Ramadan ends (Idd ul Fitr)

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Idd ul Fitr (Ramadan ends)

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: varies according to the Muslim calendar
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Arabic spelling: Eid-Al-Fitr

Idd ul Fitr is the joyful festival at which Muslims celebrate the breaking of the fast of Ramadhan. In Kenya, where Muslims constitute about 20 % of the population, this is a national public holiday for all, and for the non Muslims it is a welcome day of rest with no particular activities. Offices and banks close, but most of the shops and places of entertainment open, to benefit from the day of leisure enjoyed by their customers.

During the Idd day or days (the public holiday may fall on the day following the actual Idd declared by the Chief Kadhi of Kenya at the first sighting of the crescent moon), the Nairobi cityscape features many Muslim men wearing the white kanzu as well as Muslim women in their finery. More Kenyan Muslim women have recently taken to wearing black, but the majority don bright colours and flowing robes which suit with African styles of clothing. The Idd therefore adds a touch of celebration to the Nairobi streets, as well as a sense of joy and happiness.

For Muslims, the day starts either with an open air celebration in the Sir Ali Muslim Club and similar venues in the other major cities, or within the main mosques, such as the Jamia Mosque of Nairobi. Topical matters may be addressed in the sermons, such as (in 2005) the imminent constitutional referendum.

The Idd-ul-Fitr moves within the calendar year by about half a month each year, so that it follows the previous Idd-ul-Fitr after about eleven and a half months.

Isabelle Prondzynski

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Sisters Hawa and Ayman Ramadan (right) celebrate after attending Idd-ul-Fitr prayers at Loota Mosque in Mombasa to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan yesterday.
Photo : Gideon Maundu
Daily Nation, 4 November 2005

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Muslims to mark Idd next Friday

Story by NATION Correspondent
Publication Date: 27 October 2005

Friday November 4 has been declared a public holiday to celebrate Idd-ul-Fitr.

Civil service head Francis Muthaura made the announcement in the Kenya Gazette.

One of the biggest holidays for Muslims, Idd-ul-Fitr, is marked at the end of Ramadhan -- the 30-day period of fasting and prayer -- which began in the first week of October.

The holiday falls on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month in the Muslim calendar and is marked all over the world with great joy and festivities.

Idd means "recurring happiness or festivity" and fitr means "to begin". Iftar means "the breaking of the fast" and from these comes the name Idd-ul-Fitr.

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=60195

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Muslims mark Idd-Ul-Fitr

By Alex Kiprotich, East African Standard
5 November 2005

Muslims yesterday thronged mosques for special prayers to mark the end of Ramadhan.

There was a festive mood in Nairobi as hundreds of Muslims clad in white kanzus and caps hugged one another after prayers led by Sheikh Ishak Ahmed at Jamia mosque.

Due to controversy over the sighting of the moon some of the Muslims marked the day on Thursday.

Women who turned up for the prayers had their hands beautifully decorated with henna designs and put on expensive jewellery.

"This is a very special day in Islamic Calendar and all faithful must look decent in the eyes of Allah," said Mwanaisha Zubedi.

The day, associated with large family gatherings over tasty meals and gifts for children, marks the end of one-month long fasting for Muslims.

Traders at Kiamaiko goat market did booming business.
Prices were increased from Sh 2,500 to Sh 3,500 per goat.

"Business is good today because many people are going to celebrate the end of fast and they do not care about prices," said a businessman.

Delivering the last khutbah of Ramadhan the imam of Nairobi's Jamia Masjid, sheikh Muhammad Swalihu, called for unity among Muslims.

He told them to shun violence during the referendum campaigns.

http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=31699

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Mr Ali Suleiman is all smiles after buying a goat for Idd-Ul-Fitr celebrations at Kiamako market, in Nairobi yesterday.
(East African Standard, 5 November 2005)

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Muslims pack mosques to mark Ramadan end

Reports by Elisha Otieno, Abdulsamad Ali and Mark Agutu
Publication Date: 5 November 2005

Muslims yesterday turned up in large numbers across the country to mark Idd-ul-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The chief kadhi, Sheikh Hammad Kassim, led them in prayers at mosques and other grounds as part of celebrations to mark the end of the annual fasting period on the Muslim calendar. He and other religious leaders prayed for peace and unity among Muslims in particular and Kenyans in general as the country prepares for the Constitution referendum on November 21.

