For Qassim Abdullah, this year’s Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr marked a bit of a milestone: Now fully vaccinated, the 66-year-old finally felt comfortable enough to return to his mosque for the Eid prayer on Thursday, his first time back since the start of the pandemic. “It's overwhelming and exciting,”...
Peace Is the Message as Valley Muslims Mark End of Ramadan
Valley Muslims celebrated the end of Ramadan with prayers, food, and gifts to the underserved Wednesday morning at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno. "We thank God for the blessing to ourselves, our community, our nation, and the world," said Reza Nekumanesh, executive director of ICCF. During the event, Imam Seyed Ali...
Moon Sightings, Politics Play a Part in Muslim Holiday
BEIRUT — Muslims across the Middle East and beyond began Tuesday marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, one of the most celebrated holidays for the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, amid confusion about the start of the three-day holiday fed partly by political differences. The holiday marks the end of...
Valley Muslims End Ramadan With Feast & Charitable Gifts
Valley Muslims celebrated the end of Ramadan with prayers, food and gifts to charity Friday morning at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno. The Eid al-Fitr feast marks the end of 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-dusk fasting. "Eid Mubarak" is a greeting and phrase used by Muslims during Eid and means "blessed...
What Is Ramadan? Why Do Muslims Fast?
Editor’s note: Mohammad Hassan Khalil, associate professor of religious studies and director of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University, answers six questions about the significance of the Muslim month of fasting. Why is Ramadan Called Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and lasts...