Celebrating Eid: Tribunal Judge Bibi shares how she plans to celebrate Eid al-Fitr
This week Muslims around the world will be celebrating the annual festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan marks the revelation of the holy book, the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and is also a time for self-reflection and spiritual growth.
Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and involves Muslims fasting for a month from the break of dawn to sunset. It is common to have one meal (known as the suhoor), just before dawn and another (known as the iftar), directly after sunset. I have been fasting since childhood and find that I can adapt to the routine within a couple of days.
Ramadan is also a time to think about those less fortunate than us and spend time with our families and loved ones.
Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar; and is based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities. Eid al-Fitr is commemorated by a large, community-wide prayer service in the morning. A mandatory charity called Zakat al-Fitr is collected before the prayer and distributed to the poor and needy to ensure all can participate in the festivities.
Eid is a time of joy and traditionally, spent celebrating with family, friends and loved ones.
The Equal Treatment Bench Book provides judges and court users with useful guidance for all parties observing Ramadan, such as ensuring adequate breaks during proceedings and taking time off to celebrate the end of Ramadan known as ‘Eid al-Fitr’.
To celebrate the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, I shall be taking annual leave and going to Saudi Arabia to enjoy the festivities with my family.
Finally, I would like to wish Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating.
Tribunal Judge Thaira Bibi