LAC LA BICHE - On Wednesday evening, Muslims across the world and around the Lakeland marked the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan with the customary celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
Members of the Muslim community in the Lac La Biche area and guests gathered at the Lakeland Agricom in Lac La Biche for the meal to celebrate the end of the annual Ramadan observances which coincide with the arrival of the new moon and a new lunar cycle. Leading up to Wednesday’s Eid celebration, a full lunar month of prayer, fasting and charity was observed by Muslim families across the region.
Greetings of “Eid Mubarak” – blessed ceremony – were delivered from person to person at Wednesday’s celebration, which was open to the whole community and offered food to the less fortunate
The Lac La Biche community is known as having one of Canada’s largest Muslim populations per capita.
Part of life-long lessons for all
Iman Mohamed Abdelwahab at Lac La Biche’s Al Kareem Mosque said the values of Ramadan such as giving and being kind to others are meant to be practiced throughout the year, and not only during the holy month. The act of giving and getting to know others, as well as participating in the community, he stated, is the ultimate goal of observing Ramadan.
Furthermore, the Imam continued, the values highlighted during Ramadan are not exclusive to the Muslim community, but should be embraced by the whole community, by those of different cultures and religions.
“At the end of the day, the Canadian community is one family,” he told Lakeland This Week.
The Eid celebration came days after the local Muslim community celebrated a mid-Ramadan break from their fasting at a community meal called Iftar. The Iftar meal takes place during the time of the daily Maghrib or ‘sunset prayer’ one of the five mandatory Islamic prayers, known in the Koran as ‘salah.’
On the morning prior to the meal and social gathering at Wednesday night’s Eid Al-Fitr celebration, Eid prayers took place at the mosque.