The chief missioner of NASFAT, Abdul-Azeez Onike, has urged Nigerians, especially parents, to be alive to their parental responsibilities and teach their wards the way of Allah.

Mr Onike, in his Ramadan message in Asaba, also advised youths to focus on building skills, renew their commitment to hard work, patience and fear of Allah.

“The menace of get rich quick syndrome is taking its toll on some of our children,” noted Mr Onike. “It is driving them to engage in fruitless money rituals, internet fraud, lack of interest in serious academic pursuit and involvement in illicit drugs, amongst other social vices.”

Mr Onike urged Muslims to sustain the gains of Ramadan by continuing to demonstrate love and brotherhood amongst one another.

“It is not in doubt that immense rewards await us for fulfilling one of the fundamentals of Islam by fasting in the Month of Ramadan,” the NASFAT missioner explained. “This is the promise of Allah and accentuated by the prophet (SAW) who said, ‘Whoever fasted in the Month of Ramadan out of sincere faith (belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then, all his past sins will be forgiven. Whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then, all his previous sins will be forgiven’.”

Mr noted “while we enthusiastically await these immense rewards, we should also nurse fear for the consequences of some of our inadequacies” during Ramadan.

“Since we are human and perfection belongs to only Allah, for it is said in the scripture, but call on Him with fear and longing in your hearts: for the Mercy of Allah is always near to those who do good (Q7:56),” he said.

(NAN)