In Nairobi, thousands in religious garb, were full of joy as they thronged the city centre after prayers at Jamia Mosque and other places of worship.

In Mombasa, the chief kadhi called for unity among Muslims, saying that they had not been spared the division as a result of the referendum debate.

"It is not true that there are black and Arab Muslims, or Muslims of this and that tribe; we are equal because we profess the same faith", he said as he addressed the annual Idd baraza, which was attended also by mayor Taib Ali Taib.

Sheikh Mohammed Idriss, the chairman of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), urged the faithful to reject people out to divide them along tribal or racial lines.

In Migori, the faithful congregated at Migori Muslim Primary School for a service and addresses by their leaders.

The leaders called for an end to the referendum campaign violence.

Migori mayor Junet Mohammed and Muslim leader Ebrahim Omar Hussein asked politicians to preach peace and stop making divisive and inflammatory remarks.

He asked the chief kadhi and imams to fix the dates for the beginning and closure of Ramadan, saying that there was confusion as Muslims mark them earlier or later.

(c) Daily Nation
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=60831

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From left, Abdul Wahab (9), Ibrahim Ahmed (10) and Haidar Munawar (9) hug each other during the Id-ul-Fitri celebrations at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru Town yesterday to mark the end of Ramadhan by Muslims.
Photo : Joseph Kiheri
Daily Nation, 4 November 2005



Mohammed Hassani plays "matari", an Islamic religious drum, during Idd-ul-Fitr celebrations at Treasury Square, Mombasa, yesterday.
Photo : Jack Owuor
Saturday Nation, 5 November 2005

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Ramadan in 2012
will start on Friday, the 20th of July and will continue for 30 days until Saturday, the 18th of August.

Based on sightability in North America, in 2012 Ramadan will start in North America a day later - on Saturday, the 21st of July.

Note that in the Muslim calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Ramadan on the sunset of Thursday, the 19th of July.
source :　www.when-is.com


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Worldwide use

Eid Al Fitr
Muslims have two major celebrations in the year. Both are called Eid (meaning celebration). Eid Al-Fitr, or the Celebration of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is the month of fasting.

Eid Al-Fitr is the celebration that comes at the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting, every day from dawn until sunset. The Islamic Calendar follows the moon and so each year, the dates are shifted forwards by about eleven days in the normal calendar. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year, and is followed by Shawal. The first three days of Shawal are the Eid days.

Zakat-ul-Fitr is a small amount that Muslims are obliged to pay as charity at the end of the month of Ramadan.

Read more here:
http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/eid.htm


Eid ul-Fitr - from the Wikipedia

Ramadan as a kigo.

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

a cup of tea
to celebrate the Idd --
two Irish nuns

Isabelle Prondzynski

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Rows of lighted lamps
Flowers lovingly planted
Eid mubarak

Interestingly, the first week in November in 2005 has three religions celebrating a time to remember and contemplate -- All Saints, Ramadan and Diwali.

Anthony Tidswell
http://francevoila.com/archives/118.html


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across the street
a Muslim brushes his shoes --
Idd morning


Idd morning—
her henna design stretches
to her palm

Idd photos—
they enter the studio
in turns

Caleb Mutua
September 2011


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Soweto Mosque-
a large poster at the wall
written Happy Idd Ul Fitr

Idd ul fitr-
a muslim man sharpens
his panga knife

Soweto market-
a muslim man buys
a fat goat

Brian Mulando
August 2012


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From behind the clouds --
the crescent moon prompts
peace on earth


Written on the occasion of Id. August 2013
Kumarendra Mallick



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Related words

***** Ramadan



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