A day of prayerful celebration for MuslimsBy Darcel Choy Sunday, September 20 2009
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Muslim devotees celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan at Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in Chaguanas last year....
Muslims around the country will today join the rest of the world in celebrating one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the Islamic calender, Eid-ul-Fitr.
Eid signals the end of the Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan. It is an important religious event and Muslims all over the world wait anxiously for the festival to arrive. Eid celebrations are marked by fervent preparations within Muslim communities.
Families decorate their homes, Eid cards and gifts are bought to distribute to friends and family, sweets and other delicacies are prepared, and new clothing is bought or made to celebrate the occasion. Before the social celebrations begin, however, the day begins with prayer.
First vice president of the Anjuman Sunaat ul Jamaat Association (ASJA), Haji Kamal Hosein, described fasting for Muslims during the month of Ramadan as one of the pillars or fundamental principles of Islam.
“It should be done by all Muslims who are sane and capable of doing it except those who are exempt from it. It is a daily routine for the month and you cannot break the fast before sunset or else you would have lost everything. Muslims who believe in Islam and have belief in God should fast,” he explained.
Hosein also talked about an event that occurs on the 27th day of Ramadan called Lilatul Qader which means The Night of Power.
This is the night on which the Prophet Muhammad was first visited by the angel Gabriel on Mount Hira.
“On this day we spend the entire night in the mosque and it is a day that is very special to Muslims. It gives us a sense of devotion to the creator, we should thank him sometimes. We are commanded so much more blessings for spending the night in prayer,” he said.
Hosein hopes that his fellow Muslims would have a blessed day as it is an auspicious one and it signifies that they have completed a month of obedience to the Almighty. “They have gone through a period of restraint and all this is done to develop spirituality and piety and I hope that this is translated throughout the following months. It should serve them throughout the rest of the year,” he said.
“Hopefully they would have a lovely day where they exchange gifts and visit each others homes and just enjoy the day. It is usually very relaxing where in the morning we start off the day with a celebration of prayers, and at our mosque we normally provide breakfast, spend a little time with each other and have the traditional drink of sawine. We hug each other and old talk and after lunch we spend the evening visiting friends and family,” he added.
As fasting comes to an end he believes that Muslims should strive to maintain the practice they have committed to. “They should maintain the discipline and all they have done that would make them a better Muslim and that would continue throughout their lives. It seems that so many people have lost their morals and values and they should also strive to build their values and instill values into their children,” he said.
One mother told Sunday Newsday that Eid for her means both a sad and happy day.
“My father is no longer alive and my memories as a child is going to the mosque with him during the month of Ramadan and I miss him now but I am happy because I have my husband and my children and it is a day that culminates an entire month of sacrifice.
“The joy of Eid is the brotherhood and sisterhood that goes on and we partake in all the nice food and sweets and we just lime around the mosque and it is important that my children are there and they enjoy it because religion is definitely a foundation,” she explained.
The Montrose resident said she and her family would be going to the mosque to pray and to thank Allah for all the mercies he has bestowed on them.
“We just want to thank him for our life and health and after we spend time with our families and we sit down, relax and eat what we want,” she said. When asked what she enjoys the most on the day of Eid, she said praying.
“It is a prayer that has a lot of meaning. It is giving praise to Allah and praying for those who have gone by and hope that Allah would forgive them of their sins,” she said.
