By Stephen Asante
Accra, March 23, GNA – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extended best wishes to Muslims in Ghana and around the world, following the commencement of Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year during, which strict fasting is observed from sunrise to sunset.
“I urge all Muslims to cultivate the virtues of tolerance, devotion and discipline during Ramadan – virtues that must stand them in good stead, even after the fast,” the President wrote on his Facebook page, on Thursday.
He advised them to be devoted and committed to the principles of love, sacrifice and dedication to duty.
Muslims in Ghana commenced the Ramadan fast today, Thursday, March 23, following the sighting of the new moon at Bawku, in the Upper East Region.
Ramadan is a period of one full month that the faithful undertake a dawn to dusk fasting, which primarily entails abstinence from food, drink, marital intimacy and any such prohibitions as instructed by Allah (God).
It celebrates the date in 610 CE when, according to Islamic tradition, the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
During the month, Muslims the world over are called upon to renew their spiritual commitment through daily fasting, prayer, and acts of charity.
Although the fasting elements are perhaps the most noticeable parts of observation, Ramadan is much more than abstaining from food and drink.
It is a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-discipline and self-sacrifice.
GNA