Ramadan 2015: The Buzz is back!

INTRODUCTION

It is that time of the year again, when Muslims the world over, observe a critical aspect of their religious obligations; a process hinged on abstinence and cultivating the love of and courting the trust of Allah [their Lord and Creator].

Of the many rallying points that Islam exudes in line with its brotherhood mantra, the RAMADAN season is a time when adherents of the faith the world over act in unison and within stipulated boundaries as ordained by Allah.

And indeed, beyond just the Muslims, non Muslims alike are not left out of the ‘buzz’ which grips the entire communities where a number of Muslims are situated.

The overriding influence that Ramadan as a period unleashes is so panoramic that several social dynamics are positively affected in the general scheme of events.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Ramadan is a time when Muslims more than anything are supposed to withhold themselves [abstain] from all things that invalidate a person's fast and impugns the sanctity of Ramadan; the abstention timeframe being between dawn and dusk.

In so doing, the Muslim is tasked to train his person against disobedience of his Creator.

Fasting persons are supposed to be tolerable of others in every sense: never to insult or abuse and to respond to whoever blights them; ‘I'm fasting, I'm fasting.’

Whiles it does not add anything to the fasting persons’ endeavor as ingrained in the concept of Ramadan; political parties (who are social organizations) and their leaders are quick to issue statements wishing Muslims well during the period.

This brings two core issues to the fore; that Muslims are duly recognized as key players within the political structure of the country. Beyond that it engenders the much talked about interfaith harmony, the bedrock on which Ghana has had a strong inter religious coexistence over the years.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

In all parts of the world, economics of any situation and season is seen as the heartbeat of survival and the Ramadan economy comes alive long before the period comes, businesses make more sales and the local and international economies feel the economic buzz.

Indeed, market watchers have said when daily fast closes; there is a marked upward adjustment in sales especially of consumables. Ostensibly because it is a time that Muslims love more than ever to share.

MEDICAL IMPACT

The medical good that Ramadan comes with, Muslims believe rests within the infinite knowledge of Allah, for which reason he ordained us to fast.

Having said that, medical research into the benefits of Ramadan is very well documented. During Ramadan, a person basically misses lunch and takes an early breakfast and does not eat again until dusk.

According to medics, abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration.

Dr. Shahir Athad of Echo of Islam blogspot stated amongst others that: “the body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure.

In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension.

In 1994 the first International Congress on "Health and Ramadan", held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patients' health or their baseline medical condition.

On the other hand, patients who are suffering from severe diseases, whether type 1 diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc. are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast,” he concluded.

WHAT IS RAMADAN?

Ramadan is a period during which Muslims are supposed to abstain from food, drink, sex and other acts, between dawn (after taking a pre-dawn meal/Sahuur) till sunset, when they break their fasts, (with the Iftaar meal).

The Ramadan enthusiasm and fervour is that single act that galvanizes the global Muslims audience, within a particular period of time as above stated to seek the face of their Master, Lord and Creator.

The true essence being that practitioners of that act of worship can gain piety from their Lord and more importantly use that period and opportunity as a spring board to garner a quantum leap of good, blessing, mercy and grace from the Almighty.

The buzz of the period is almost palpable, with Muslims and non Muslims alike sharing in the joy that comes with the period.

There is always too much on the banquet table during the fast breaking feast as the young and old sit around mats in mosques to partake in the Iftaar, fruits as the Islamically prudish dates fruit – known in local parlance as "dabino" – are present as are fruits as banana, sliced water melons, pawpaw, mangoes etc. apples make a rare entry sometimes.

Local delicacies particularly kooko (millet porridge) and koose (accompanying grounded beans ‘pizza’-like food) are gratuitously sent to mosques, at some mosques foods as rice are prepared and served to the famished fasting person.

As for quenching the trademark thirst that dries the throat and leaves Muslims longing to break their fasts, aside water, locally brewed drinks; "sooboloobo, laamujee" and mashed kenkey (referred to as ice kenkey) are among the thirst quenching squad. 

Then does the city burst out with life, the ambience is hale and hearty, excitement in the air grips Muslims and non-Muslims alike who partake in food available for the fast breaking feast.

