The last 10 days of Ramadan will start on Tuesday, 11th of April. This is the most important time of the year for Muslims, as it is believed that God will remove the sins and give blessings to those who pray.
Muslims in Saskatchewan and all over the world will try and spend as much time in contemplation and prayer as possible.
“This Ramadan has been fantastic for us. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is over we can all come together again. We are seeing that a lot of members and worshippers are finding their way to the mosque,” said Saad Hayat, the Imam of Baitur Rahmat Mosque in Saskatoon.
During Ramadan the mosque offers extra prayer times (Tarawih) and Koran readings. For those that cannot make it to the Baitur Rahmat Mosque there is a livestream available. With the last 10 days of Ramadan approaching, Hayat expect things to get even more busy.
“The last 10 days are extra important to Muslims. We believe that one of the nights called Laylat Al-Qadr, or the Night of Decree, is more holy than a thousand months of praying. So we make sure we are worshipping during every odd night of those 10 days,” Hayat explained.
The Night of Decree is one of the odd-numbered nights during the last 10 days of Ramadan. It is never known beforehand which night it will be, so Muslims to make sure to pray on those nights. It is believed that prayers during Qadr Night will be amplified a thousandfold. Muslims will ‘feel’ whenever the night has happened.
Some worshippers go one step beyond and will take a holiday for 10 days and, following the Prophet’s example, seclude themselves inside the mosque in prayer.
“It is called Itikaf. You remove all distractions, like your family members, business obligations, job, social media, etc. Just to focus on prayer and worship. All this to get closer to God,” Hayat divulged.
The last 10 days are also a big leadup to Eid al-Fitr, also known as the Festivals of Sweets. This is the biggest festival in the year for Muslims. The festival marks the end of Ramadan.
“The festival is celebrated with a morning prayer and then everyone will gather. In Regina we have more than a thousand people gathering every year to celebrate and pray. There are festivities, lunches, dinners, children will receive a lot of candy and sweets. Everyone will often wear new clothes and dress up for the occasion. It is a truly wonderful time of year,” said Muhammad Aslam, the president of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan in Regina.
Aslam added that Ramadan and Eid are a time of connecting with other communities in friendship and peace.
“We want to celebrate with everyone in the entire society, so everyone is invited to come on 21st and 22nd of April to celebrate Eid with us,” Aslam said.