The Gambia Stockholm community on Sunday celebrated the end of Ramadan in the suburbs of Stockholm, Kista, under the umbrella of the Swedish Senegambian Faith Community (SSGT).
Hundreds of Gambian Muslims, residing in Stockholm with different works of life, ages, and genders, gathered for another successful Eid prayer.
Imam Makalo’s Eid prayer sermon focused on steadfastness in continuing the good manners attained during the month of Ramadan.
Makalo sought forgiveness from the Muslim community and congratulated everyone on Eid.
“Witnessing another Ramadan in good health is a blessing worth praising the Almighty Allah. We had a very big guest that came to us, a guest that only visited for days. Just look at Ramadan when it was coming; it seems it was just yesterday. It’s a lesson on your lifespan. Because this world is temporal and very short. The guest has come and gone; anyone that hasn’t done everything required in it, ahh, unless you wait for another Ramadan. Who knows if one will live to witness another Ramadan? Many of our companions thought they would have been with us and brought their children along today, but sadly they are no more.” Imam Makalo’s sermon emphasized
“Calling oneself a Muslim and having a Muslim name is easy. But living a Muslim life in reality and in all aspects is difficult because you have to be God-fearing. Allah said in the Quran, prayer forbids the Muslim from committing bad things. Take a look at yourself; Ramadan came to get the best of you, to show mercy to mankind, to enable us to be forgiven. Once you bath cleanly, I think you should not allow yourself to get dirty. If you were worshipping Ramadan, the month has gone, but if you are worshiping Allah, he is the everlasting. When Ramadan was made mandatory for the Muslims, it was not only about abstaining from food and drink; without seeking changes, and once that change is attained, we should not go back to our old habits. If Ramadan made us leave the bad habits, then we should not go back to them after Ramadan. Today is a big day, a day for happiness, a day for unity, and a day for fostering relationships,” it added.
The SSGT, throughout the Ramadan, had organized conferences, Iftar, and collections of Zakat Fitr both in Stockholm and its sister organization in Eskilstuna, Göteborg, and Malmö. The organization connecting the Gambian community to their religion and brotherhood has become a beacon of hope among its members.
The Swedish Senegambian Faith Community, hereinafter called SSGT, was founded in 2015. It is a religious and cultural association comprised of Senegambians and other associations in Sweden, organized into congregations. By congregation is meant an organization registered in Sweden, in accordance with Swedish legislation and the regulations in its statutes. SSGT currently has members with various association congregations around Sweden, for example: Malmö, Stockholm, and Gothenburg, which conduct their activities in accordance with the statutes of the faith community.
