A Christian family has declared reverting to Islam during `Eid Al-Adha prayers in the Nigerian capital, doubling the joy of Muslims, raising the number of reverts in the spiritual occasion to 10 and maintaining what has recently been an annual tradition in the most populous African state.

"The committee of Da`wah (Call to Islam) and Fatwa in the mosque received after `Eid Al-Adha prayers at Kowali district a man called John who wanted to declare embracing Islam, along with his wife and five children," Sheikh Abdul Salam Mohamed Okeiny, imam of the central mosque in Abuja, told IOL Thursday, January 12.

Okeiny added that John who is a cab driver in Abuja chose to be named Abdul Rahman after becoming Muslim, asserting the man came to the committee out of his free will asking to meet the imam and requesting to immediately declare embracing Islam.

"John did not want to miss on that spiritual moment and desired to make public the true feelings he and his family have been holding towards Islam."

The central mosque preacher added that after John took the testimony (declaring that he believes no god but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is His Seal of Prophets), the revert excused himself to go bring his wife and five children to follow suit.

On his motives, Abdul Rahman said he had some ideas and concepts about Islam through his wife who used to work among Muslims and used to express her admiration of what she saw.

Tolerance

Obasanjo apologized to Muslims who missed Hajj this year.

Okeiny, citing his discussion with Abdul Rahman, said that the new revert had a car crash months ago and his Muslims neighbors were there for him, regardless of religious beliefs.

This situation, according to Okeiny, opened John's eyes to the tolerance and generosity of Islam and Muslims.

In addition to John and his family, another Nigerian lady, 39, declared embracing Islam also before the committee of Da`wah and Fatwa in Abuja.

Grace, now Fatimah, said she now wishes to perform Hajj and to find a good Muslim to marry her and teach true Islam to her as she has been divorced from Christian husband for long.

According to IOL Correspondent, two university students, from the Ibo Tribe with a Muslim minority, also declared embracing Islam at Maboushy mosque in Abuja Wednesday, January 11.

It has almost become a habit for Muslim religious occasions to witness the reverting of many Christians to Islam in Nigeria, says IOL Correspondent.

During last Ramadan, more than 10 people reverted to Islam in the northern city of Kano.

Some 13,000 Nigerian hajj hopefuls missed their chance to perform the fifth pillar of Islam their year and were stuck at Nigerian airports after the expiry of the extended deadline set by the Saudi authorities.

President Olusegun Obasanjo apologized to Muslims Tuesday and blamed the firm that had been given the contract to provide the planes.

Nigeria’s recent census shows that Muslims make up 55 percent of the country’s 133 million people, Christians 40 percent and animists five percent.

Twelve of Nigeria’s 36 states have gradually applied Shari`ah since the return of democracy to the country in 1999.