Source/Credit: Milpitas Patch
By Adelaide Chen | September 1, 2011
Eid ul-Fitr festivities marking the end of Ramadan are often shown in photos as prayer, but its also a time of celebration with food, presents and holiday customs.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community hosted a regional gathering at the Baitul Baseer Mosque in Milpitas on Tuesday, drawing members as far as Pleasanton, Tracy and Oakland who took the day off from work and school.
"You see old friends maybe you don't see in a while," said Saima Chaudhry as women came up to her and greeted her warmly.
"It's kind of like our Thanksgiving," she said of the communal meal held after the special Eid prayer. "It's getting together, sharing a meal and giving thanks."
Even before the Eid prayer (on that day is the second prayer in midmorning), members need to make a donation. The barrels from the Second Harvest Food Bank were at the mosque filled with canned goods.
After the mosque, many families dressed in their best clothing planned to visit friends and relatives on the way home. In the evening, many would have dinner at their own family gathering.
In addition, there's a custom of taking a different path home than the one to the mosque, said Imam Mabasher Ahmad. He said the purpose is to visit those who may be sick, as he planned to do, at other's homes, or even at the cemetery to remember those who have passed.
In Pakistan, where Eid is celebrated for several days, the custom is to stop at a person's home to make amends or resolve a grudge.
"This is the right time for that," said the imam. "Eid means joy. Forgiveness is very important."
Each year, Ramadan is a time for Muslims to increase their donations to charity, heighten their communion with God, and renew themselves spiritually.
For Nusrat Qadir, a nurse who lives in New York but grew up in San Jose, it's a time to take two weeks of vacation and see her family, bringing presents for her nieces and nephews.
She also takes a spiritual retreat for ten days inside the Baitul Baseer Mosque during Ramadan. It's similar to going into seclusion. The women who participate hang sheets to create private spaces. During that time, there is minimal conversation.
"When you're fasting, its more than just abstaining from your food," she said. "Your whole actions, mannerisms have to change as you're striving to be the best Muslim you can be."
Throughout her ten-day retreat, she sleeps very little. And when she's not praying, she's attempts to read the entire Qu'ran.
"For me, I look forward to it every year," she said. Coming out of the retreat is always bittersweet, she said, because you become more aware of the distractions that get in the way one's relationship with God.
Read original post here: Muslims Celebrate Eid in Milpitas
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