An Abuja-based Islamic Cleric, Yunus Suleiman, on Wednesday urged the Federal Ministry of Education to include Islamic Calendar in schools’ curriculum, to enhance the knowledge of the Islamic months.
Mr. Suleiman, who is also the Deputy Ameer (leader), Abuja Chapter of El-BIRRU Muslim Association of Nigeria (EMAN) , made the call at an extraordinary prayer session and Hijra Calendar presentation in Abuja.
He advised Muslims to take cognisance of some important days and months in the Hijra calendar, saying “we use it to do our worship and we use the solar-based calendar to do our Monday life.
“So, there is wisdom in the two because the two are mentioned in the holy Qur’an.”
The cleric describe hijrah as a very significant period in the history of Islam because it marked a milestone in the life of the Prophet Mohammad.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Ministry of Education to include Islamic Calendar in schools’ curriculum for citizens (both Muslims and non-Muslims) to know about it.
“Because we are all interacting in Nigeria; whether or not you are Muslims, our interactions affect one another and it is good to let non-Muslims know about its sensitivity.
“The reason why government had to come in is that we have seen cases where the West African Examination Council (WAEC) is fixed during Ramadan fast or promotion interview were conducted in the civil service during the period of Hajj.
“The implication of that is that you are trying to prevent some Muslims from performing things that are obligatory on them or for them doing it with hardship,” Mr. Suleiman said.
The cleric explained that when non-Muslims are well informed about the Islamic calendar, it would help them to plan and take cognisance whenever they want to take decision on issues that affect Muslims.
“That is why the awareness has to be created by the government and we hope that with the help of the media and other stakeholders, our request will be granted, “ he said.
The deputy leader said that the aim of the extraordinary prayer session was to seek for spiritual solutions to numerous problems confronting the nation such as unemployment and lack of good marital partners.
“We organise special prayer sessions from time to time because as you can see, many people have problems that can only be addressed through spiritual means.
“ We also pray for our nation in general; we pray for good governance, prosperity, among others because these are the things that keep the human spirit alive.”
In a remark, Hadiza Mamman, member, El-BIRRU Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (EMAN) pledged the determination of the association to reduce poverty among Muslim women through skills acquisition training programmes.
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