Triangle’s Muslim community celebrates start of Ramadan
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Muslims across the country are marking the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month of the year in Islam. Families gathered at the Islamic Association of Raleigh Sunday to celebrate the holiday.
To signal the start of Ramadan, green and gold lights were lit outside the mosque, and more lights were lit inside. Organizers say events like the mosque lighting are a chance for people to come together and pray as a community.
“A night of solidarity, a night of unity,” said Asma Khan, president of the Triangle Association of Muslim American Mothers (TAMAM). “We all gather today to welcome Ramadan.”
Ramadan marks the month the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. To honor that, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. It is a time to focus on spirituality and grow closer to God.
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Families at the Islamic Association Sunday enjoyed halal food trucks, a bazaar with more food and Ramadan decorations and prayer.
“The mosque is a central place for us to come together, to be together in good times and bad times and sad times and trying times,” Khan said.
Khan helped organize the event. She says the celebration this year is a little more somber.
“Right now, our hearts are with our Palestinian brothers and sisters and what they’re suffering through,” she said, adding many vendors are donating proceeds to organizations helping Palestinians and refugees.
Typically, there is also a countdown to the mosque lighting and fireworks. Khan said organizers decided to skip those more celebratory parts of the event, but for many, this is still a special time.
“I actually really like it because it gets people excited for Ramadan, to make them excited for fasting,” said Dania Moinuddin.
Friends Moinuddin and Rayhana Abdul-Hakim say this is a chance to spend time with their community.
“Foot to foot, shoulder to shoulder, it’s the best type of prayer you can ever do,” Abdul-Hakim said.
Moinuddin added, “It’s so warm, it’s so unconditional.”
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This is also a reminder of why Ramadan is so important.
“One of the parts of the fasting is to get the feeling and appreciate that not many people get the privileges of eating like [we] do,” Abdul-Hakim said. “The fact that we’re all walking here today and not in our grave is a blessing.”
Ramadan is expected to end in April with Eid al-Fitr on April 10. Eid usually means a day of prayer and feasting, marking the culmination of a successful month.
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