The reason for which Ramadan stands tall above all other months stems from a divine admonition by the Sovereign Lord _Allah Almighty, who in HIS infinite knowledge stated without equivocation in Quran Chapter 2 verse 183 (verse whose meaning could be as follows.)

“O you believers! We (Allah) have made fasting compulsory upon you, as it was made compulsory on your forebears, that ye may attain piety.”

May the Almighty accept, reward and bless our efforts at pleasing HIM, may He grant us the Jannah (Paradise) for which we strive to earn his pleasure and to grant us good in this world and in the hereafter. Allah Guide us All.

Shaban Abdur Rahman Alfa

1st Ramadan 1436 = 18th June, 2015

newcguide@gmail.com

2015 Ramadan Starts Tomorrow If ...

Muslims the world over would begin the observance of the holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday (June 17, 2015) but that would be subject to the sighting of the Ramadan moon (i.e. Hilal) tonight.

Today (June 16) per the Islamic (Hijri) calendar is the 29^th day of Sha'ban (the month that precedes Ramadan). According to Islamic tradition, Muslims are supposed to look out for the new moon on the night of the 29^th. If it is sighted, the next day marks the first of Ramadan.

In case the moon is not seen on 29^th, Muslims are to complete the month of Sha'ban with the 30^th day (i.e. tomorrow June 17) in which case Ramadan automatically kicks in the next day; Thursday June 18, 2015

The 29 or 30 days calculation of Islamic dates is as a result of the calendar being lunar, as compared to the Gregorian which is solar and with fixed days. The start and completion of an Islamic month is dependent on the sighting of a new moon.

In the past, the Office of the National Chief Imam (ONCI) constituted a body of scholars (the Hilal Committee) to give directions on when Muslims in Ghana should commence their fast; their communiqué in some part, helped to project when Ramadan ends because of the statutory holiday that follows the period (Eidul Fitr)

Unfortunately for this year, nothing has been heard of the Committee being instituted or any such communication from the Chief Imam's office. What most Muslims can bet on, is to monitor the news and expect a communication from the Chief Imam as has usually been the case over the past years.

What is Ramadan?

It is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar, during which period Muslims are expected to abstain from food, drink, marital relations and any act that could vitiate the validity of their fast.

Fasting is also the fourth pillar of the religion, coming behind the testimony of faith, the establishment of prayer and the giving of poor due. The fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Makkah which is observed in the eleventh and twelfth months of the hijri calendar.

The typical Ramadan day starts with Muslims waking up early to take their pre dawn meal (suhoor), they go the whole day observing all rules of the period and increasing in acts of worship and prayer till sunset when they break their fasts with the iftaar.

At the end of 29 or 30 days of fasting, the period is crowned with the 'Eid ul Fitr' or Fast Breaking Feast, during which times prayers are said and a lot of merry is made to commemorate the completion of the fast.

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

29th Sha'ban 1436 = 16th June, 2015

Tuesday 

Fire On The Floods: A Week after Accra Floods

Introduction

It was an ordinary weekday evening till it began to rain late into the night. Given the magnitude of the downpour, it was not long before reports started coming in about flooding in parts of the capital.

The intensity of the rain and the havoc it was wreaking in parts of the capital led to distress calls from all over the capital, hardest hit areas included La, Teshie Nungua area, Nima, Mamobi, Alajo etc. Basically every part of the capital had a fair share of damage and loss.

Motorists could barely navigate through town because major roads were flooded and access routes to and from town were cut off completely. Everywhere was chocked. There was water, water and water all over the place.

Distress Calls, GOIL station explosion

Distress calls began ‘flooding’ most newsrooms of radio stations who were covering the floods LIVE on air, their main reporters being the very citizens either locked up in the floods or held hostage in their homes deep into the night.

Officialdom (especially NADMO and city authorities) spoke on radio with assurances that everything humanly possible was being done to ensure safety and security of persons and property.

Then came the big one, fire in the flood. A GOIL fuel station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra was up in flames after an explosion. The Fire Service managed to fight the fire which had ravaged households, the entire filling station and adjoining structures.

