The Eid-al-Fitr is also an auspicious occasion for prayer, charity, warm family gatherings, communal bonding, and, needless to say, much merriment after dawn-to-dusk fasting for 29 or 30 days.
Here in Kathmandu, most of the devotees will gather at the prominent Jame Masjid and listen to sermons of their three respective Imams - Mohammad Mohsin, Sanaullah Nadwi, and Qari Wali Mohammad. [break]
"Everyone will go to the mosque where the Imams will preach the Lord´s messages. It is followed by thanksgiving prayers. Thereafter, we will visit our near and dear ones and take homemade sweets like vermicelli, dates and kheer," says Sanaullah Nadwi, the Imam.
“Fitr, which in Arabic means charity, is another important aspect of the festival. It is compulsory for all the Muslims, especially those who are well-off, to offer charity to the needy,” explains Abdullah Koirala, a 56-year-old converted Muslim.
“Main purpose of the Eid is to please the Allah,” adds Nazir Khan, a devout Muslim. “People will greet each other ´Eid Mubarak´ soon after the Namaz is over at the mosques on Friday morning and offer food and alms to the needy.”
Abdullah Bista, another converted Muslim, a 24-year-old computer engineer, says that the Eid is celebrated on the first date of Shawwal, which is the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.
“During the festival, the Muslims exchange gifts and greeting with their neighbors as a mark of brotherhood,” Bista adds.
And who could be more excited than the children!
“It´s the last day of Ramadan and we´re all looking forward to the Eid,” says ten-year-old Mohammad Aarif, adding that this particular Eid was the most pleasant festival for children like him as they get delicious dishes and gifts they prefer.
But for the grown-ups, the month-long fasting is as revered as the day they break the fast.
Irfan Pokharel, who converted to Islam, says that observing fasting without taking a drop of water from the dawn to the dusk is not just about fasting, it is also about controlling one´s sense organs so as to abstain from wrong thoughts and deeds.
“The Allah commands the followers of Islam to read the holy Quran throughout the month of Ramadan and put it practice throughout the year,” he explains.
He believes that the reward from God is increased by 70 to 700 times this particular month for those who observes Roza, which in Arabic means abstinence.
Even those who have a very hectic schedule like Sanaullah Jamali, the Chairman at Madarsha Islamia Darul Quaran, an Islamic School at Kathmandu, too observed fasting for a month during the Ramadan.
“I had to make slight adjustment in my schedule,” Jamali, 32, says, adding there is no excuse for any one who is fit and healthy to avoid fasting.
“The significance of this festival is also interpreted as a good time to bring people together in harmony and gratitude,” says Sayad Dilshad.
And who could be more grateful than the shopkeepers in the wake of a festive season.
The market areas in the vicinity of the mosques are replete with sweets, apparels and other items sought on the eve of Eid-al-Fitr.
“Fancy and food items mostly dominate the festival, and as the festival approaches excitement to celebrate gains momentum not only with the Muslims but also with the shopkeepers and traders doing a brisk business,” says Zahir Khan, a shopkeeper.
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