Eid Ul Fitr prayers, Masjid Jaime, Delhi, India
 

Happy Eid Ul Fitr
October 2nd 2008

The Holy Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia (see below) is the most revered place of worship for Muslims around the world. At the center of the Mosque is the Ka'aba, which literally means 'cube' in Arabic. All Muslims are required to face in the direction of the Ka'aba five times every day when offering their prayers. Muslims believe that the Ka'aba, constructed of stone blocks, was originally built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmail. 

The Holy Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, with the stone Ka'aba

Islam is the religion with the second largest following in the world. There are over 1 billion Muslims worldwide with around 2 million or more in the UK. Islam originated 1400 years ago in Arabia and was founded on the ministry of a man named Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was the last prophet to be sent by Allah.

 

The word 'Islam' in Arabic actually means to surrender oneself to God. Other major prophets who preceded Muhammad (pbuh) include: Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus).

The Muslim Holy Scriptures are called the Qur'an. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the actual word of Allah and was dictated to Muhammad (pbuh). The only authoritative version of the Qur'an is the one in the original Arabic. The Five Pillars of Islam are an essential part of Muslim life. These are five rules that every Muslim has to live by :

- Shahadah: declaration of faith

- Salat: saying prayers five times a day

- Sawm: abstaining during daylight hours in Ramadan

- Zakah: giving money to the poor

- Hajj: pilgrimage to Makkah

Ramadan :

 

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast during the hours of daylight. During Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the time when the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Learning how to pray, Islamabad, Pakistan

The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is intended to help teach Muslims self-discipline, self-restraint and generosity. It also reminds them of the suffering of the poor, who may rarely get to eat well.

Boys studying the Qu'ran during Ramadan, Chad, Africa

Reading the Qur'an is an important part of Ramadan, and many Muslims will attempt to read the whole of the Qur'an at least once during the Ramadan period. Many will also attend special services in Mosques during which the Qur'an is read. It is common to have one meal (known as the suhoor), just before sunrise and another (known as the iftar), directly after sunset. This meal will commonly consist of dates, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Because Ramadan is a time to spend with friends and family, the fast will often be broken by different Muslim families coming together to share in an evening meal.

At the end of the month of Ramadan, once fasting has been completed, a big celebration takes place known as 'Eid-ul-Fitr', the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. During this celebration Muslims dress in their finest clothes, give gifts to children and spend time with their friends and family. At Eid it is obligatory to give a set amount of money to charity to be used to help poor people buy new clothes and food so they too can celebrate.

As a school we recognise the importance of celebrating the many and varied cultures which enrich our country today. Within Religious Education, our pupils explore the major faiths of the world.  

Please click here to view the 'Celebration of Eid-Ul-Fitr' in our 'Breaking News' section

Click here to send a friend a FREE electronic Eid-Ul-Fitr greetings card!!

Sample images from the greetings cards

Gallery

'Eid' Powerpoint assembly presentation (378KB)