessed month of Ramadan is to achieve Taqwa, which is "loosely translated as" fear of God.

He added that, in reality, Taqwa means the acquisition of righteousness.

Yaqub said, "In another explanation, Taqwa means becoming a friend of Allah. It, therefore, goes to show that when we observe the fast with all the laid down rules and regulations, we inculcate within ourselves true levels of righteousness and automatically become friends of Allah."