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Islamic New Year: Sultan urges muslims to pray for Nigeria 

By Abdulganiyu Alabi (Kaduna)  Rotimi Agboluaje (Ibadan) and Shakirah Adunola (Makkah, Saudi Arabia)
31 July 2022   |   4:08 am
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Jamatul Nasirul Islam (JNI), Muhammad Abubakar II, has urged Muslims celebrating the Islamic New year (Muharram 1444AH) to fervently pray for Nigeria.

Kaaba wearing a new look…yesterday

• Makinde Greets Faithful On Hijrah 1444 AH
• Kaaba Wears New $6.5m Cover Cloth On Day One

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Jamatul Nasirul Islam (JNI), Muhammad Abubakar II, has urged Muslims celebrating the Islamic New year (Muharram 1444AH) to  fervently pray for Nigeria.

In a statement by the Secretary-General, JNI, Dr. Khalid AbubakarAliyu, the sultan urged  Nigerian Muslim  to continuously seek Allah’s forgiveness, guidance and protection.

He called on Muslims “not to relent in supplicating to Allah for His intervention for an end to the myriad of challenges bedeviling Nigeria.

“It is very much apparent and indeed, scary that if we are not humble before the Almighty Allah, an end to these nightmarish situations seems not insight, if happenings in the country are anything to go by,” he said.

The Sultan urged Nigerian Muslims to observe the Tasu’a and ‘Ashura fasting, which will fall on Sunday, 9th and Monday, 10th Muharram 1444AH (Sunday, August 7 and Monday, August 8, 2022) respectively.

“The observance of the voluntary fasting of Tasu’a and ‘Ashura, which the Prophet (SAW) strongly enjoined Muslims to observe, could be a potent tool for blessing…”

Also, the Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, yesterday, felicitated Muslim faithful in the state and across the country on the occasion of the Islamic New Year, Hijrah 1444 AH, which began July 30, 2022. 

The governor wished Muslims a New Year filled with blessings and benevolence of Allah (SWT). He asked them to continuously pray for the peace and prosperity of Nigeria.

A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, said the governor equally admonished Muslims to pray for a smooth and refreshing season in our country. 

Makinde said: “Hijrah (immigration to Madinah), no doubt, kindled the light of hope in the hearts of the early Muslims, who set a shining example for all Muslims, in every generation to emulate. It symbolises a new beginning.

“So, it is my prayer that all Muslims in Oyo State and the country in general, will experience positive improvements and progress as the Hijrah 1444 AH begins.” He enjoined them to work deliberately to ensure peaceful coexistence at all times.

Meanwhile, the Holy House, Kaaba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, is now wearing a new look.  The Ka’abah cloth known as Kiswah took eight months to sew with gold and silver silk thread and it cost the Saudi Arabia Government $6.5m dollars.

The Saudi Arabia’s General Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques led by Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais announced the change in tradition and fixed the eve of Muharram 1, the first day in the Hijri calendar.

Al-Sudais said the change was being made based on a royal decision. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the changing of the Kiswah early yesterday was carried out by a team of 200 Saudi technicians from the King Abdulaziz Complex for Manufacturing the Kaaba’s Kiswah, under the supervision of Sheikh Sudais.
 
The new Kiswah consisted of four separate sides and the door curtain was installed. Each of the four sides of the Kaaba was raised separately to the top of the Kaaba in preparation for its unfolding on the old side, and fixing the side from above by tying it down and dropping the other end of the side, after the ropes of the old side were loosened.
 
By moving the new side up and down in a permanent movement, then the old side fell from below and the new side remained, and the process was repeated four times for each side until the dress was completed, then the belt was weighed in a straight line to the four sides by stitching it.

 
The process began first from the side of the hem, due to the presence of the gutter that has its own hole at the top of the garment, and after all sides were fixed, the corners were fixed by sewing them from the top of the garment to the bottom.
 
Every year, technicians at the King Abdulaziz Complex do the weaving, stitching and printing by hand and machines using 47 pieces of cloth and thread to make the Kiswah.

The world’s largest computerised sewing machine, at 16 meters in length, carries out the process. The cloth is stitched together in five different parts and fixed to the base with copper rings. Around 670 kilograms of raw silk is dyed black at the complex. It also has 12 lamps at the bottom of the belt.
 
The Kiswah is decorated with Quranic verses embroidered onto the cloth with 120 kilograms of 21-karat gold thread and 100 kilogrammes of silver thread.

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