Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@cnc3.co.tt
T&T’s Muslims are celebrating the month of Ramadan simultaneously unlike last year when, due to varying interpretations, Eid ul Fitr was celebrated on different days by different sects.
Imam Raffaic Mohammed, PRO of the Anjuman Sunnat ul Jamaat Association, said: “What we will see is one month where you will observe a unified Muslim community, every Muslim, regardless of their sect, because one thing people need to recognize in today’s world is that within Islam, there are different sects. Some choose to practice certain things while others do not.”
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, holds special significance in Islam. Muslims believe it was during this month that the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, were revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Mohammed explained that today is the first day of fasting for the month of Ramadan.
“We pray to Allah to guide us through this month, to help us overcome challenges, and to strengthen us to withstand difficulties. We are all human beings and consider ourselves fortunate to be Muslims during this month,” he said.
On the issue of Eid ul Fitr being celebrated on different days last year, Mohamed said: “Saudi Arabia does not rely on moon sighting but calculates the moon’s appearance. They determine the start of Ramadan accordingly. However, the rest of the world looks for the new moon. The Islamic month typically spans 29 to 30 days.
“On the 29th day, you are supposed to look for the new moon, and if it is not sighted, you observe the 30th day, which marks the end of the month and the beginning of the new month. If the moon is sighted on the 29th day, after consensus and consultation among different committees, we declare the day for Eid ul-Fitr.”
Minister of Agriculture, Land, and Marine Affairs Kazim Hosein, in a statement yesterday, described Ramadan as “the month of peace, tranquillity, piety, righteousness, generosity, and bestowal.”
He added: “In this month, we have to determine how we can enrich ourselves with Allah’s blessings, how we can do as many good deeds as possible, how we can reorganize and reform our personality, conduct, and behaviour in these blessed days.”