The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
On the morning of the Feast of Ramadan, angels take to the roads and call out: “O assembly of Muslims! Hasten towards the mercy of your Lord, who is bountiful. He bestows abundant goodness and bounty. Then they will be given abundant rewards. You were commanded to worship at night, and you fulfilled the command. You were commanded to fast during the day, so you fasted and obeyed your Lord, and receive your reward.
As the month of Ramadan approaches, the heart of every believer is filled with the hope of forgiveness. In order to spend this month well and reach the Ramadan Feast , every Muslim focuses on their worship. They want to fast in the best way possible and spend a month away from their desires and obsessions. In the hadiths our Prophet (pbuh) gave the good news that those who obey Allah and fast will be rewarded.
As Bi’ Dünya Haber, we have prepared an agenda to help you have a productive Ramadan . We have presented you the scenes of Ramadan in other countries with interviews we have conducted from different parts of the world. With the 1 Country 1 Meal Series, we have brought Ramadan tables from different geographies to your kitchens. We have shared the preparations, joys and happiness, celebrations, mass iftar programs, mahyas and mosques from around the world on our social media accounts. With the end of Ramadan, we are now presenting you scenes from the world of Ramadan Bayram. Let’s all take a look at how Ramadan Bayram is celebrated around the world.
Eid al-Fitr in Afghanistan
Abdulcelil Alpkıray, whom we interviewed from Afghanistan , says that the first day of Ramadan is a holiday in Afghanistan. He says that rice pilaf is preferred for sahur to keep one full, and that the congregation in the mosque for the evening prayer breaks their fast with dates and water and then performs the evening prayer. He also adds that a sermon is given after the morning prayer and that the tarawih prayers are performed with a khatm. Then he talks about the Ramadan holiday and explains that, unlike in Turkey, the holiday prayer is performed two or three hours after sunrise. Alpkıray explains how the Ramadan holiday is celebrated in Afghanistan as follows:
The celebrations and visits begin after the midday prayer. In Afghanistan, women do not go out on the first day of the holiday, and men go to celebrate because they are in the kitchen to welcome the guests. On the second day, women visit each other. Special desserts, drinks and snacks prepared for the holiday take their place in the kitchen. Green tea is served to the guests. Green tea is the same in Afghanistan as black tea in Türkiye.
Alpkıray, who says that in addition to celebrating the holiday, grave visits are also made, says that the joy of his children is worth seeing and that he feels their holiday spirit the most by collecting candy from door to door. Finally, Abdulcelil Alpkıray draws attention to an important point by completing his sentences as follows:
Afghanistan may not be remembered with the joy of the holiday, the joy of Ramadan, and the voices of children. But this is a country where the month of Ramadan is experienced to the fullest. Ramadan is beautiful in Afghanistan with its unique tables, the abundance of sahur, the rush of iftar, and tarawih prayers performed with a complete recitation.
Eid al-Fitr in Bangladesh
In our interview with Mazhar Islam, a Bangladeshi who completed his education in Turkey, he tells us that ninety percent of the people of Bangladesh are Muslim. He says that there are iftar parties similar to the ones in Turkey during Ramadan, that these iftars are organized with money collected together and that they invite their non-Muslim friends. He also says that children in Bangladesh come to mosques and perform tarawih prayers with the excitement of Ramadan, but run to play after two rakats. He adds that the silence of the streets in the morning hours is broken by street vendors in the afternoon hours and the streets become crowded. As a society that remains loyal to cultural values, Mazhar Islam tells us about the Ramadan Feast in Bangladesh as follows:
Our holiday is quite different from Türkiye. Bangladeshis go to the market on the eve of the holiday and buy special panjabis and skullcaps. They wear these clothes they buy on the morning of the holiday and go to the holiday prayer. Children never open their holiday packages before the morning of the holiday so that their clothes do not wear out. If the weather is suitable, prayers are performed in areas such as streets, squares, and school yards. After the holiday prayer, the mosque congregation celebrates the holiday. Then we go home and celebrate the holiday with our families. In our country, we celebrate the holiday by touching the feet of the person we celebrate the holiday with and greeting them. Then we visit our relatives. There is no tradition of giving children candy during these visits; only holiday pocket money is given.
Eid al-Fitr in Bulgaria
In the Ramadan Bayram scenes, this time we go to neighboring country Bulgaria . This time, Asiya Fahri Feleti tells us about the month of Ramadan and the holiday. Feleti, who says that Ramadan in Bulgaria is very similar to the one in Turkey, does not forget to add that there is no Ramadan drummer. She says that Ramadan Bayram is very special for children, as it is everywhere else. She says that when she was a child, fireworks were held on Ramadan Bayram. She says that after fasting, a lot of sweets were consumed on the holiday, so a variety of sweets were made before the holiday along with cleaning. She says that after the most beautiful clothes were worn for the holiday, men and, if there was space, women also went to the mosque for the holiday. She says that after the prayer, children kissed the hands of their elders and received holiday pocket money during the holiday. She says that Ramadan Bayram is not an official holiday in her country, and that families fill out petitions and do not send their children to school that day. Asiya Feleti, who says that with such situations and news, Islam spreads even more and attracts the attention of non-Muslims and arouses curiosity, also utters the following beautiful words about the importance of children experiencing the holiday:
In this worldly life where we are used to living at a fast pace, holidays are times when we stop, rest, take a breath, and come together with our family and relatives. I think this is very valuable because only in such an environment can a child learn what it feels like to be together and how to respect adults.
Eid al-Fitr in Indonesia
Şuayip Altun, who lives in Indonesia , a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, tells us about the Ramadan Feast in Indonesia as follows:
We welcome the holiday with the end of Ramadan. Since there are five different religions in the country, all of their special days are celebrated as holidays and official holidays. During Ramadan, paper money is wrapped in candies and offered to children. The dessert culture is a little different compared to Türkiye. Fruit juices and cakes made from fruits are served more. Since Aceh is a hot region, there is no tea culture. Instead, water and cold drinks are served. Also, chips made from fruits are very common. They do not use spoons while eating. Instead, they prefer chips because they are hard and big.
They say that they live in harmony with this diversity in Indonesia, which is known for its multicultural and multi-religious structure. He says that they live by feeling Islam as Muslims, and that their daily lives change during Ramadan. Altun, who says that iftar tables are modest and people’s business lives change in accordance with Ramadan, says that Muslims there perform Ramadan properly.
Eid al-Fitr in the Philippines
We are going to one of the countries hosting the Pacific Ocean to see the Ramadan Feast scene and feel that atmosphere. There is a considerable Muslim population in the country where practicing Islam varies from region to region. Raffie Usman, who gave us information from there and with whom we interviewed, describes the Ramadan Feast scene in the Philippines as follows:
The holiday is celebrated with great enthusiasm and excitement. You see people dressed in white everywhere. Houses are decorated with colorful and illuminated decorations. Even families who are not financially well-off try to decorate their homes using colorful, old curtains. Food, drinks and sweets are served everywhere. You can directly join any outdoor meeting. You are welcomed at these meetings. In addition, despite being a country governed by Christianity, religious holidays were declared public holidays in the Philippines a few years ago. The ones who experience the holiday the best are children. Clothes are kept and worn only for the holiday. Sometimes the same clothes can be worn for two holidays. In addition, the most special guests of these days are again children. They are held in high esteem in all households, rich and poor. Wherever you go, you see women crying or with wet eyes. Men wear white and look with tired smiles on their faces. Alhamdulillah, what beautiful views. May Allah not deprive our society of these views and no part of the world of these views.
