Muslims begin month of fasting today

Muslims in this hemisphere, began their one month of Ramadan fasting today, following the sighting of the moon last evening.

During this period, Muslims fast from dawn-to-dusk, engage in intense prayers and engage in nightly feasts known as Iftaar. They are also encouraged to observe the five daily prayers on time and to use their down time just before breaking their fast at sunset to recite Quran and intensify remembrance of God.

Ramadan is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate.

In this regard, Muslims often donate to charities during the month and feed the hungry.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity, and performing the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.

The Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) and The Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA) will host a Special Annual Iftaar/Dinner at the Complex on Saturday June 11, 2016 from 18.00 hrs.

The activity, which has been a part of the organizations’ Ramadan programme for nearly two decades, seeks to share the bounties of this glorious month with friends of the Complex, both Muslims and Non-Muslims.

According to a statement from ACIC’s Public Relations Executive Mr Reyaz Hussain, “Ramadan is also a very good time for the entire humanity to reflect on the contributions Muslims and the values of Islam have made to the lives of all humans. Humanity must also reflect on the common values we share– values of compassion, charity, doing good, looking out for each other etc,”

ACIC is one of Guyana’s leading Muslim institution and was last year conferred with Guyana’s National Award for its excellent support to the Guyanese community.