The other worrying bit of the explosion was that it claimed the lives of persons who had huddled together in and around the station, waiting for the rains to subside so that they could find their way home. The extent of the damage was left for morning.

President Visits Blast Site

Early Thursday morning, President John Dramani Mahama; visited the scene of the fire to assess the extent of the damage. He was distraught especially at the loss of lives and charged that drastic measures be taken to forestall a recurrence of a disaster of that magnitude.

In his words; “Often when these measures are drastic, you have a lot of sympathy and pressure not to take those measures but I think that the time has come for us to remove houses out of water ways and the public should understand that it is necessary to save everybody else,” he further described the incident as “catastrophic and unprecedented.”

More Rains: Meteo Dept. Warns

It was not before long that the Meteorological Service Agency also stepped into the fray as expected. Their message was that we had to expect more rains in the coming days. A warning to the relevant authorities to take precaution.

Health Minister Alex Segbefia Appeal

The sector Minister, Alex Segbefia also visited some health facilities to ascertain the extent of the human loss that had been recorded. It was at the 37 Military Hospital that he addressed a press briefing where he reemphasized government’s commitment to bring the situation under control.

He further charged the general public to voluntarily donate blood to the hospitals in order to help save the lives of victims who suffered in the fuel station disaster. He also warned of a possible outbreak of Cholera and advised the public to take necessary precaution.

Crunching the casualty figures

The casualty figures from the explosion and flood were pegged at 96 at first count. A much clearer figure came up after aggregating figures received mostly by the major hospitals, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), the 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital.

The first official figures by the minister totalled 65 persons in all; 18 women and 47 men. The Police hospital according to reports also had some 60 casualties from the fire. It means then that there were about a 125 people lost to the fuel station explosion. That number has since risen to 152 people.

Mixed Bag

Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) visited the scene of the incident. In his media interaction he expressed condolences to families and relations who might have lost loved ones to the unfortunate situation and labelled the called the event “a dark day in the history of Accra.”

Former President Jerry Rawlings also added his voice to commiserations to families that lost relations. In his view, the unchecked indiscipline of people building in waterways was to be blamed for the unfortunate flooding of the capital and other parts of the country. He further called for a probe into the issue.

The Christian Council through its General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong backed the voluntary blood donation appeal earlier made by the Health Minister for people to go and donate blood to the blood banks in these hard times.

He further tasked churches to play their role of giving emotional support and attention to members who may have suffered loss of their relations and properties to the flood and explosion.

The medical and security agencies cannot also be left out in all of this, from NADMO to the Metropolitan Authorities, the Military, the Police, the Fire Service and other allied institutions have played a crucial role in alleviating the suffering of citizens.

The media, radio and television outlets have become more or less the emergency call centers and most of them have been of very great help to stranded people across the country. An emergency call center has been set up and a national crisis and emergency meeting was convened by the President, details of which should be available soon.

The commiseration of Togolese president and the Ivorian foreign Minister who came in person to join the President visit some of the victims is as neighbourly as it is exemplary even though none wishes another such misfortune as Ghana witnessed.

The wider consolatory messages from home and abroad coupled with corporate initiatives to assuage the pain and distress of victims and families of the twin disasters is also heart warming as much as it is relieving.

National Crisis Meeting: President Addresses the Nation

The President later in the day addressed the nation after a National Crisis Meeting with his Service Commanders. The highlights of the address amongst others were as follows:

a. Government allocated a GHc 50m to cater for relief and humanitarian operations

b. Three days of national mourning (8^th – 10^th June)

c. An institutional cooperation to coordinate relief and rescue efforts

e. Establishment of a national call center with number 112

f. Flags were to fly at half mast.

Conclusions

A lot has gone on since that tragic day when fire and flood combined to expose our institutions and other authorities whose actions could have lessened the impact of a natural and expected situation as flooding and the unfortunate explosion that claimed precious many lives.

Reasons have been bandied around, experts have spoken at length about what to and what not to do to avoid a repeat. The rains will most likely continue and would be back next year. We just cannot afford to be vultures come next year. One life lost is enough let alone 152. It could be any of us next time.

God bless our homeland Ghana.