More than 500 worshippers at the Ghana Police Central Mosque at Cantonments, a suburb of Accra,are benefitting from Iftar (breaking of fast) food package at sunset, a flagship project annually observed at the mosque, as part of the Ramadan.
Worshippers who come there to pray are offered a pack of rice and chicken, a bottle of water, dates and sobo, a popular local beverage to feast on,after the dusk to dawn fast.
Two benevolent Muslims are providing the food package with the management of the mosque making available sobo(local beverage) from its own resources, the Imam of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent of Police, Imam Husein Abdur-Rahim Husein,disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times on Tuesday.
In between the Isha and Taraweeh prayers, the worshippers listen to a sermon by an eminent scholar on the teachings of Islam and Hadiths of the Holy Prophet of Islam Mohammed (PBUH), as it relates to Ramadan and their social lives.
The Ghana Police Imam admonished Muslims “to strive to attain piety” adding “Fasting brings us closer to Allah, we strive to do what is right and abstain from what is wrong.”
“It is a period of cleansing of the body, a period of transformation of our lives: how you preserve yourself and how you relate to others, we have to abide by the best practices. We should be responsible citizens, be hardworking and eschew laziness,” he added.
“Society looks up to us to be better citizens and productive to the nation; we must be seen to be people who have gone through a transformation in our lives from one point to the other during the month of Ramadan,”
“We must be seen to be better people for others to emulate, because we have cleansed our bodies and our souls, we have gone through a transformation, we must conform to the rules and regulations, so that society would benefit from the transformation,” he added.
He urged Muslims to continue to observe their prayers in true faith and to uphold the values of Islam: forgiveness, honesty to attain piety and become a reformed persons that society looks up to.
Supt Imam Husein expressed gratitude to the philanthropists he described as “Friends of the Mosque” who spent their resources for the sake of Allah, to bring Muslim worshippers at sunset to enjoy a communal meal, a revered practice of the Holy Prophet during Ramadan.
The Police Imam said the police in collaboration with the Prison Service ensured adequate security and maintain orderliness for the smooth conduct of the Iftar at the Mosque.
Although the adherence of the COVID-19 protocol had been relaxed, Imam said the management of the Mosque encouraged worshiper to still wear the nose masks, observe social distancing and sanitise their hands, explaining further that the health protocol were akin to Islamic practices, adding that Islam was about cleanliness.
Speaking ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr which marks the month of Ramadan, Supt Imam Husein urged Muslim youth to be law abiding during the celebration.
By Salifu Abdul-Rahaman
