Get To Know ☛ where Muslims celebrate the Holy month in different countries
About a billion Muslims from around the world come together during the Holy month of Ramadan. What is the significance of this special month in different Muslim countries? How do people around the world honour this time?
At the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan, mosques and streets in all Muslim countries are decorated with colourful and various designs. Ramadan is a month to worship Allah, the month of strengthening family and friendship ties. During this month the rich people donate their money for collective Iftars. They invite the poor and indigent people.
During Holy month, God blesses those who are fasting. That’s why Muslims tend to celebrate Ramadan according to century-old traditions, which have been developed in the Islamic world.
Today we will tell you how and where Ramadan is celebrated around the world. We will focus on only the brightest examples, as Ramadan is celebrated basically everywhere in the world.
Ramadan for Bedouins
Bedouins have a number of certain features, especially for the Iftar. They set large tents in which only males can gather. When it is time for the meal they prepare rice with meat and serve it with sour milk and a variety of salads. After dinner, they light a fire in which put a variety of redolent odours. Then sit by the fire and drink Arabic coffee or mint tea with Oriental sweets.
After Namaz poets come and read poems praising the Prophet Muhammad. Some of the poems are written in literary Arabic, and others on the Bedouin dialects of Arabic. These traditions have existed for centuries.
Ramadan in Lebanon
In Lebanon, the mosques are visited by many people and a large number of classes on religion are held. People get great pleasure from well executable, heart-touching Islamic chants. On the streets there are posters calling people to fast, to do good deeds and give alms.
Each family strives to decorate the house with the most beautiful electric lights. The rich Muslims share their joy with the poor. They organize a collective Iftar, invite the poor and hand out clothes or shoes. Before sunset, the streets become filled with people hurrying home to spend the dinner with their families.
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After Iftar residents of the coastal cities, if the weather is good, go for a walk to the beach. Just before peeping of dawn a person beats a big drum and makes a call for the morning meal. He always says: "O sleeper! Wake up and do Sahur (pre-dawn meal), because Sahur happens only in Ramadan."
Ramadan in Egypt
Muslim holy month is welcomed with great joy in Egypt. Collective Iftars in Cairo and other cities are carried out right on the street, usually near mosques, tombs of Holy people, where the poor can enjoy the pleasure which they could not afford during the year.
Ramadan in Syria
The overwhelming majority of men in Syria say the "al-Maghreb" collectively in mosques. Then they return home, where they have dinner. Also, the whole family gathers at the home of the eldest of the family. Preparation for Ramadan usually begins at the end of the month of Sha'ban. People buy different types of nuts and raisins, dried apricots, and other sweets.
In the month of Ramadan, markets, restaurants and cafes are open all night and during the day the restaurants and cafes are closed. One of the most popular dishes on the Iftar is Fattoush which is served at the beginning of dinner. Fattoush is a salad with a lot of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes, to which olive oil is added, as well as lemon juice and dried Arabic bread. In the month of Ramadan neighbours often exchange prepared treats.
Ramadan in India
The Muslims of India pay much attention to the month of Ramadan. Namaz should be carried out strictly in the mosque. Each night during the Holy month they read 1/30 part of the Qur’an. So that they will read all the Surahs of the Holy Book by the end of the month.
Men strive to be in the mosque as often as they can, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan. They read a lot of the noble Qur’an and Dhikr. Some of the popular dishes in India are soups, rice with spicy seasonings. Speaking of drinks, they like wheat starch, mixed with milk, almonds, and sugar. After a meal, they can eat fruits: bananas, cokes, mango, etc.
Ramadan in Morocco
As with every Islamic country, in Morocco, the month of Ramadan is welcomed with a great joy. Restaurants and cafes are open only after sunset. Women and men wear national clothes: long dresses with hoods. After Namaz people eat dates and soup, which is called "Al-Hariri". It is made with chickpeas, seasoned with vegetables and greens. Similar traditions also exist in neighbouring countries such as Algeria and Tunisia.
Ramadan in Turkey
Turkey during the month of Ramadan looks like a bride in an ornate wedding dress. Turks usually do five-time Namaz in the mosques. And after this, they bring their children to the mosques. Turkish cuisine is very rich. Usually, they cook different types of kebab and sweets of all kinds.
The Turks start Iftar with dates, then eat the olives, then cheese, and only then start eating meat, vegetables, and soups. During Ramadan, they bake special bread in the form of cakes, called "Pide". In Turkey in the month of Ramadan, believers try to visit the Al-Fateh Mosque where the robe of the Prophet Muhammad is preserved.
In addition to the above mentioned, in Ramadan, it is advisable to commit a small pilgrimage — Umrah. It is a good thing, one of those good deeds which every Muslim should take part in. This pilgrimage is equal in reward to Hajj. However, it does not replace the commitment of the obligatory Hajj. Believers should live in accordance with the special regulations and only then can they have a lavish celebration.
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