The Eid ul Fitr, marking the culmination of the holy month of Ramadan, will be celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday as the Shawwal moon was sighted in the region.
J&K’s Grand Mufti, Nasir-ul-Islam announced that evidence of moon sightings were received by him from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Enough witnesses for the sighting of Shawwal moon have been received from across J&K, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan,” Grand Mufti said.
He said that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Monday across Jammu and Kashmir.
He also extended greetings to the Muslim Ummah, especially to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “May this auspicious occasion bring with it a lot of joy, happiness, peace and prosperity for all of us”, he said.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, marking the culmination of month-long Ramazan when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
Eid ul Fitr is also known as a festival of charity and gratitude that brings deep spiritual awakening for its followers.
One of the five pillars of Islam is Zakat that means charity and on this day followers believe in giving money, food, clothes and other items of necessity to the poor. In fact, many Muslims give Zakat before offering Eid prayers.
The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board chairperson, Dr. Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, on Sunday announced that Eid prayers will not be held at the historic Eidgah in Srinagar this year due to ongoing construction work.
Andrabi said arrangements have been made for congregational prayers at Hazratbal shrine and other shrines, mosques across Jammu and Kashmir.
"The biggest congregation will be at Hazratbal Shrine. All arrangements have been completed by the Waqf Board in coordination with line departments," she said.
The Eidgah in Srinagar has traditionally been a central venue for large Eid gatherings.
However, in recent years, these congregations have been affected by security concerns and adverse weather conditions.
Earlier, Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar has announced that, as per Islamic tradition, the Eid-ul-Fitr congregational prayers will be offered at the historic Eidgah Srinagar at 10 am.
With Eid prayers not to be offered in Eid, the largest Eid congregation is likely to take place at Hazratbal shrine on the banks of Dal Lake in Kashmir where thousands of devotees offer Eid prayers every year.
In Jammu, Eid congregations would be held at Jammu's Eid Gah and Makkah Masjid, where hundreds of faithful are expected to participate in congregational prayers.