In Arabic the word "eid" means "customary joy and sadness; a day for gathering together." According to Mahmud of Kashgar, bayram, the Turkish word for eid, is originally from the Persian bezrem/bezram, and it means a day of entertainment.

The Eid ul-Fitr has a special place among Muslims. Like the joy of iftar after a day of fasting, it reflects the joy of a collective iftar, or breaking of the fast, after a month of fasting.

The only connection between fasting and economics for most of us is the market pick-up particularly in the food sector as Ramadan approaches. As if they have waited for the opportunity for 11 months, Muslims roll up their sleeves and naturally enliven the markets.

The month of Ramadan is upon us. The display windows and street stands have now been prepared for Ramadan. The foods which will adorn the blessed iftar tables are piling up in storage rooms. The fruit which receives the most attention and is the most popular item on stands is undoubtedly the date.

The adhan is recited for compulsory prayers. If the adhan that is recited from the minarets of the mosque has been heard a separate adhan is not read for the prayer to be performed in the home. If a person is far from the mosque and cannot hear the adhan or is outside a settled area, then the adhan is recited.

Once again the Islamic world is preparing to welcome the three sacred months. The months of Rajab and Sha'ban hold a special place for believers due to the praise they receive in the Holy Qur'an and the hadith, as well as the fact that they herald the..

Daughter of a priest, whose father was also a priest in the Church of England, Clare Duman used to attend church every Sunday, like every practicing Christian, until the age of 18. Today living in Fethiye, Turkey with her husband and two children..

Fasting which is one of the five pillars of Islam is the name given to the act of abstaining yourself eating food, having a sexual intercourse and other deeds resulting in the breaking of fasting starting the break of dawn to the sun set.

As we welcome the holy month of Ramadan, the month in which the Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and in which we dedicate ourselves to fasting, self-purification and spiritual training, we should strive to do righteous deeds and focus on the goals of Ramadan so that we can become closer to Allah.

Understanding the preparations made by Prophet for the month of Ramadan is possible through the information narrated by the Companions of the Prophet as well as the Sunnah on this matter. When one examines the narrations on this topic, two issues emerge as being most important..