COTABATO CITY, June 28 (PNA) –- Fasting season
in the Philippines officially starts Sunday after the naked-eye moon sighting
by Muslim religious leaders failed to view the crescent moon.
Ustadz Mike Ibrahim, commissioner of the
National Commission for Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), said the Darul Ifta, Islamic
House of Opinion and members of the Ulama Council of the Philippines (UCP),
failed to view the moon in viewing sites in the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM), thus fasting officially starts Sunday.
”Since the crescent moon was not sighted
clearly on Friday evening, fasting officially starts tomorrow, Sunday,” Ibrahim
said, adding that it will last until July 27 where the Hariraya Puwasa or the
end of Ramadhan is celebrated.
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam
that every Muslim must perform except for pregnant women, elders or senior
citizens and minors.
The other pillars include performing pilgrimage
in the Holy Land of Mecca, praying five times a day, offering material and
financial aid to the needy brethren and those in need.
Fasting from food, water and earthly desires,
including engaging in sex are observed by Muslim faithful from dawn to sunset.
According to Ustadz Jaafar Ali, speaking for
Darul Iftah, the organization of Islamic religious leaders, said during the
fasting month, Muslim faithful are obliged to fast from sunrise to sunset,
breaking the fast at about 6 p.m.
During the fasting month, Islam believers
refrain from taking solid and liquid food, smoking and other earthly desires.
Fasting is the most important Islamic religious
activity.
Various activities like nightly presentation at
the ARMM compound have been prepared ahead of the fasting month.
ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hatamn said a food festival is
being prepared at the ARMM compound so Muslims can break the fast shortly after
work.
The start of fasting month is a regular working
day but Muslim workers are allowed to work until 3 p.m. without noon break to
give them ample time to prepare for the breaking of the fast at sunset.
For a devout Muslim, Ramadan is a time for
spiritual reflection and sympathy for those who are suffering and needy.
"During the fasting month, we pray that
Allah that peace will reign in our land and that we continue to provide help to
our brethren who are in need, physically, financially, emotionally and
spiritually," said Allan Hamdila, a 29 year-old government employee.
Ustasdz Ali urged Muslims to share part of
their wealth to the needy during the fasting month.
He urged those who have
extra money to share by buying food and donate them to less privileged Muslims.
(PNA)
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