President, PM congratulate Muslim community on advent of holy month

The President said obedience to commandments of Allah Almighty are objectives of fasting

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan have congratulated the nation and the Muslim community on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan.

In their messages on the occasion, they said Allah Almighty has provided us with an opportunity to fully benefit from His blessings in this holy month.

The President said purification and obedience to commandments of Allah Almighty are objectives of fasting.

President Dr Arif Alvi also urged the faithful to strictly follow all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the month of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak, which have been agreed upon after thorough consultations with Ulema and Mashaikhs.

The president, in his message on 1st of Ramazan ul Mubarak 1442 AH, felicitated the nation and the Muslim Ummah on the arrival of holy month, which, he said, enabled them to fully reap the religious and moral benefits associated with it.

Fasting led to piety, which also meant that life should be led carefully, especially when the whole world was worried over the third wave of coronavirus pandemic, he added. All the affected countries, he said, had been trying to overcome the outbreak with imposition of emergency measures because it was a deadly one.

President Alvi said everyone had to be careful and adopt certain measures, safeguarding the near and dear ones from the pandemic. He observed that the people had to shun unnecessary social gatherings, and adopt washing and hygiene methods. According to health experts, wearing of masks and vaccination were also necessary.

The president underlined the need to fully implement the SOPs as agreed upon after consultations with the Mushaikhs and Ulema regarding Namaz-e-Taraweeh, Aitkaf, and prayers, and other precautionary steps like making of ablution at homes and bringing of rugs. It was a national and religious duty to implement the precautionary measures, he further stressed. The president also urged the faithful to give Zakat and Fitrana with religious zeal and fervor during the holy month.

The prime minister said it is our individual and collective responsibility to ensure following the SOPs during Ramadan. He said we have to combat this critical situation with unity.

PM Imran Khan urged the countrymen to point out and discourage the people involved in profiteering and hoarding during the Holy Month of Ramazan, to show compassion for the needy.

The prime minister, in his message to the nation on the onset of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak, said in the holy month, the people had to take special care of the needy, and inculcate the spirit of sacrifice and sympathy for them.

Greeting the nation, he said everyone should be thankful to Allah Almighty for blessing them with the holy month once again in life, to benefit from His bounties.

He said the objective of fasting was to create the spirit of piety, sacrifice and compassion as the people kept themselves from the things otherwise permissible to consume before or after the holy month.

“Moreover, the practice of bearing appetite and thirst during the fast also creates sentiments of sympathy for the others,” he added.

The prime minister said as the world was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pakistani nation had effectively contained the spread of virus by adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) during Ramazan-ul-Mubarak last year.

This year too, he said, it was everyone’s individual and collective responsibility to abide by the anti-COVID SOPs, formulated after consultation with religious scholars, for Tarawih prayer and I’tikaf. “We have to face this critical situation collectively,” he remarked.

The prime minister also urged the countrymen to specially pray for the deliverance of the mankind from the testing time of pandemic as well as Pakistan’s success in that regard.