MY SALLAH CELEBRATION EXPERIENCE AT THE CALIPHATE CITY. Today 15th of October, 2013 marks another seasonal celebration of Eld-il-Kabir. It happens to be the first time I witnessed this special period in this part of the country tagged “seat of caliphate”. From the slogan, we can all deduce it to be a state or kingdom held with a high religious esteem, which I could liken to the great Roman Empire. The celebration which we are witnessing here is in no way different from the way it is performed in all parts of the world. The spirit of festivity filled the entire atmosphere of the state, perhaps largely due to the declaration of a week-long holiday (speculation). Pre-sallah celebration commenced in the early hours of the week, as intense shopping and last minute rush for rams and clothing rented the air. I was privileged to take a short tour around the major roads in the city in the early hours of today around 7:30a.m. This time of the day coincided with the usual period occasioned with preparation for prayers and religious rites. I was mesmerized by the unusual calmness in the city, and an impressive security outfits stationed at strategic layouts within the state metropolis. Salesmen and women were seen displaying their colorful tents comprising mostly of clothing and accessories along the major highways. I was tempted at a point by my instinct to drop by, and get a complete Hausa traditional attire, which I could flaunt in, thus breaking the ice of appearing in a traditional outfit, as I could hardly count the number of times I had worn them all my life. Most amazing was the beautification of the arena enveloping the prominent Islamic Leader “Sultan of Sokoto – His Eminence Saad Abubakar III’s palace. Islamic clerics and elder statesmen were seen dressed in their exotic regalia, and gallantly mounted on horse-back. At a point, I wished I could be offered a ride of the same sort, but who am I to request for such offer on a day like this. Another special event I would have loved to witness is the prayer and religious rite session, because I regard these as the most potent of all the beauties of the season. But all efforts to partake in it proved abortive, as the saying goes “if wishes were horses, even beggars would love to ride”. Shortly after prayers, the congregation and worshippers in their thousands in major praying venues dispatched to their respective homes to continue with the merriment of the season. No doubt, I could not wait for my host to return and present the “koko” of the day. It’s eating time, so kindly permit me to draw the curtains of this write-up. I pray and wish you all a happy Eld-il-Kabir celebration. We shall all witness more of it in years to come in sound health. NB: To all my muslim friends and folks, my sallah freebies and packages are most welcome. Have a fun-filled day ahead. Written and compiled by; Tosin Oyeniran tosinoyeniran1@gmail +2347031257653 15th October, 2013; 1:00pm GMT
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:09:19 +0000
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