To mark the celebration of Eid Adhar the president and first Lady on Monday 19th July 2021 donated sheep and other food items to imams at the state lodge.

Muslims worldwide will celebrate Eid-Ul-Adha tomorrow July 20 in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to slaughter his own son, Ismael before Allah intervened and ordered him to kill a sheep instead.

Welcoming the imam’s chief of staff office of the first lady Shiek Salim Feika said this is not the first neither will it be the last time the president and first lady will make such donation to mark this celebration. Adding that as long as HE continues to be president, he will always fulfill such obligation. The country is blessed to have a catholic leader who also believes in the values of Islam. We also have a strong first lady who stands by her husband in acknowledging both Islam and Christianity.

Sheik Fomba Swarray in his statement on the significance of this celebration said the celebration marks the trial faced by Prophet Abraham when he was told to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.

It’s a similar story in both the Christian and Jewish faiths, which believe Abraham was tasked with sacrificing his other son, Isaac. The command was sent to test his obedience and submission to the will of God. According to Islamic teaching, God replaced Ishmael with a sheep before the event could take place.

To commemorate this intervention, Muslims would slaughter sheep and other livestock which would be shared between family, friends, and those less fortunate.

He appreciated HE the president and first lady in helping the poorer sections of the Muslim community.
The First Lady of republic of Sierra Leone Fatima Maada Bio in her statement appreciated HE the president for being by her side all these years in carrying out this exercise, she intimated similar donations have also been done in Bo and Kenema and now in Freetown. First Lady, Madam Fatima Maada Bio, said that they were pleased to welcome the Muslim leaders in their home, adding that the generous support was a show of their love and commitment to Muslims in the country.

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio in his statement said this celebration is important as the story behind it is the same in both the Quran and the bible, this shows that religious tolerance is not new and as a country, our source of pride is the religious tolerance we fully embrace. However, because of the pandemic Muslims could not perform the usual congregational prayer this year. Whilst giving out sheep to different imams, President Bio the celebration of Eid Al Adha (tomorrow) is an important date in the Muslim calendar and called on them to show their love as a family and pray in their respective homes.