Muslims mark Idd-ul-Adha with calls to make it an official public holiday
What you need to know:
- Supkem national chairman Abulghafur El-Busaidy called on the government to make Idd-ul-Adha and Idd-ul-Fitri official public holidays.
- Sheikh Jamaldun Osman Hajj urged Muslims to contribute towards making Kenya a peaceful nation.
- Chief Kadhi Sheikh Muhdhar Ahmed Hussein thanked the government for declaring the day a public holiday.
- He said that for the first time, working Muslims had ample time to pray and share meals and gifts with their families, relatives and neighbours.
Muslims from Kenya Monday joined other faithful across the globe to mark Idd-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) with leaders appealing to the government to declare the event an official public holiday.
At the end of the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca), Muslims throughout the world celebrate the holiday of Idd-ul-Adha.
Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem) national chairman Abulghafur El-Busaidy called on the government to make Idd-ul-Adha and Idd-ul-Fitri official public holidays.
“This is a very special event from Allah,” Prof El-Busaidy said at the Ronald Ngala Primary School grounds in Mombasa.
“We are more delighted because of the unity of Muslims in marking this Idd and the previous one after the end of the Holy Month of Ramadhan,” he said.
“We thank our government for granting us a public holiday and we urge [that] this should not be ad hoc but [it should be incorporated into] the statutes of the country,” he added.
MAKE KENYA PEACEFUL
Sheikh Jamaldun Osman Hajj led thousands of men and woman in special prayers and urged Muslims to contribute towards making Kenya a peaceful nation.
“Prophet Ibrahim first prayed to Allah to [bring] peace [to] the Holy City before even praying [for his] daily meal.
In this country, Muslims have a responsibility to pray for peace because we would be severely affected by rampant insecurity [as] we will not be coming together for prayers and work to earn a living,” added Sheikh Hajj.
He also called for Muslims to safeguard rights of their neighbours irrespective of their faith.
Similar Idd-ul-Adha prayers and sermons were delivered in various mosques and open grounds in several parts of Coast counties including Lamu, Tana River, Taita Taveta, Kilifi and Kwale.
Chief Kadhi Sheikh Muhdhar Ahmed Hussein thanked the government for declaring the day a public holiday, saying that for the first time, working Muslims had ample time to pray and share meals and gifts with their families, relatives and neighbours.
