Lviv Muslims showed how they’d spent first days of the Holy Ramadan Month
The holy Ramadan month has started. During 30 days, believers neither eat food nor drink water during the daylight. They believe God sent the Qur’anic revelations to the Prophet Muhammad at the time of Ramadan.
During Ramadan, the faithful adults keep a strict fast.
- From sunrise till sunset, Muslims do not eat or drink, now it's from 4 a.m. till 9 p.m., - explained Murat Suleyanov, the imam of Muhammad Asad Islamic Cultural Centre.
One is allowed to eat food and drink water only at night. This is called Iftar. Muslims gather in the mosque before sunset.
"After azan having sounded (call for prayer), you can already drink water and eat some dates," - says Muslimah Hatija.
Before Iftar men and women eat eastern delicacies. This is what the Prophet did according to Muslims. Men and women eat in separate places. Not women but men must prepare food for the main Iftar. Today the main dish is pilaf. Ten kilograms of rice were used for a few caldrons.
"Here is a special lamb with broad tail, as well as carrots, onions, chick-pea and some flavours," - told Bakhtiar about cooking process.
Iftar has been prepared for hundreds of serving pieces, because Lviv Muslim community is quite a great one. "There are up to four thousand Muslims and a lot of diasporas - Azerbaijan, Tatar, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and others," - says Imam Murat Suleymanov.
This year, Ramadan lasts 30 days until June 4th. And it will be ended with a great holiday - Ramadan Bayram. Muslims celebrate it for two days, at this time they have fun and treat not only their relatives, but also neighbors and even just passers-by.
