The date of Eid-ul-Fitr varies each year as it is based on the sighting of the new moon, but it usually falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The precise date of this festival is decided by the sighting of the crescent moon.
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As part of the festivities, Muslims gather in mosques or open spaces to offer special prayers, known as Eid prayers. They also give gifts, and share food with family and friends. The day is a time for forgiveness and celebration.
In addition to the special prayers and festive gatherings, there are many traditional customs associated with Eid-ul-Fitr. One of the most important is the giving of Eid al-Fitr or Zakat al-Fitr, which is a form of charity given to the poor and needy. This is usually given before the Eid prayers, and it is meant to ensure that everyone has enough to eat and celebrate during the holiday.
Food plays a special role in the festivities with some of the most popular Eid dishes like biryani, kebabs, samosas, and sweet treats like sheer khurma and ras malai on the platter.
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Explaining the significance of Meethi Eid, Sanghamitra Sarcar, founder and director, The Hawking St. said, "Meethi Eid is important because it symbolises a time of joy, forgiveness and gratitude." READ MORE HERE
Politician Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to extend Eid greetings to everyone.
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Muslims pray on the festival of Eid at Firoz Shah Kotla in New Delhi.
Actor Shah Rukh Khan took to Twitter to extend Eid wishes to everyone.
Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to share Eid wishes.
On Saturday early morning, Salat al-Eid was taking place in front of Bandra Station, which is a Grade-I heritage structure.
After Salat al-Eid, roses were distributed.
Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims globally to mark the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting and spiritual reflection. Muslims observe fasting from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan, and Eid signifies the completion of this month. Take a look at how the joyous occasion was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in India. READ MORE HERE
Actor Ambitabh Bachchan took to Twitter to share Eid wishes.
President Draupadi Murmu took to Twitter to share Eid wishes.
Muslims offer Eid-al-Fitr prayers marking the end of their holy fasting month of Ramadan at Jama Masjid, New Delhi.
Celebrities from across fields have taken to social media to wish everyone. Cricketer Suresh Raina also joined others to wish Eid Mubarak!
Eid Namaz was seen being offered at Red Road, Kolkata
Actor Madhuri Dixit Nene took to Twitter to share Eid wishes
Prayers, wishes mark the morning of Eid across the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to wish everyone on the occasion of Eid.
Muslims were seen in Jama Masjid in New Delhi on the eve of Eid.
The special day of Eid is here. Now is the time to personally thank each and everyone. Here are some warm greetings and wishes that we have curated for you. READ MORE HERE
India will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow following the sighting of the crescent Moon that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
'Jumma-tul-Vida' prayers, marking the last Friday of Ramzan, were offered across Kashmir including at the historic Jamia Masjid here with religious fervour, officials said.
The largest congregation was held at Jamia Masjid in the old city here, where the Jumma-tul-Vida prayers were offered after three years.
A huge number of the faithful also offered the prayers at the Hazratbal shrine, which houses the holy relic of Prophet Mohammad, on the banks of the Dal Lake, the officials said.
The mosques and shrines across the valley witnessed a huge rush of devotees to offer the Friday congregational prayers, a day before Eid-ul-Fitr, they said.
Srinagar Police on Twitter said, “‘Jumma-tul-Vida' prayers went peacefully and smoothly in all the mosques of Srinagar district including in Hazratbal Dargah & in Jamia Masjid, Nowhatta. A huge congregation offered Friday afternoon prayers in all the mosques.”
Last Friday, congregational prayers were disallowed at the Jamia Masjid by the authorities. However, Shab-e-Qadar prayers were allowed at the grand mosque on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the managing body of the grand mosque, said thousands of men, women and youngsters offered the Friday prayer at the historic 14th-century mosque.
It, however, said the people were “once again disappointed over the absence of their beloved leader Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq who is under house detention for the last nearly four years”.
A spokesperson of the Auqaf conveyed the Eid-ul-Fitr message of the Mirwaiz to the people and appealed to them to celebrate Eid with simplicity according to Islamic teachings.
