Ramadan is nearing and Muslims, world over, are eagerly waiting to take part in the holy month. SHIFRAH KAYAGA has been talking to some of those preparing to fast and they shared with her their expectations from the community and the government, and why all moslems should embrace the period.

According to Sheikh Sultan Yahaya, the principal of Kabowa Islamic, this period is very important in the lives of Muslims as he believes that it is a time Allah provides to all believers to exercise good deeds in order to easily be awarded to go to heaven.

He says: "Once one fasts during this hol
y month expecting Allah’s forgiveness, he or she is forgiven all the wrong deeds that exist in their past.

"This is the reason why long ago people during the prophet’s regime used to prepare for this month by spending 6 months pleading to the almighty to make them reach Ramadan and after fasting, again they spent 6 months praying to Allah to accept all that they prayed for.”

He adds that people shouldn’t see fasting as punishment but rather as a away of praising the Almighty and easily praying for rewards and favours from God.

For Abu Hurairah, people should desist from committing sins so as to get rewards from Allah. He says: "One must abstain from all sorts of vices such as cheating, lying, backbiting and using obscene language and such behaviours."

Sheikh Sultan from Harm Masjid Mosque looks at the month as the only way to survive the wrath from the almighty by sharing with other people what one has, despite its quantity.

"When one shares with others, he or she is rewarded Jannah [heaven]... therefore one has to exercise sharing as a password for paradise because we are all not equal as some are rich and others are poor though we all have to praise Allah as assign of all believers.

"In this holy month, he who shares is considered to have fasted and on an equal line as all the other believers, though sharing is different as one may manage to share a small item like a sweet, banana and the other may manage to provide food and thus these people are all rewarded differently," He said.

However Sultan is unhappy with Muslims who eat and manage to throw some when there are hungry people who don't manage to get what to break their fasting with other than just water.

His only demand from the government is that it should keep peace by bringing oneness within Muslims. He says: "Oneness is provided by putting one mufti and working together minus any wrangles, peace will be created because we are all one before the almighty.”

According to Abubaker Kyagulani,  a resident of Mpererwe along Gayaza road, fasting is a period for people to distance themselves from worldly pleasures for the sake of Allah.

He says: "Government should provide foods like sugar, rice, cooking oil and the rest during this period so that fasting becomes easier for even the poor. These these should be provided on the two Muslim centers like Kibuli and Old Kampala mosques.”

Ismael Shamiyah  from Mengo, like the others, is eagerly waiting for this month to as she thinks it's only  when people can ask Allah for forgiveness and also have their player answeared directly.

She adds: "Government should do nothing other than keeping peace in the country during this
holly month. Let political wrangles be paused for a while and this Ramadan gets respected.”

Hassan Kasujja  in Kikoni opposite Daglas Villa has similar views like those of Shamiyah, but only adds that sexual acts are equally prohibited during this period. He says that government should put a sustainable economy which can be enhanced mainly through practical Islamic banking, Islamic saccos and development assignments.

As for Mahad Tayeeba who come from Kayunga district, fasting should be a period where people should show love to the almighty by reciting the Quran with their frieds,trying to seek for forgiveness, praying for the country.

Tayeebwa adds that Muslim bodies like Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) should be active in matters concerning the health of Moslems. He adds they should lobby the government to allow importation of  tax-free goods, like fruits to enable them go through the month.