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Throughout the whole Ramadan mosques
remain overflowed with devotees. Even non-practising Muslims goes
the mosques regularly. |
Ramadan arrives in Bangladesh with
serenity, sanctity, festivity and philanthropy. Overflowing
mosques with devotees, quitters streets, illuminated and
ornamented shopping malls and markets, and festive villages make
this month a symbol of blessing by Allah.
Throughout the whole Ramadan mosques remain overflowed with
devotees. Even non-practising Muslims goes to the mosques
regularly. Most people pray long twenty Rakats of Tarabih
after Esha prayer. Mosques make arrangement of completing
the recitation of Holy Quran in the Tarabih prayer. Muslims
seldom miss the chance of completing the recitation of the Holy
Quran through Tarabih prayers.
Ramadan comes as a month of the Holy Quran. Mosques and other
organisations arrange various programmes of teaching how to
correctly recite the Holy Quran. A slogan of 'Recite Quran,
understand it and build the life with its light' has becoming
increasingly popular.
Many organisations also organise
Tafsir Mahfils and other such programmes in order to spread
the teachings of the Holly Book. This month attracts the mass,
especially the educated elite, to the holy Quran. Special fairs on
the Quran and related books are organised with lucrative
discounts.
The month comes with special
significance to those who have made it the ultimate goal of their
lives to raise the flag of Islam. They try to utilise each moment
of this holy month in spreading the light of Islam. They exchange
Quranic gifts like Tafsir books, audio CDs and cassettes of
Tafsir Mahfils and try to spread the call of Islam to as
many people as possible. Young and elderly leaders and activists
observe 'I'tekaf' by staying in the mosque for the last ten
days of this blessed month.
As 'Eid-ul-Fitr', the biggest
festival of Bangladeshis, follows the holly month of Ramadan, this
month is also marked by festivity. Shopping malls and markets are
illuminated with colourful lights to attract customers. A number
of special dishes called 'Iftari', meaning the foods for
breaking the fasting, adds the festivity of the month. Special
items like 'Piazu' made of onion, 'Beguni' made of
brinjal, 'Jilapi', a spiral juicy sweet etc, are the
traditional items of Iftari.
The festivity of Ramadan touches the lives of people living even
in the remote villages, perhaps in a greater dimension. Their
festival starts from the sighting of the moon that indicates the
beginning of the holy month. People gather under the open sky to
see the moon. They chant slogans like 'Allahu Akber' meaning Allah
is Great after the moon is sighted. Young people and boys take the
responsibility of waking up the villagers so that they can take
their 'Saheri' at pre-dawn time by singing Islamic songs.
Ramadan helps maintain the family and social bondage in the
country. Those who hail from countryside and stay in the cities go
back to meet their family members and celebrate the festival of 'Eid-ul-Fitr'
with them during the last days of Ramadan.
This is the month when most people pay their Zakat, a 2.5%
share for the poor in the wealth of the rich, to the poor. This
helps the poor participate in the festival. Since Muslims believe
that any good deed in this month is repaid by Allah manifolds, the
rich increase their charity activities. A month long fasting also
helps them feel the hardship of the poor.
A culture of Iftar Party has become very popular in
Bangladesh. Different organisations including political parties,
trade unions and student organisations arrange Iftar
Parties which also act as forums for bringing people of different
social and political background together.
People of Bangladesh are generous to express their love for this
month by many means including naming their sons as 'Ramzan'
the way 'Ramadan' is pronounced in Bangladesh.
The article,
which reflects how the Ramadan is observed in Bangladesh, appeared
on http://www.islam-bd.org in September 2008.
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