Feast of Sacrifice : Muslims Celebrate Faith, Truth, Peace

Muslims in Cameroon on Sunday June 16, 2024 commemorated the Quranic tale of Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice Ismail as an act of obedience to God. The day was marked by special prayers held at major mosques and Islamic centres throughout the country. The slaughter and eating of a sheep with friends and neighbours, the wearing of new clothes and the exchange of gifts characterised the celebration in most Muslim communities. The heavy downpour did not prevent several cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and other dignitaries from attending the special prayer at the Islamic Complex in the Tsinga neighbourhood. The Governor of the Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea, was present at the prayer grounds.
Presiding over prayer at the Tsinga Islamic Complex was Imam Oumar Abakar who preached on the theme; “Truth and Falsehood”.  He revealed that the world is a field of crusade between truth and falsehood. And this is an eternal test for any true Muslim. The Imam said that some people cling to the truth no matter the cost. Others, on the other hand, call for falsehood. Some others seek to reconcile the two concepts. The Quran, in several verses, dwells on these two concepts to enlighten believers and enable them to opt for the truth despite the numerical inferiority of the followers, and to move away from falsehood despite the numerical superiority of its followers. Imam Abakar lamented the fact that some people create debates and discussions to make the truth look vain as they delight in falsehood. This, according to him, is wrong. As such, people remain ignorant and this will lead to corrupt practices. He explained that those who stand for the truth are sure to be secured from terrible things. Hence, Muslims should be defenders of truth and peace, instead of falsehood, ...