On the occasion of the celebration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad [SAW], I send my sincere, heartfelt congratulations to the Muslim Ummah and indeed to the entirety of mankind for this blessing and source of Allah’s Mercy. The birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAAW) 1461 years ago, was a phenomenon that no doubt altered and defined the course of world history.
As we rejoice and thank Allah (SWT) for the favour and blessings of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAAW) birth and his subsequent Mission, it is imperative that we are all reminded not to lose sight of the message that he conveyed to us and to imbibe the lessons that his life, times and teachings have imparted and have continued to impact mankind, It’s an opportunity for sober reflections and deep introspection into our conducts vis-à-vis the Commandments of Allah as conveyed by Prophet Muhammad, at the core of which were submission to Allah, peaceful coexistence, good neighbourliness, universal brotherhood, humility and selflessness among others.
Prophet Muhammad’s practicalisation of the teachings of Islam as evidenced by his inclusive and equitable leadership are worthy of note and imbibing by leaders of heterogeneous societies, such as ours. The manner in which he was able to bring the Jews of Madina and the Muslims, and in fact all and sundry under the umbrella of his leadership is a good study in inclusivity, equity and mutual respect.
It behoves on us therefore, to derive lessons from these positive attributes as we continue to embrace peaceful coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect across religious, ethnic and tribal lines for the development of our country.
We should also seize the moment to pray fervently for our country as we grapple with the myriad of challenges confronting us as a people and for our leaders to be granted the wisdom, righteousness, fortitude and sense of justice and fairness to steer us towards stability and development.
Happy eid-el Maulud.
