Thousands of men, women and children bowed in prayer Saturday morning at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Centre in Vaughan as the holy day of Eid-al-fitr was celebrated.
Muslims around the world marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan, 30 days of fasting and reflection, which culminates with Eid-al-fitr when the new moon marks the culmination of the month.
“Now we celebrate. We gather with family, children get a small amount of money. We start with morning prayer and a sermon and then we head out to houses with our family and friends,” said Basil Ahmad, a media relations representative of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Vaughan.
He also noted it’s common practice on Eid-al-fitr to “replicate the actions of the Prophet Muhammad and eat something sweet,” on the morning of Eid to break the fast.
The Ahmadiyya Community, which includes a community centre and a beautiful impressive Baitul Islam Mosque which has hosted Prime Minister Stephen Harper, includes tens of thousands of members according across Canada, many of whom live in York Region according to Ahmad.