Kathmandu,

Today, on the first day of the tenth month (Sauwal) according to the Arabic calendar Hijri, the entire Muslim community across the country is celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr by reciting special prayers(Namaz) and receiving blessings from their elderly ones.

During this festival, younger ones from the Muslim community go to their elderly ones for three days and receive blessings. It is customary to give sevai, dates, and other sweet delicacies to the relatives who come for blessings.

This festival is called Eid-ul-Fitr as goods are happily distributed to the poor and needy. Secretary of the Nepali Jama Masjid Mansur Hussain informed the RSS that the program of celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr would be decided on the last day of the ninth month according to the Arabic calendar.

Donation of two and a half percent of the savings

Another notable aspect of this festival is giving alms to the poor and needy. According to Nirdosh Ali, former chairman of the National Muslim Commission, in the Muslim holy book (Quran), there is a statement that Muslims should donate 2.5 percent of their savings within a year.  

The cash or goods donated in this way are distributed to the poor and needy, which is called Zakat. On Eid-ul-Fitr, each person donates wheat or its equivalent in cash according to their capacity, which is known as Satkar Fitr. There is a rule in the Muslim scriptures that this donation should also be made to the child in the mother's womb, and such charity is also given to the poor and needy.

This festival is celebrated after the completion of month-long fasting of the Muslim community (Roza) also known as Ramadan, as it is performed to compensate for the sins committed within a year. During the fasting for a month, sunset prayers are recited in the evening. The Muslim community eats during the ninth month of Ramadan only before sunrise in the morning and after sunset in the evening.

On the occasion of this festival, the Muslim community wears new clothes and goes to friends, and exchanges Eid wishes. On this occasion, a special prayer was said at the Nepali Jama Masjid, Clock Tower (Ghantaghar) Tuesday morning, Secretary Hussain said. On this occasion, the Government of Nepal has also granted a public holiday across the country today.