By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As Muslims around the world welcome the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, they gather at mosques to honor the Holy Qur’an and pay homage to Allah and Prophet Muhammad.
In a message to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) late Tuesday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed his oneness with the Muslim community as they enter the Holy Month of Ramadan.
As one of the five pillars of Islam, Ramadan entails fasting from food, drink, sexual activity, and other immoral acts vis-à-vis observing communal prayer (ṣalāt) and introspection.
During this month-long observance, Muslims are only permitted to eat and drink before sunrise and after sunset—a form of self-restraint anchored in reconnecting with their religious roots and fellow believers of the Islamic faith.
President Marcos Jr. said in his statement, “During these blessed hours, may you find [an] opportunity to reinvigorate your solidarity and rekindle your shared concern for one another.
Continue becoming a vessel of kindness, understanding, and empowerment throughout this sacred month and beyond.”
The Chief Executive concluded his remarks by encouraging Muslims to use this opportune time as a moment of reflection to cultivate the values of discipline, humility, compassion, and to reject all forms of evil and ill-intent.
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