What should a Nigerian Christian do on Sallah day?

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In Nigeria, most of the public holidays are normally held as a result of religious reasons such as for Christian of Islamic feasts. One of such days of celebration is the Sallah day.

Personally, I'm a Christian but I don't just sit down doing nothing on Sallah day. It's a public holiday and it's also a good day to relax and if possible also eat Sallah meat. Did I hear you say "eh"? Well, this is Nigeria and Christians at times share the joy with Muslims who also do likewise during Christian celebrations.

Muslims in Nigeria normally celebrate Sallah in a big way and prior the to day, preparations are normally made but the ones which are most visible to Christians are the public parties and sharing of the Sallah food and Ram. Many Muslims who can afford it tend to at least buy and kill a ram which they use for their feast and during such feasts and parties, people are normally welcome to join in their joy.

Muslims normally share their Sallah ram with others who are close to them and even with non-Muslims. For me, we've also got Muslim neighbours in Lagos who normally send us a package of Sallah meat. As a family, we don't normally eat Ram meat but eat more of goats and cows. It is normally during Sallah celebration that most Non-Muslims even get eat Ram meat.

As a Christian, is it really ok to share in the feasts of non Christians? Well, I guess Muslims will also ask likewise during Christian celebrations. Should they as Muslims also enjoin us in our Christmas or Easter celebrations?

Well, in reality, some Christians would argue that it is not right to celebrate with Muslims during their feasts or even eat the meat they used during such feasts. Some would even argue that those rams had been sacrificed to Allah and should not be eaten by Christians since the bible forbids against eating sacrificed animals. However, in reality, most Churches or Christians don't think like that and the issue of eating Sallah ram or sharing in the joy of Muslims is not something condemned by them.

I guess that's why Christianity has a leadership and a teaching authority and the Bible itself is subject to sound interpretation although some Christians might interpret it in their own way. Every Christian ought to follow the teachings of his Church regarding such things as those we've mentioned. Personally, my church doesn't condemn eating Sallah meat and I just think it is a matter of your faith. If you believe that eating Sallah meat or going to Muslim feasts affects your faith, then it might be reasonable to avoid it not because it's bad but because your faith is not big enough to accept it.

With the way I see Sallah meat and invitations to Muslim feasts, I see it as a harmless gift from a Muslim to a friend and not as something that attacks my fight or lures me to abandon my faith.

Does what a Christian eats have the power to condemn him? Does receiving a gift from a non-Christian have the power to make him wrong in the eyes of God? I think not because even Jesus Christ said in the book of Matthew 15:11 "It is not what goes into a man that has power to condemn him but what comes out of him".

So, as a Christian I may not have to go to Muslim prayers or join in any of their religious practices since those are matters of their faith to which I don't belong but I can join them in their feasts or accept Sallah meat as a gift with a good conscience that it's a day which God has blessed. It is God who created all animals and like he said to Peter in Acts 10:15 - "Do not call unclean what God has cleansed", there is nothing that makes Ram meat unclean, no matter where it comes from as long as you eat it with a clear conscience and thanksgiving to God.

Yes, all rams belong to God and if a Muslim gives it to me even during their Sallah day, I would see it not just as a gift from a Muslim friend but ultimately as a gift from God and I normally say my prayers before eating it as a normal Christian should.

Posted by Felix Okoli on Saturday October 4, 2014 at 10:34:14:

Comments:

Re: What should a Nigerian Christian do on Sallah day? Reply by Lawal Ganiyu on Friday September 25, 2015 at 15:35:55:

U are a goo christian..... ,thumbs up...