The very first activity at the end of Ramadan is an act of worship.

By Sabur Abdul-Basit •

As the end of the fast of Ramadan 2015 is days away, two seemingly separate and seemingly totally unrelated activities take place at the same time among Muslims throughout the world. While these activities may seem unrelated, they intertwine as one on Eid Al Fitr which is the day Muslims worldwide break their fasts which comprises of going without eating and drinking from before dawn to sunset for the entire month of Ramadan.
The first activity is the increase in the number of prayers and intensity of the prayers during the last 10 days of Ramadan. Masjids are filled with worshippers who join to pray the Isha prayer which is the last of the regular 5 obligatory prayers Muslims pray daily. Believers then join to pray the Taraaweeh prayer immediately afterward as they have done throughout the month of Ramadan. Many come back for late night prayers around 2 or 3 in the morning.
The second activity is a favorite that most women love at any time of the year and most men deplore. That is shopping, which is in full force as women shop until they drop in markets, stores, malls and shopping centers throughout the world. They shop for clothes for the family for the Eid because every Muslim has been encouraged to wear his or her best on the Eid day. Every kind of outlet for selling food is also packed, from traditional markets to ultra large and ultramodern supermarkets.
As Ramadan is the month filled with worship and devotion to Allah, the very first activity at the end of this month is an act of worship. It is the congregational prayer of Eid Al Fitr. It is prayed just after sunrise and early morning in masjids, parks and open areas around the world. All Muslims who are able are highly encouraged to participate. I have heard of Muslims in Yogyakarta Java Indonesia and Montego Bay Jamaica praying on beautiful beaches in those countries. Imams and preachers exhort the believers to try to maintain the benefits that they have attained during the month and to strive to a higher level of worship and closeness to Allah.
And then the fun begins. The day is full of activities that vary in different parts of the world. The family is at the core of many of the things Muslims do to celebrate and in some cases visits to family members are required at some time of the day. Not only do people visit family but in many cases they have travelled back to their home towns and villages to celebrate together.
Children’s laughter can be heard in amusement parks large and small in Riyadh, Mogadishu, Cairo and London with standard rides as well as state of the art rides that cause little ones and not so little ones to loose themselves in the moment. Fun is fun and have you ever noticed that laughter doesn’t have an accent and laughter sounds the same.
Where do I start when describing Eid foods? I can only say that it encompasses the delicacies of most of the world’s ethnic groups, from the curries of the Indo-Pakistan region to the grilled cuisine of the Middle East to the barbequed hot dogs, burgers and chicken in the USA and much, much more. So dress your best and try not to eat too much and remember those less fortunate than you.
Eid Mubarak!
• Sabur Abdul-Basit is a freelance author from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.