Muslims Celebrate End Of Ramadan

A look at The Gambian Community in Nottingham

By Pa Modou Faal

Imam Baba Njie

Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important days in the Muslim Ummah. It is celebrated to mark the end of a month long fasting and supplication to their creator, ALLAH (S.A.W.). The month of Ramadan is a period when Muslims keep fast from dawn to sunset staying away from food, water, sexual intercourse, bad deeds and speech to honour the blessings ALLAH grant them yet glorify his omnipotence, omniscience and benevolence. This day is celebrated by Muslims all over the world because they are promised purity from the sins and eternal reward of Jannah (paradise) by ALLAH.

During the month of Ramadan, the Gambian Muslim community in Nottinghamshire hosted iftar (fastbreaking) at their Mosque in Sneinton with a view to coming together as a community and looking after each other during the blessed month. Members of the community contributed both in cash and kind and provided tradition Gambian meals to worshippers every Saturday night spanning the whole month. At the end of the month, the community converged on the playing ground in Basford to mark the end of Ramadan in a congregational prayer. Delivering his summon to the joyous congregation, Imam Baba Njie, Imam of the Gambian Muslim Community in Nottinghamshire reminded the congregation that Allah is the greatest and deserved to be worshipped and mindful of as a day will come when everyone will return to Him, and every soul will be recompensed for what it had earned. Imam Baba said the day is one of “remembrance and glorification of our Lord and Creator, Allah as well as a day of happiness, rejoice and celebration”. “Be assured people that our sincere devotion and obedience during Ramadan in the form of fasting, performing night prayer, helping the poor and the needy, forgiving those who wrong us among many other good deeds, will be rewarded immensely by Allah and Jannah (paradise) is the ultimate goal. “ Imam Baba Njie reminded the congregation of quotes from the Quran and Hadith saying:“Those who follow the right path, Allah will increase them in guidance and bless them with piety. Those who say their Lord is Allah and they remained steadfast, there will be no fear concerning them nor will they grieve. They will finally enter paradise where they will live forever as a reward for what they did.”

He told them that Allah does not look at your physique nor at your face, rather he looks at your heart and your actions. Imam Baba Njie seized the occasion to urge the young children to focus on their education, seek knowledge and barakah (blessings) from parents, teachers, elders and the community at large. He reminded them of the temptations that await them outside their homes and advised them to stay away from violence and unruly behaviours. Imam Baba encouraged the young children to emulate the good examples of their parents, teachers, brothers and sisters. He said that “children should have no hatred, no envy, no going behind the back of each other, but should rather love and care for one and other”. The venerable Imam also reiterated the need to show kindness to parents, the elderly and peers. He also urged parents to be vigilant and step up as role models to their children.

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