The Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar, has urged Muslims to use the Eid-el-Kabir celebration to pray fervently for peace, unity and socioeconomic development in Nigeria.

Mr Abubakar, chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, made the call in his Sallah message at the Eid praying ground in Bida on Wednesday.

The royal father expressed optimism that Nigeria would benefit immensely from the spiritual lessons of Eid-el-Kabir if citizens embraced the virtues of fear of Allah, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and love.

According to him, such values will enable Nigerians to work together in harnessing the nation’s abundant resources for national progress.

He urged Muslims to emulate the virtues of sacrifice, obedience and total submission to the will of Allah as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim and his son, Ismail.

“Today’s celebration is a commemoration of total submissiveness and obedience to the will of Allah, as exemplified by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail.

“It is also a lesson on the virtue of keeping our promises to Allah and to our fellow man,” he said.

The royal father noted that Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah’s command remained a strong virtue worthy of emulation.

“It was in appreciation of that gesture that Allah converted what would have been a human sacrifice to that of a sheep,” he added.

Mr Abubakar advised Muslims to shun societal vices and continue to do good for the betterment of society.

He also urged the Muslim Ummah to reflect on the significance of the celebration, which, according to him, promotes piety, sacrifice and love.

The Etsu Nupe further called on Nigerians to live peacefully with one another, irrespective of religious, political, cultural or ethnic differences.

“We should continue to be our brothers’ keepers in order to collectively foster peace, unity and socioeconomic development of the country.

“Our rich diversities should serve as formidable unifying factors and not divisive ones.

“The Almighty Allah has not made a mistake by creating us together in Nigeria,” he said.

Mr Abubakar appealed to wealthy individuals to support the less privileged to enable them to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir comfortably amid the current economic challenges.

“The present socio-economic predicament that we are facing requires such assistance from well-to-do individuals in the country,” he said.

He added that wealth should be used not only for personal and family benefit, but also for the welfare of society.

The traditional ruler also urged Muslims to continue praying for President Bola Tinubu and other leaders to overcome the nation’s economic challenges.

He further advised parents in his domain to give their children both Western and Islamic education.

Mr Abubakar also prayed for the safe return of Nigerian pilgrims currently in Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj. 

(NAN)