“The Auqaf expresses strong resentment against the continuous illegal and arbitrary detention of Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir. The authorities should change their dictatorial attitude and release him before Eid,” he said.
The managing body of the mosque said the Eid prayers would be offered there on Saturday after three years.
The spokesperson said the Eid prayer will be offered at 9 am on Saturday, and urged people to reach the mosque before time and show Islamic unity and discipline on the occasion.
Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramzan, will be celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, after the Shawal Moon was not sighted on Thursday.
The Islamic calendar month is of 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the crescent.
Incessant rainfall over the past few days across the Valley dampened the festive spirit of shoppers ahead of Eid. (PTI)
Muslims across the world are observing Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
TV host and cookbook author Maria Goretti took to Instagram, to share a special recipe for Eid, which she said she first had a friend's home during Eid. "And I knew I had to learn it..." she wrote.
So, what are you waiting for? Sweeten your celebrations with this delicious dessert!
The holiday of Eid al-Fitr ushered in a day of prayers and joy for Muslims around the world on Friday.The celebration was marred by tragedy amid the explosion of conflict in Sudan, while in other countries it came against the backdrop of hopes for a better future.
After the Ramadan month of fasting, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr with feasts and family visits. The start of the holiday is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which vary according to geographic location.In Sudan's capital, Khartoum, staccato blasts of gunfire marked the early hours of the feast day.
A deadly conflict in the vast African country that erupted in the past week has forced many people to shelter indoors ahead of the holiday, even as water and food for civilians runs low.In Jerusalem, thousands of faithful gathered at Islam's third holiest shrine, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where tensions with Israeli authorities have seethed in the past month. The compound also hosts Judaism's holiest site.
Following holiday prayers, a clown entertained children and a woman painted the cheek of a girl with the green, red, black and white Palestinian flag.Some attendees trampled on an Israeli flag and unfurled banners in support of Palestinian militant groups.The streets of Arab capitals Damascus, Baghdad and Beirut were crowded with worshippers heading to mosques and cemeteries. Many Muslims visit the graves of their loved ones after the early morning prayer on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.Visitors toted bouquets of flowers, jugs of water for plants, and brooms to clean gravestones.
“After the Eid prayer we always visit our dead … to pray and pay our respects, may God have mercy and forgive them on this blessed day,” said Atheer Mohamed in Baghdad's Azamiya cemetery.Islam's holidays follow a lunar calendar. But some countries rely on astronomical calculations rather than physical sightings.This frequently leads to disagreements between religious authorities in different countries – and sometimes in the same country – over the start date of Eid al-Fitr.
This year, Saudi Arabia and many other Arab countries began their Eid celebrations on Friday, while Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia, among others, set the first day of the holiday for Saturday.In Sudan, the holiday was eclipsed by a week of raging battles between the army and its rival paramilitary force, which are locked in a violent struggle to control the country.The fighting has killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands.In a video message released early Friday, his first speech since the fighting broke out, Sudan's top general Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan marked the sombre tone of the holiday.“Ruin and destruction and the sound of bullets have left no place for the happiness everyone in our beloved country deserves," he said.The day before, Sudan's military ruled out negotiations with the rival paramilitary force, known as the Rapid Support Forces, saying it would only accept its surrender as the two sides continued to battle in central Khartoum and other parts of the country, threatening to wreck international attempts to broker a sustainable cease-fire.
Yet in other parts of the region, the recent rapprochement between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has kindled hopes for peace.In Yemen, the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement raised the possibility for an end to the civil war that had turned into a proxy conflict and torn the impoverished country apart since 2014.
Saudi officials and Iran-backed Houthi rebels recently began talks in Yemen's capital of Sanaa. During the last days of Ramadan, the warring sides exchanged hundreds of prisoners captured during the conflict.
However, the moment of hopes was marred by a stampede late on Wednesday at a charitable event in the rebel-held capital that killed at least 78 people and injured 77.
This year's Eid al-Fitr also came on the heels of intensified violence in Israel and Palestine.Alaa Abu Hatab and his only remaining daughter started the holiday in the Palestinian Gaza Strip by visiting the graves of his wife and four children who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the day of Eid al-Fitr in 2021.
