On this special day of Eid al Fitr, we take this moment to send a special message of recognition to all Ethiopian Muslims and Muslims throughout the world. Today, as 1.6 billion Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan, they gather with friends and family to acknowledge Allah’s benevolence and show their gratitude for His continued grace.

After 29 days of arduous fasting, one that entails eating no food and forsaking all liquids from sun up to sun down, today marks the end of sacrifice in the name of Allah and the beginning of a feast to rejoice in His presence. Ramadan is a season of atonement where Muslims give of themselves and withhold from their flesh through prayer, supplication, alms and fasting. Eid al Fitr is the season of acceptance, after giving to the world, Allah gives back to his servants.

Muslim means servant, Islam means peace. Every holiday in Islam is a reminder to Muslims that Allah’s presence is greater than man’s existence. Contrary to media propaganda, the vast, vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, giving and loving people who are vital members of the communities where they live in Ethiopia, America and throughout the world. As Lij Teodrose Fikremariam noted in his communique Aybekanem, Islam is a part and parcel of the Abrahamic faith; Judaism, Christianity and Islam are interlinked.

We also take this moment to acknowledge the special role that Ethiopia plays in the faith of Islam. When the Honorable Prophet Muhammad was sent into exile from Mecca than Medina as his persecutors sought to silence a most insightful messenger of Allah, the Honorable Prophet Muhammad and his envoy sought shelter and protection in Ethiopia. Nigus (king) Armah refused to hand over Honorable Prophet Muhammad to his pursuers. Below is a letter the Honorable Prophet Muhammad sent to Nigus Armah:

“I begin with the Name of God, the Most Merciful, Most Gracious, From Muhammad, the Messenger of God to the Negus Al-Asham, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).Peace be upon you, I praise God and I bear witness that Eyesus, son of Mariam, is the slave of God. He was created by the command of God and Mriam the virgin, the good, the pure, conceived Eyesus. As God created Adam, He created Eyesus. I call you to God, the Unique without partner, and to His obedience, and to follow me and believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of God.I send to you my cousin Jafar with a number of Muslims, and when they come, I ask you to entertain and receive them. Peace be upon all those who follow True Guidance.”

It is for this reason that the Honorable Prophet Muhammad blessed Ethiopia (back then our nation was known as the Axum Empire). An act of kindness by Nigus Armah was returned with a blessing by Honorable Prophet Muhammad. One of the earliest Muslim converts was the honored Bilal ibn Rabah, a once slave from Ethiopia who is a revered figure to all Muslims. The connection that Ethiopia has to Islam and all three branches of the Abrahamic faith is plentiful. The same way the Torah (the Old Testament) and the New Testament cites Ethiopia as a nation blessed by God, the Quran likewise acknowledges Ethiopia as a land kept by Allah. There is a reason why Jews, Christians and Muslims have coexisted in selam (peace) for centuries; irrespective of the name we call God, all three faiths acknowledge our Creator’s greatness and pray for deliverance through His will.

On this day of celebration and a feast for all Muslims, we pray for a safe and peaceful gathering of family, friends and all servants of Allah. Ethiopia is made greater through your presence, may the world follow the example of Ethiopia and embrace our spiritual connection to our Creator regardless of our religious beliefs instead of fighting over our differences.

الله يحفظك ، السلام لك ، قد يحب احتضانك ، وقد تُمنح لك ولأطفالك البركات. السلام عليكم

This video below is a dedication from Ethiopians for Constitutional Monarchy to all Muslims and to all three branches of the Abrahamic faith. Let us not fight for our Creator any more, let us be love as our Father commands us to be and let love heal our world.