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By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
(C) Google.
Muslims in Kogi State have begun the 2026 Ramadan with hearts full of gratitude as gentle rain and a refreshing cool atmosphere ushered in the holy month.
Our correspondent reports on Friday that in Lokoja, the state capital, and sone other local government areas, the first day of fasting on February 18 was marked by moderate rainfall, a development many faithful described as a divine sign of mercy and ease.
For years, Ramadan in the state had often coincided with intense heat, making the fast more physically demanding.
This year, however, the mild weather ushered in Fasting and has brought comfort and renewed spiritual enthusiasm.
Some Muslims who spoke with our correspondent see the rainfall as a blessing from Almighty Allah, a rare and uplifting development in the observance of fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam.
An Islamic scholar, Malam Abdulmalik Hadi, expressed profound appreciation to Allah for what he described as a gracious beginning to the sacred month.
“Starting Ramadan with rain and cool weather is a mercy from Allah. We pray that this year’s fasting will usher in much goodness, peace and progress not only for Kogi State but for Nigeria and the entire Muslim Ummah,” he said.
According to the various literature on Islam,Ramadan is far more than abstaining from food and drink from dawn to sunset. It is a sacred season of spiritual elevation, self-discipline and renewed devotion. Muslims devote themselves to prayer, Qur’anic recitation, charity and acts of kindness.
Through fasting, believers strengthen their consciousness of Allah, purify their hearts and cultivate patience, humility and empathy for the less privileged.
Many Islamic clerics, in their sermons, agree that that beyond personal transformation, Ramadan nurtures unity and compassion within society.
With this firm belief in faith,families gather for suhoor before dawn and reunite at iftar to break their fast in gratitude.
Mosques overflow with worshippers observing congregational prayers and nightly supplications. Acts of charity increase, anger is restrained, and reconciliation is encouraged.
Thus, fasting becomes not only a pillar of faith but a fountain of moral renewal, and as the cool rains of 2026 descend upon Kogi, many Muslims are hopeful that this Ramadan will truly be a season of mercy, blessings and positive change for all.
