JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Friday urged Muslims to imbibe the qualities of mercy, tolerance and generosity during the holy month of Ramadan and to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
In a joint Ramadan message with Crown Prince Sultan, which was delivered on Saudi Television by Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja, King Abdullah urged the faithful to make use of Ramadan days and nights to thank God for His blessings.
“We should also work to kindle the spirit of brotherhood and enhance the feelings of sympathy, mercy and giving, seeking the reward of God,” the king and crown prince said in their message.
King Abdullah highlighted the importance of Ramadan, citing verses from the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet. “We are honored by the advent of this holy month, the month of Qur’an,” the king said and urged Muslims to live up to its message.
Muslims throughout Saudi Arabia will start observing Ramadan on Saturday by abstaining from food, drink and sexual pleasure from dawn to dusk. They will also take part in the nighttime taraweeh prayers, recite the Qur’an and engage in meditation.
Millions of Muslim faithful from the Kingdom and other parts of the world are expected to perform Umrah during Ramadan. Saudi authorities have taken precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak of swine flu in Makkah as a result of the arrival of pilgrims from around the world.
King Abdullah and Prince Sultan also sent cables of Ramadan greetings to Muslim heads of state including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Malaysian King Tuanku Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.
The Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) on Friday congratulated Muslims the world over on the occasion of Ramadan and urged them to unite under the banner of Islam.
“Ramadan is a good opportunity for Muslims not only to remember the great victories they had in Badr and other occasions but also to correct their mistakes and deviations in order to open a new era of peace and prosperity for the Islamic world,” said Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of MWL. Al-Turki also urged Muslims to exert greater efforts to propagate the noble teachings of Islam as the humanity is in need of its principles of peace, justice and cooperation. “We should also introduce the Prophet Muhammad, the prophet of mercy, to the whole world,” he said.
