Feature: Ramadan, Muslim holy month of fasting begins across India

by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Immediately after the dusk on Saturday, Tariq Ahmad Mir along with his family of five gathered inside the premises of their house in uptown area of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, and began to scan the horizon towards west.

The family including their children were eagerly searching for the crescent in the sky upwards. Minutes after, as darkness began to cover the city, Mir noticed the crescent that was becoming conspicuously visible. Murmuring some Arabic verses, followed by prayers, Mir announced to his family about the beginning of the Islamic holy month of fasting -- Ramadan.

"Tonight, I will go to offer special night prayers in the neighbourhood mosque and then all of us have to get up and take pre-dawn meals, for this moon marks the beginning of our holy month of fasting," Mir explains to his grown up children. "From Sunday we will be observing fast for a month."

The beginning of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar was announced Saturday evening across India on state-run broadcasters with the sighting of new crescent.

"We witnessed the crescent ourselves, besides the Ruyat-e-Hilal (crescent sighting) committee also announced the sighting of moon last evening and with this Sunday will be the first day of Ramadan," an official affiliated Srinagar's Jamia Masjid (grand mosque) told Xinhua. "One hour after the announcement, worshipers gathered in mosques to offer special night prayers."

Mosques across India especially in major cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, besides other parts witnessed a huge rush of devotees.

"During this month, Muslims should read the holy Quran and try to imbibe the instructions in it, so as to live their lives as per its teachings," Tufail Ahmad, a Muslim scholar said. "That will be the best tribute to this month."

Muslims follow the lunar calendar, according to which months are either of 29 or 30 day in duration. The Muslim lunar calendar advances by 10 days every year in comparison to the Christian (solar) calendar which remains unchanged.

Muslims, including women and youngsters, woke up early on Sunday to eat a pre-dawn meal called "saher".

For one month devout Muslims all over the world, abstain from eating, drinking and engaging in their marital obligation from dawn until sunset. After dusk, Muslims break their fast by drinking water and sharing meal, often with family and friends.

During Ramadan, Muslims seek forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance on straight path and ask for help in refraining from everyday "evils".

Muslims scholars say fasting is aimed at achieving spirituality.

"Abstaining from food and drinks is just an outward appearance of this worshiping exercise," explains Muslim scholar Mufti Ghulam Nabi. "The underlying aim of fasting is Muslims should actually stay away from falsehood, deceit, corruption and others sins."

Muslims are expected to start observing the fasting ritual once they reach puberty, as long as they are healthy.

Fasting is fourth of the five Pillars of Islam, which also include belief in God, daily prayers, giving to the poor, and a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in a lifetime.

It is also during Ramadan that Muslim communities engage in acts of charity. Mosques receive most of its funding during this month.

The month of Ramadan would end with the festival of Eid al-Fitr.

In Muslim majority areas and localities all the eateries, including restaurants, tea-stalls and ice-cream shops, remain closed during the daytime in the month of Ramadan. However, the restaurants and eateries open after dusk.