Use Eid to seek goodwill for Ghana - Rawlingses tell Muslims

Former president Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu have urged Muslims to seek goodwill for the country, as they celebrate Eid ul Adha today.

The former first couple in a goodwill message to the Muslim community to commemorate the day, called on Mohammedans to " use this period of sacrifice and prayer to seek goodwill for our country Ghana and its people".

"On the occasion of the Eid ul Adha, which falls today, Nana and I extend warm congratulations to the Muslim community.

We urge you to use this period of sacrifice and prayer to seek goodwill for our country Ghana and its people.

Let us also use this period to sow seeds of brotherliness and unity amongst peoples of all walks of life," a statement said.

Eid ul-Adha or festival of the sacrifice in English, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honour the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his young first-born son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of submission to Allah's command and his son's acceptance to being sacrificed, before Allah intervened to provide Abraham with a Lamb to sacrifice instead.

In the lunar Islamic calendar, Eid ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days.[3] In the international Gregorian calendar, the dates vary from year to year, drifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.

Eid ul-Adha is the latter of the two Eid holidays, the former being Eid ul-Fitr.