• We expect that Muslims are going to emerge better from this month because they have been conscious in prayer.
• But if somebody comes out the same or worse after Ramadhan, then they have not benefited from this fasting.
First, to the Muslim community, we have just come from a whole month of fasting.
This is an act of worship that has been made obligatory for us and God says in the Holy Quran that we subscribe to fasting so that we may attain consciousness and sobriety.
You will find that in the holy month of Ramadhan, the Muslims are at their best in terms of their behaviour and worshipping God.
You will also find out that Muslims are quite generous and humble during this month of fasting.
They decorate themselves with those good qualities.
Therefore, the message to the Muslim community is that they need to continue with the values they have developed through the month of Ramadhan throughout the whole year until the next Ramadhan.
During this month, they were unified, they broke the fast together while people were very compassionate and loving.
We expect that Muslims are going to emerge better from this month because they have been conscious in prayer.
But if somebody comes out the same or worse after Ramadhan, then they have not benefited from this fasting.
As far as the whole nation is concerned, we need to understand that we are all brothers and sisters from the same humanity.
We came from the same father and mother-Adam and Eve-and we need to coexist in a peaceful manner because we are all one under the eyes of the Lord.
As Kenyans, we should know that we are one nation and that we need to live in harmony and be tolerant of one another.
We need to understand one another and know that this is our homeland.
The only way to move forward as a nation is to coexist peacefully and respect each others' religions.
One thing we need to understand is that there are two positions: Those who believe that Muslims should follow the universal moon so that it is cited anywhere in the world, then we should either fast or break together.
There are those who believe in the local citing - that the moon has to be cited in your region.
These are positions that are both acceptable in Islam and there is no reason for divisions because these are a difference in opinion.
These are positions that have existed in history and I do not see changes in the near future.
Therefore, as Muslims, we need to respect each others' opinions. Those who believe in the international moon have a basis for that and those who believe in the local moon also have a basis for that.
I think the problem comes through the leaders- they condemn one another and there on reasons for that.
The writer is an Economics lecturer at UoN and an Islamic scholar.