That strike also killed Abu Hatab's sister and her children.“Because they were killed in the Eid, I miss them especially during Eid al-Fitr. I miss their laughter,” Abu Hatab said, standing by his family's grave with his six-year-old daughter, Maria. The holiday has become a “scene of pain and loss,” he said.In Afghanistan's Kabul, where worshippers gathered under the watchful eyes of its Taliban rulers, 35-year-old Abdul Matin said, “I wish that besides security we had good income and good jobs. Unfortunately people can't afford to buy all their necessities at this difficult time.”
In Turkey and Syria, many are still mourning loved ones lost in the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the two countries on February 6, killing more than 50,000 people.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday performed morning Eid prayers at Hagia Sophia, the 6th century Byzantine church in Istanbul that was reconverted into a mosque three years ago.Erdogan, who is facing elections next month amid an economic crisis and the fallout of the earthquake, handed out chocolate and pastries to journalists outside the mosque, renamed Holy Ayasofya Grand Mosque after 85 years as a museum. (AP)
Australian cricket player Usman Khawaja took to Twitter to wish everyone on the occasion of Eid. "Eid Mubarak from the Khawajas. ???#Eid2023 #EidMubarak," he tweeted.
Muslims were seen praying inside a mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan in Mumbai. Devotees across the world are observing Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The crescent moon is expected to be seen on Friday marking the end of Ramadan in India and other countries.
Muslims consider Friday a blessed day because it is the day when the Jummah prayer is offered, which is a mandatory congregational prayer for Muslim men. The Quran also mentions the importance of Friday and its significance in Islamic history, such as the day of Adam's creation and the Day of Judgment.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has issued Eid greetings to the British Muslim community, reflecting on their contributions to life in the UK.
In a message issued overnight on Thursday as Eid al Fitr is marked around the world over the course of this weekend, Sunak said he looked forward to welcoming representatives from the British Muslim community to Downing Street to celebrate the festival.
Downing Street annually hosts an Eid reception as well as events to mark other community festivals.
“As Ramadan comes to an end, I would like to send my warmest wishes to Muslims in the UK and around the world as they mark Eid al Fitr,” said Sunak.
“Eid is a timely opportunity to acknowledge the shared values which bind us together, particularly your compassion and dedication to contribute to charity and philanthropy. This was evident earlier this year, through the community's outstanding response to support the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria,” he said.
The 42-year-old British Indian leader noted that as families and friends come together to celebrate, he would like to pay tribute to the “incredible contribution” the Muslim community makes to the country.
“Whether it be in business, sports, media, our public services, or of course our NHS [National Health Service] and armed forces, British Muslims are helping to make the country the success it is. Eid Mubarak to everyone observing it today. I look forward to welcoming representatives from the British Muslim community to Downing Street to celebrate,” he added.
Sunak faces a busy day at work on Friday with all eyes on him as he reviews the findings of an independent report into allegations of bullying by civil servants against his close aide and Cabinet colleague, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.
The report by a barrister was submitted to the minister's boss, the Prime Minister, who is to decide the action to be taken if Raab is found to have breached the ministerial code.
While the Opposition has accused him of dithering and delay, Downing Street has stressed that the Prime Minister is closely studying the findings before announcing his decision on Raab, who is also the UK Justice Secretary and the final move may have to involve a mini shuffle of portfolios if there is a need to replace him. (PTI)
The congregational Eid-ul-Fitr prayers will not be offered at the historic Eidgah here due to inclement weather, chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Darakhshan Andrabi said on Thursday.
The Waqf Board had earlier said that Eid prayers would be offered at the Eidgah for the first time in three years.
However, when reporters here asked her about it, Andrabi replied, "It is difficult because of the weather." The Waqf Board chairmen said the congregational prayers would be offered at the Hazratbal shrine, which houses a relic of Prophet Mohammad.
Andrabi visited the shrine overlooking the famous Dal Lake, and reviewed the preparations for the prayers. Eid will be celebrated on Friday or Saturday subject to the appearance of the crescent.
