The Kano State Government declared Friday as public holiday to mark the new Islamic year. BASHIR MOHAMMED reports how people of the state and government celebrated the new year
In every part of the globe in Islamic community, it is common knowledge that a new Islamic year is being celebrated by Muslims , heralding a new dawn which off ers them the opportunity to chart a new course on how to bring themselves closer to the Almighty God who made it possible for everyone to survive and witness many historical epochs. Th e new Islamic year as it is widely known, also off ers one the opportunity to take stock of the amount of loyalty one conceded to God and how the divine injunctions were observed, in addition to taking stock and made a sober refl ection on the sins one committed in order to atone for such misdeeds.
In times of destructive and serious calamities noted to be taking a heavy toll on human survival and existence generally, the dawn of new Islamic year had been a unique opportunity for fervent prayers and off ering entreaties with the aim of demonstrating absolute supplication to God , for his prompt intervention to prevail, in order to save humanity from the ropes of apocalyptic tragedies. As the world is currently bedeviled by the horrors of endless bloodcuddling and war of attrition seeking to consume the entire lives of the human race on reasons of politics, imperialism, neo-colonialism, neo-fascism neo-Nazim, threat of nuclear Armageddon and all forms of ruinous ideological wars, as it is happening in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, Libya ,Afghanistan and many parts of the globe, the dawn of the Islamic year can be exploited to seek divine redress in seeing to their conclusive termination.
In Nigeria like in any other country, celebrating the new Islamic year is an annual event usually observed with pomp and pageantry most especially in states where its population is predominantly Muslims, considering the inescapable fact that a lot need to be done in seeking divine intervention using the occasion as an appropriate launch-pad. Kano being a revered citadel of superb Islamic scholarship , the new Islamic year was observed with the state government declaring Friday, 22, September, 2017 which was equip lent to the 1st, Al-muharram, 1439 AH as a work- free- day, to enable Muslims to celebrate the new year in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
Th e declaration of the workfree- day by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, was contained in a press statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information, Youth and Culture, Comrade Muhammad Garba, who said the new Islamic year indicating the beginning of the lunar Islamic Calendar, had coincided with Gov Ganduje Renowned Kano Islamic Scholar, Ustaz Dauda Features The Kano State Government declared Friday as public holiday to mark the new Islamic year. BASHIR MOHAMMED reports how people of the state and government celebrated the new year September,22 is the fi rst day of Muharram, the fi rst month in the Islamic Calendar which marks the beginning of the new Islamic year 1439 aft er Hijra activities marking the nation’s 57th Independence Anniversary Celebrations.
Th e Commissioner stated that the Acting Governor, Prof. Hafi z Abubakar, had directed him to reassure the people of government resolve and determination to work hard towards the improvement of the living condition of the citizenry. He also called on Muslims in particular and Nigerians in general to join hands with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration in his determination to build a peaceful and harmonious country.
According to the statement, the Acting Governor, Abubakar, urged the people of Kano to use the auspicious period to pray for the unity, peace and stability of the nation. While congratulating the people for witnessing the new Islamic year, the acting governor prayed for the peace and unity of the country.
He also assured the people of the state government’s commitment to improving their quality of life. He used the occasion to call on Nigerians to join hands with the administration of Buhari to build a peaceful and harmonious country especially now that Nigeria is facing serious religious and sectional crises.
According to him, the President needs total prayer, for him to overcome myriad of problems bordering on national interest stressing that September 22 is the fi rst day of Muharram, the fi rst month in the Islamic Calendar which marks the beginning of the new Islamic year 1439 after Hijra. Quran However the governor’s decision to declare the day as public holiday was greeted with a fl ood of commendations and praises within the Islamic circles in the state, eliciting the comments of notable scholars in the fi eld, reciting verses from the glorious Quran to preach the gospel of total and unalloyed supplication and obedience to God for making it possible for every Muslim to observe the day in good health.
Islamic Scholar Speaking on the signifi cance of the day, a renowned Islamic Scholar in Kano, Ustaz Dauda Lokonmakera, said the dawn of the new Islamic year is the best avenue for one to seek the protection of God at the most critical stage of one’s live taking into cognizance the present turbulent time one is grappling with adding that in countries populated by Muslims, enemies of Islam are assiduously working round the clock to precipitate instability and anarchy. According to him, it is high time for the Muslim Ummah to take the gauntlet in facing the challenges of proving one’s unshakable allegiance to God who created him and gave him the wherewithal to survive affi rming that avoiding acts forbidden by God is what would prove everyone to be seen as a true servant of God seeking his acceptability and trust.
He however stated that it is an incontrovertible fact that the passage of every year is usually laden with calamities and tribulations mankind was forced to observe either in a way of determining one’s faith in God and the bounties and joy off ered to him in the duration of the year, stressing that with stock taking and sober refl ection the challenges of the new year would be confronted with utmost sincerity and seriousness. Shiekh Koki Speaking in the same vein, Shiekh Sulieman Salihu Koki said the new Islamic year is best opportunity for leaders in positions of authority to begin to think out of the box and see themselves as ones trusted by their people to preside over their aff airs adding that breaching the covenant would make them to incur the wrath of God in the life after death.
He said good and exemplary leadership is the attribute of a leader with the fear of God in his heart not one who often take the advantage of his position to loot and milk the treasury of his people dry pointing out that a lot of ugly scenarios had passed under the bridge which must not be allowed to rear its ugly heads. Turning to the followers to be loyal to their leaders in positions of authority, the renowned Islamic Scholar maintained that, it is a burden of proof on the shoulders of every citizen to obey the laws of the land for peace to prevail affi rming that with blatant defi ance to leaders, nothing can be achieved in the name of service delivery.
With the new Islamic year celebrated in Kano with pomp and pageantry, it is however the expectation of every citizen in the state that the administration of Governor Ganduje would ever remain steadfast and strongly committed to the ideals of purposeful and selfl ess leadership. New Year introduced in 2004 Th e New Year celebration was introduced in 2004 by the state governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, who declared the day as a work free day. Th e 1432 hijra calendar was also launched on the occasion.
Th e hijra calendar was fi rst introduced by the second caliph of Islam, Umar ibn Khattab. Th e caliph made the year of the migration from Makkah to Medina by the noble prophet of Islam and his followers as the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Since then the year has been celebrated by many Muslims. Muharram being the fi rst month of the Islamic calendar is also among the months that are considered sacred in Islam.
Paramount among voluntary acts in the month is the fasting on the 9th and 10th of the month, known as Tasu’a and Ashura fasting. War is prohibited in the month as it is prohibited in all the other sacred months. Th e fi rst ten days of the month is considered by the Shia sect as the days of mourning for the martyrdom of the grandson of the noble prophet of Islam, Hussain. He was killed by one of the Umayyad kings. Th e Islamic year started counting in 622 AD after the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah in Saudi Arabia.
