Clerics advocate love, prayers for Nigeria

NIGERIANS have been urged to develop the true spirit of love and cultivate the culture of praying for their country and the leaders.

The plea was made at a special prayer session tagged “Muslims Pray for the Nation,” organised by The Muslim Congress (TMC), Lagos State chapter.

Hundreds of Muslim faithful who graced the event in Lagos over the weekend prayed for Nigeria to overcome its current challenges.

Leading Islamic scholars in Nigeria, including Sheikh Moshood Ramadan and Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafii, said one of the cardinal principles of religion and manifestations of love is to pray for one’s country and its leaders.

“If the leaders are well guided and spiritually fortified, the nation too will be safe, peaceful and prosperous,” they said.

The clerics used the occasion to invoke Allah’s protection and guidance for the ailing President Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently in London for medical follow-up.

The congregation also prayed for Lagos State as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Speaking with journalists, the National Amir of the Congress, Dr Luqman AbdulRaheem, said it was the responsibility of every religious organisation to be patriotic and show sincere love for the country.

“As a responsible Muslim organisation, we felt that the love for our nation and president should be uppermost in our mind. That is why we decided to dedicate this month’s Adhkar (prayer session) to pray for Nigeria and the president.

“This is not the first time TMC will be organising prayer for Nigeria. We do it every day, either individually or collectively. This is what we do at our Adhkar (prayer) centres every month. We believe that we don’t have to go to Abuja or seek political patronage before we can pray for our country. We believe that the success of Nigeria as a country is the success of its citizens,” AbdulRaheem said.

During the special prayer, which lasted for four hours, the participants made recitations from selected portions of the Qur’an and the Hadith.

The Mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafii, said love and prayer for one’s nation had established references in the Qur’an and Islamic history.