"We have come to the dargah. The weather has been erratic for the last few days, but we have faith in God, and we hope the weather will improve. I have taken a review of the preparations for the Eid prayers. The Waqf Board has done preparations and tents have been placed here and elsewhere so that Eid prayers are offered smoothly at all mosques and shrines and in a joyful atmosphere," she said.
The Waqf chairperson said if the weather permits, prayers will be offered outside the Hazratbal shrine, "but, if there are rains, then it will be offered inside the shrine".
Andrabi said the meteorological department has forecast improvement in the weather from Friday.
(PTI)
In the heart of Jakarta, the grand Istiqlal Mosque was built with a vision for it to stand for a thousand years.
The mosque was conceived by Soekarno, Indonesia’s founding father, and was designed as an impressive symbol for the country’s independence. Its seven gates — representing the seven heavens in Islam — welcome visitors from across the archipelago and the world into the mosque’s lofty interior.
But they don’t just see the light here. It fuels them. Read more here.
Eid is famous for delicacies that have been prepared by families for generations, preserved with care from the changing eating habits of the times. Sachin Joshi, Executive Chef at Taj Blue Diamond at Koregaon Park, Pune, offers ways to appeal to the palates of traditional food lovers as well as modern, conscious diners. He also shares secrets of incorporating chia into Sheer Kurma and almond milk in Double ka Meetha as well as age-old recipes to spice up the table this festival of sweets.
Click here to check out the delicious recipes
The government of Kerala has declared two days of holiday on April 21 and 22 on the eve of Eid ul Fitr. The crescent or new moon was not sighted anywhere in the state on Thursday, hence, Eid ul Fitr is not celebrated on Friday.
During the holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims observe a day-long fast or roza. As part of the ritual, devotees have pre-fast meals before sunrise, called ‘sehri‘, and post-meals at sunset, called ‘iftar‘.
While fasting is considered to have a positive effect on health, it’s important to not overindulge oneself during sehri and iftar meals. “Fasting doesn’t mean you have a feast every day. Fasting teaches us moderation. Overeating or over-indulgence can lead to bloating, digestive discomfort and leave an impact on your metabolism too,” said Lavleen Kaur, head dietitian and co-founder, Diet Insight. Read more here
Celebrated by the Muslim community all over the globe, Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It is believed that Prophet Muhammad got the first revelation of the Holy Quran in this month.
Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and not the Gregorian calendar. For a whole month, Muslims around the world fast, offer prayers, and practice self-discipline. They do charitable acts like feeding the poor and giving them alms. Read more here.
Large parts of the Muslim world marked the end of the fasting month of Ramadan at sundown Thursday and ushered in the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, but the festivities were overshadowed by raging battles for control of Sudan and a deadly stampede in Yemen.
In other parts of the region, the holiday came against the backdrop of reconciliation and rapprochement between former rivals.
The Islamic calendar is lunar and depends on the sighting of the moon — something Muslim religious authorities tend to disagree on. Ramadan sees worshippers fasting daily from dawn to sunset, ending with Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
This year again, the holiday comes amid fighting and devastation, particularly in the Middle East.
In Sudan, the holiday was eclipsed by raging battles between the army and its rival paramilitary force, despite two attempted cease-fires. The fighting since Saturday has killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands.
In Yemen, the Arab world's most impoverished nation, a stampede late Wednesday at a charitable event in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa killed at least 78 people and injured 77.
Religious authorities in both Sudan and Yemen said they will mark the start of Eid al-Fitr on Friday.
In Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population worldwide, the second-largest Islamic group, Muhammadiyah — with over 60 million members — said that according to its astronomical calculations, the holiday of Eid al-Fitr starts on Friday. However, the country’s religious affairs minister had announced on Thursday that the start of the holiday would fall on Saturday.
In some places, tensions and fighting had calmed. Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties after China-brokered negotiations — an ongoing reconciliation that has deescalated proxy wars in the region.
Saudi officials and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen recently began talks in Sanaa and during the last days of Ramadan exchanged hundreds of prisoners captured in Yemen's civil war, which erupted in 2014.
Riyadh also sent its top diplomat to Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad on Tuesday, a significant step towards ending his political isolation and potentially returning the war-torn country to the Arab League.
(AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter to extend his greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr today following the sighting of the crescent Moon that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Incessant rainfall over the past two days in Kashmir has dampened the festive spirit of shoppers ahead of Eid.
Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan, is expected to be celebrated on Saturday, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.
“Preparations for Eid are underway but the rain has hampered and disturbed the fervour. There is no rush in the market compared to last year,” Nisar Hussain, a customer, said. Read more here.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow following the sighting of the crescent Moon that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
The holy month of fasting, prayer, and reflection, Ramadan is one of the most significant religious periods observed by Muslims all over the world. As part of the tradition, devotees practise abstinence and fast from pre-dawn to dusk. The pre-dawn meal is referred to as ‘sehri‘ and the meal with which the fast is broken at sunset is called ‘iftar‘.
While Muslims devour a variety of foods during iftar, based on their preferences and geographical locations, dates are among the most common food items with which most people break their fast, traditionally. Considered sacred in Islam, they are a staple on iftar tables during Ramadan as it is believed to have appeared over 20 times in Quran and were advocated by Prophet Muhammad himself. Read more here.
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. The date of Eid-ul-Fitr varies each year as it is based on the sighting of the new moon, but it usually falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The precise date of this festival is decided by the sighting of the crescent moon. Read more here.
The valley is covered in darkness as Abdul Kareem Jinded, 71, prepares his drum to break the silence of his neighbourhood in Srinagar, the largest city in Indian Kashmir.
A wood-cutter by day, he wakes up at midnight during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to walk 3-4 miles (5-6 km) through the bylanes of Srinagar's downtown or old quarter, knocking on doors shouting: "Wake up and eat your morning meal before it is late".
Devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, and usually eat a meal before the sun comes up.
Jinded says his family has been playing the role of "Sahar Khans", named for the pre-dawn Ramadan meal called Sahri, for generations.
Srinagar, a city of 1.5 million people and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is predominantly Muslim. Jammu and Kashmir was also India's only Muslim-majority state until it was converted into a federal territory in 2019.
Jinded said he has been beating his drum, singing, praying and knocking on doors in the Nowhatta neighbourhood during Ramadan for 27 years.
Just as he joined his father a generation ago, he is now joined by his three sons.
"My father was a drummer and so were my forefathers. We do it just to please God and keep the tradition alive,” he said.
Kashmir's Ramadan drummers are not paid, but as the month nears its end, people tend to become generous.
"We don't ask for money. We get a lot of respect from people and the majority give us money and other gifts," Jinded said. "We do it to earn heavenly rewards."
Srinagar is at the centre of an insurgency by Muslim militants since 1989. The militants have waged a decades-long war against Indian rule and tens of thousands of people have been killed although the violence is now dwindling.
Jinded said that even at the peak of militancy in the 1990s, when the city was dotted with security check-posts and bunkers, families like his continued with the pre-dawn ritual during Ramadan using security passes that allowed movement.
In the age of alarm clocks and smartphones, Sahar Khans are less of a necessity, but it adds an essential element to the festivities leading up to the Eid festival at the end of the month, residents said. The festival this year is likely to fall on Saturday.
"Ramadan drummers are an important part of our tradition," said Sheikh Ghulam Nabi, a tailor in Srinagar's old town. "They add to the festive atmosphere of the holy month."
(Reuters)
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday extended Eid greetings to Malayalis across the world on the eve of the festival.
While wishing everyone on the occasion, Khan hoped that the festival would instill compassion and brotherhood in the minds of people.
'My heartiest greetings to Keralites all over the world, on the solemn occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. May the celebration of Eid ennoble our minds with compassion and the spirit of brotherhood, and guide us towards piety and greater goodness,' he said in a statement released by the Kerala Raj Bhavan.
(PTI)
Eid ul Fitr is a religious festival for all Muslims around the world. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, during which devotees fast from dawn to dusk. This year it is expected to be celebrated on Friday, April 21, or Saturday, April 22. However, the exact date is subject to the sighting of the moon of Shawwal, 1444, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. Read more here.