Eid message from CIOG President

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa elaaha Illal laa, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa lil laa hil Hamd. Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest!
Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest, and there is no God but Allah (SWT). Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest, and to Him belong all Praises.
My dear brothers and sisters – I greet you with the universal greetings of Islam.
Assalamu-O-Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wabarakatuhu. May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah (SWT) be with you.
On this auspicious occasion, the end of the holy month of Ramadan, I extend on behalf of myself, family, and the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, to all Guyanese, and especially our Muslim brothers and sisters, Eid Mubarak!! Eid Mubarak!! Eid Mubarak!!
On this day of Eid-ul-Fitr, we join with Muslims worldwide to congratulate each other with greetings of Eid Mubarak. The holy month of Ramadan was a month of great sacrifice, during which we intensified our devotion to Allah (SWT) by fasting from dawn to sunset, while remaining in the remembrance of Allah (SWT) and being in a state of goodwill by giving charity to the poor, needy and the vulnerable, by feeding those suffering from hunger, and the increase of prayers to compliment the compulsory five-daily prayers. We perform these actions knowing that by the promise of Allah SWT we will obtain taqwa, or God consciousness, and at our journey’s end, obtain His paradise.
The obligation of fasting in the month of Ramadaan for the believers, men and women who are sane and healthy, is a clear message to mankind that unrestricted indulgence in fulfilling the desires of one’s base or animal self has to be curbed for some time, to give an upliftment to one’s spiritual self. The objective of fasting, as described in the Holy Quran, is “so that you may guard against evil”.
During the auspicious month of Ramadan, a fasting person abstains from food, drink and sexual relations from dawn until sunset, in obedience to the command of his Creator, Allah.
The month is a training period whereby the believer’s trait of God-consciousness is nurtured. Even though he may be in place of total privacy and seclusion on the hottest day of the year, he does not submit to the temptation of sipping even a few drops of water, for he is convinced that he cannot evade the sight of the All-Observing Almighty.
If the spirit of fasting were to become a reality in the society of Muslims who have observed the fasts of Ramadaan and advanced in his piety, then mankind would see a society in which every person becomes the guardian of the respect, honour, property and possessions of others; a society in which the needy, the poor, the destitute and the under-privileged are taken care of; a society in which honesty, chastity, nobility, kindness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness shine forth like the midday sun; a society in which no harm is caused to any human or animal without a just reason; and a society in which material progress does not bring about a moral collapse.
Man is a created being, and only divine guidance can solve his problems. The reality is clear: The heavy arm of the law on its own; just legislation; the imposition of fines and jail sentences cannot, and will not, solve problems that face mankind. The only sure deterrent to crimes of all kinds is firm conviction and belief in our Creator Allah, a life hereafter, and a day of judgement wherein complete justice will be meted out. These are long-term solutions and solutions that were proven to give the best results and create the best societies on the face of the earth.
Eid-ul- Fitr signifies the end of this fasting period, and is a day of joy and thanksgiving; but despite being a day of celebration, the day commences with an additional prayer after sunrise, reminding the believers that the objective of fasting must be fully borne in mind even after Ramadan.
While conveying to the Muslim community best wishes for a happy Eid, I make a humble appeal to every Muslim brother and sister to keep the spirit of fasting alive. Let obedience of Allah Ta’ala shine forth from this day forward. Let the rest of mankind observe the effect that fasting has in changing the outlook of a believing Muslim.
Let the world observe a community free from all sins, crime and vice; and let us be an example which is worthy of emulation and of others accepting Islam. May Allah Ta’ala grant us the guidance to resolve that we shall make the Quran and Sunnah our guiding lights, and practise Islam as much as possible.
On this Blessed day, we thank Allah (SWT) that, in our country of Guyana, we as Muslims can coexist in harmony with peoples of all faiths. We live in harmony with our brothers and sisters of the Christian and Hindu communities, and our views and representation are reflected in the Government of the day. We work closely with our Government to ensure our contributions are felt in the development of our country.
Let us lead by example, and join with all of them in our country who have similar beliefs to try our best to wipe out corruption and crime at all levels of society; violence against women; rape; sexual molestation of children; alcohol abuse, suicide and racial discrimination. We have been trained and fortified in Ramadan, now is the time to put the lessons we have learnt into practice.
It is only the people with strong faith and a high level of Taqwaa (God consciousness) who would be able to take up these challenges.
It is only these people who can turn the society back to the path of righteousness. This was the reason we had to be trained in Ramadan. The whole world is calling on us to do this work.
May Allah (SWT) help us all to work for the establishment of peace, justice, and high moral values in our country and the world at large.
May Allah (SWT) bless us all, and may He continue to guide us.
Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak!

President of CIOG,
Al Hajj Shahabudeen
Ahmad (ag)